Motivation to lose weight

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

The fact 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 is to stare at an attractive person and fantasize about their character and lifestyle. Our own appearance also comes under our special attention. We try to understand our preferences and maybe hide something - both from ourselves and from others.

Throughout our lives, we work on our self-image - you can imagine how important it is to make an impression on 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 strong motivational factor. However, the question arises: then why do overweight people so often lack this factor to create the image that man has needed so much since ancient times?

What is motivation

The term "motivation" comes from the word "initiative" (from the Latin movere - "to set in motion, to push"). Motivation is a set of not only internal but also external forces that encourage an activity. Needs and feelings are the main motivational factors. Hunger, sexual desire, thirst and feelings of 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 often experience strong emotional stress.

Experiencing an unmet need causes discomfort and a desire to eliminate it arises. For example, if a woman is dissatisfied with her weight, she wants to get rid of this deficiency, and it seems that there should be more than enough motivation to achieve this goal.

So why are there problems with this drive? How to find motivation to lose weight? It is important to understand that human activity is multi-motivated, i. e. simultaneously influenced by different, contradictory motives. This is where the problems begin.

Factors of lack of motivation

• Lack of knowledge. Above all, ignoring the psychological causes of being overweight. Although it should be noted that clients of nutritionists and dietitians are increasingly talking about the possible causes of overeating.
• Lack of support, even when your loved ones wish you only the best. That's why they may think that everything is fine with you. If you can't find support in your environment, contact a psychologist.
• The lack of restraint of future professionals and focus only on those results that can be quickly achieved and traumatic for health and psyche. They do not teach how to maintain the results obtained, what to do if a setback occurs.
• Constant breakdowns and relapses (which require professional support in the case of an eating disorder) reduce motivation and mood.
• Slow weight loss with a suitable comprehensive approach, as a result of which short programs are chosen. An example of this choice is the goal of "losing weight for the summer".

These factors negatively affect motivation during weight loss and lead to the fact that you cannot cope with the problem alone. Weight loss goes through certain stages: at the beginning of a weight loss marathon, following the euphoria of the group, you strictly follow the recommendations, and then the enthusiasm ceases. Apathy appears, often protest followed by collapse.

Food addiction

Almost all overweight people have a food addiction. This conclusion occurs because of the relationship between well-being and behavior. That is, a person who does not have an addiction will change his behavior when his health deteriorates.

If the behavior does not change and continues to destroy a person's health, then we can talk about a hidden reason why we are in this state. Being overweight causes a lot of physiological problems (illness, lack of energy, poor skin and hair condition) and psychological problems (low self-esteem, shame, guilt, constant anxiety, depression, chronic depression), but you don't have to rush to change. then he continues to eat, i. e. we are talking about food addiction.

Day after day, food is used, among other things, as an antidepressant and sedative to suppress the feelings and emotions that arise in the circuit: diet - decomposition - guilt - diet. Food relaxes, improves mood and even relieves pain.

The child's psyche develops on the basis of "couple relationships": mother-child, mother-milk, mouth-stomach, care-support. Food satisfies the important desires of the baby from the very beginning of its life.

For him, delicious food is an ideal mother. A mother who understands and accepts anyone or everyone. It is important to note that food is not only physiologically important for humans, but also psychologically. It is a powerful regulator of psychological balance. That is why it is so difficult and time-consuming to deal with excess weight and food addiction, breakdowns, relapses and relapses.

Reasons for low motivation

When working with overweight, a person is simultaneously affected by multipolar motives: on the one hand, the fear of losing the ideal image and the condemnation of society, and on the other hand, the fear of losing an effective tool for maintaining emotions. balance.

The emotions and feelings that throw people off balance are quite serious conditions. The most common are: shame, guilt, fear, anxiety, helplessness, despair, melancholy, boredom, fatigue. Every day we experience many different feelings and emotions.

Let's look at some of them in detail to understand the depth of the problem, and the next time you feel low on motivation, don't rush to condemn yourself. Try to figure out where the demