Motivation to lose weight

Why does motivation go through the roof at the beginning of the weight loss process and then disappear somewhere? What can be discouraging and who can be the best motivator? These questions interest many who want to lose weight. In this article we will look at the reasons that prevent you from starting a new, "harmonious" life.

That a person, regardless of gender and age, is not indifferent to his appearance and the appearance of other people is an obvious fact. One of the most interesting things you can do is look at an attractive person, fantasizing about their character and lifestyle. Our own appearance also comes under our attention. We try to understand our preferences and, perhaps, hide something - both from ourselves and from others.

All our lives we work on our own image - you can imagine how important the impression we leave is to us! This is especially true for women.

The paradox is that external attractiveness is often more important than health concerns.

The human is a social being. Therefore, it is important to consider the role of appearance as a very powerful motivating factor. But the question arises: why then are overweight people so often deprived of this factor to create the very image that a person needs so much, since ancient times?

What is motivation?

The term "motivation" comes from the word "motive" (Latin movere - "to set in motion, push"). Motivation is a set of not only internal, but also external forces that encourage some kind of activity. Needs and emotions are the main motivating factors. Hunger, sexual desire, thirst and insecurity are always accompanied by emotions.

Emotions are a psychological factor. For example, positive emotions indicate a satisfied need, while negative emotions indicate an unsatisfied need. Due to the higher emotionality of women, they are the ones who often experience intense emotional stress.

The experience of an unsatisfied need causes discomfort and the desire to eliminate it appears. For example, if a woman is unhappy with her weight, she wants to get rid of this drawback, and, it seems, there should be more than enough motivation to achieve the goal.

Why then are there problems with this driving force? How to find motivation to lose weight? It is important to understand that human activity is multi-motivated, that is, it is simultaneously influenced by different motivations that may conflict with each other. This is where the problems begin.

Demotivation factors

• Lack of knowledge. First of all, ignoring the psychological causes of excess weight. Although it should be noted that more and more, the clients of nutritionists and nutritionists themselves are talking about the possible causes of overeating.
• Lack of support, even if your loved ones wish you only the best. This is why they may think everything is fine with you anyway. If you cannot find support in your environment, you can contact a psychologist.
• Unconsciousness of would-be experts and focus only on results that are obtained quickly and are traumatic for both health and soul. They do not teach how to maintain the results obtained, what to do if a relapse occurs.
• Repeated breakdowns and relapses (requiring support from a specialist when working with eating disorders) reduce motivation and mood.
• Slow weight loss with a proper integrated approach, resulting in short programs being chosen. An example of such an option is the goal "to lose weight by summer. "

These factors negatively affect motivation during weight loss and lead to the inability to deal with the problem on your own. A person who loses weight goes through certain stages: at the beginning of a weight loss marathon, in the wake of group euphoria, he strictly follows the recommendations, and then the enthusiasm disappears. Apathy occurs, often protest, followed by collapse.

Food addiction

Almost every overweight person has a food addiction. This conclusion is suggested because of the connection between well-being and behavior. That is, a person who has no addiction will change his behavior when his health deteriorates.

If the behavior does not change and continues to destroy a person's health, we can talk about a hidden reason for being in this state. With excess weight, a bunch of physical (illness, lack of energy, poor skin and hair) and psychological (low self-esteem, shame, guilt, constant anxiety, depression, chronic depression) problems appear, but the person is in no rush to changenothing. then he continues to overeat, i. e. we are talking about a food addiction.

Day after day, food is used, among other things, as an anti-depressant and tranquilizer, to suppress the feelings and emotions that arise in the cyclical struggle: diet - collapse - guilt - diet. Food relaxes, improves mood and even relieves pain.

The soul of the child develops on the basis of "couple relationships": mother - child, maternal - milk, mouth - stomach, care - support. Food satisfies important desires for an infant from the beginning of its life.

For him, delicious food is an ideal mother. A mother who understands and accepts anyone and everyone. It is important to remember that food has not only a physiological meaning for a person, but also a psychological one. It is a powerful regulator of psychological balance. That's why it's so hard and takes so long to work with overweight and food addiction, with injuries, setbacks and relapses.

Reasons for low motivation

In the process of working with excess weight, a person is simultaneously affected by multipolar motivations: on the one hand, the fear of losing an ideal image and condemnation from society, and on the other hand, the fear of losing a powerful tool for maintaining emotional balance.

The emotions and feelings that throw those who lose weight off balance are quite serious conditions. The most common: shame, guilt, fear, anxiety, weakness, despair, melancholy, boredom, tiredness. Every day we experience many different emotions and feelings.

Let's look at some of them in detail to understand the depth of the problem, and the next time motivation decreases, do not rush to condemn yourself. Try to understand where the deterrents are coming from.

1. Fatigue. This is a loss of strength after prolonged work. But this need requires sleep and rest, not food. However, in addition to physical fatigue, psychological fatigue can also occur when repressed emotions take up too much energy. An inability or unwillingness to seek other tools of self-regulation causes tired people to grab food. The idea of constantly pushing yourself for the sake of something or someone is coupled with the inability to replenish resources with rest. How to solve a problem? Take a walk in the fresh air, meditate, read a book, plan to go to bed early, take a magnesium bath.
2. Boredom. Do you know that feeling when you wait too long leads to exhaustion and prolonged boredom? With the loss of meaning in life and the seemingly meaningless of everything that happens, talking about motivation for weight loss is pointless. Melancholy, despair, emptiness. . . Intense and complex emotions cause discomfort and in the case of food addiction, only food helps to cope. How to solve a problem? Find something to do that sparks your passion! When was the last time you drew? Have you got a new book? Have you tried cooking a new dish?
3. The fear of hunger. Genetically and historically, fear of hunger causes increased appetite. Therefore, a huge number of people eat much more than their stomach capacity allows. A holiday table or cupboards and fridge full of food will certainly reduce motivation. How to solve a problem? Don't forget to drink water! Eat slowly, without being distracted by gadgets and conversations. The salad plate should be deep - a bowl is ideal. The size of a flat plate should not exceed two palms. Remember the principle of balance - the right combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates helps to satisfy hunger for at least 3-4 hours.
   Macronutrient and Water Intake Cheat Sheet:
   • protein - 1 g per 1 kg of weight.
   • fats - 1 g per 1 kg of weight.
   • carbohydrates - 3-4 g per 1 kg of weight. Don't forget the fiber! The norm is 20-30 g per day.
   • water - 30–35 ml per 1 kg of weight.
4. Shame and guilt. These are the two strongest emotions. Losing weight is a process usually with ups and downs, crashes and setbacks. And every time a relapse occurs, a person experiences a feeling of shame and guilt for their weakness. And to punish himself for this offense, he goes on a strict diet, which again leads to a breakdown. And so on in a circle.

I eat, which means I exist. The passionate desire to feel active is one of the motivations for overeating. A society in which material values are the measure of social success leads to a series of negative emotions, without working through which you will not be able to increase your motivation.

How to set goals correctly to increase motivation

Thus, negative emotions interfere with weight loss. In other words, the consciousness is overloaded with experiences that take away the much needed energy to mobilize the strength for weight loss. And the range of these feelings is wide: from finding yourself to fighting loneliness.

It turns out that there is a desire to lose weight, but the motivation passes quickly. The fact is that those who dream of losing weight ignore issues that are really important to them, and when they formulate motivations, they are guided only by secondary, superficial desires.

Many girls really want to lose weight, trying again and again to force themselves to do it, but at the same time they remain overweight, having tried different methods. Have you ever thought this strange? The only correct strategy: it is important to try not to get rid of something, but to get something.

The most important thing to increase your motivation to lose weight is to have a clear vision and plan for that "something". Goal-setting workouts are based on this secret, which, in essence, teaches you to "get your wishes right. "It is difficult to lose weight if you do not understand in great detail what the weight loss will give you. It is not easy for a girl to refuse another candy if she does not remember the very swimsuit in which she will parade on this very beach and notice those looks. No principle of rational nutrition will help you lose weight without exciting fantasies about yourself and how you feel in a thin body, in different clothes, in different life situations.

Swimwear isn't the only motivation. The body of overweight people experiences severe stress. The consequences of the deposition of adipose tissue and the deficiency of muscle tissue are premature aging, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, disturbed detoxification processes. . . This is not the whole list of the consequences of being overweight.

It is better to forget the abstract words that once did not help you find harmony - "I will lose weight, I will be more confident, healthier and more beautiful" - and start thinking about those happy moments that await you.

A properly defined goal is the best motivation for weight loss.

List of ground rules for goal setting:

1. Your goals (in our case, these are thoughts about being thin) should be framed in small plots (stories, scenarios, stories, essays - whatever you want) with you in the lead role, where you describe in detail the situation in which you find yourselfthey will be very comfortable thanks to your slim body. These stories should start with a detailed description of your figure with one or another outfit (or without it), then - your appearance as a whole, including accessories, hairstyle and makeup. your actions in this situation (how you came, sat down, turned your head, moved your eyes, etc. ) and most importantly - descriptions of your sensations and emotions (how your body feels, how happy you are, proudabout yourself, how confident and satisfied you are). As a result of this design, the imagination takes on the energy that exists in emotions and that charges you with the desire for happiness - and it will guide you, even if you are not fully aware of it.
2. Important: in your goals describe only what you will gain by harmony, what you will become and not what you will get rid of! And all this in the present tense, as if it had already happened. You can not write for your own purposes about disappeared folds, swelling, shortness of breath! Describe slender legs, graceful ankles, slim waist, and easy breathing. Our unconscious, our inner girl, cannot see what is no longer there. You just need wishful thinking - then the unconscious will perceive these images as a fait accompli and make your body lose extra pounds.
3. You should have many such fantasies or stories, at least seven. They should be reflected in different areas of your life: personal life, communication with loved ones, work, recreation, health, self-realization. Everyone has their own list. After all, you need harmony not as an end in itself, but as a means to improve life in all its aspects. Being thin in itself does not bring happiness, but, surprisingly, it can be designed in the form of such pleasant situations associated with being thin. Remember that achieving your goals should bring you real joy, not profit, so that they are valued and supported by your inner child. You dream and write goals for him.
4. Each of your goals should have a time and space frame so that at some point you can say to yourself, "Oh! Done! I motivate myself. I am losing weight".
5. And in order for the goals to be realized for sure, they must be realistic and depend only on you. For example, you can't plan for someone to fall in love with you, but you can assume and describe your confidence, joy, pride and admiration for yourself in some important situation and your mood will do the trick. . .
6. Your goals should be both immediate and short-term, as well as distant and long-term. You will need to distribute them throughout the period of weight loss so that, as they gradually become a reality, they "warm" you up and stimulate you to new achievements. You should be proud of yourself, praise and reward yourself for every goal that comes true. Remember to update your "happy plans" as they progress. There is only one condition: the reward must not be in the form of sweet bread or a burger. What do you like? New dress, go to the theater, meet friends? There must be at least seven goals at any time. Once the goals are over, the weight will stop.
7. You are on the right track if, in the process of imagining, thinking and writing goals, you experience joyful excitement, impatience and itchy fingers: "Oh, I wish I could hurry! "Oh, how I want this! How wonderful it will be! »You can "test" an already completed target by mentally holding it and weighing it with one hand, placing your favorite product with the other. Imagine the smell, the taste of it. . . What trumps? If the product is still preferred, your target may be incomplete or not completely accurate.

Goals are a powerful driving force in your fitness journey. They will work somewhere in the depths of consciousness, pointing in the right direction.

What to do - step by step plan

This article is not an instruction or a guide to action. It may force you to start analyzing possible reasons for your decreased motivation. As practice shows, there are significantly fewer incentives for working with excess weight than those that discourage, so the latter should be carefully worked out.

• Determine the relevance of the goal: do you really have the desire to lose weight?
• Remember the importance of a balanced diet. Deficiency of vitamin D, chromium, B vitamins and saturated fats in the diet leads to increased appetite.
• Seek professional help. If you are convinced that you have a desire to lose weight and it is relevant today, it is better to seek help from a psychologist or psychotherapist, as it is often difficult to deal with the problem on your own due to internal resistance.

And before you start applying the knowledge you have acquired, we will give you the main advice: do not fight with difficult fat, force yourself to lose weight. It is important to build friendships and partnerships with your body. The most rewarding motivator is yourself.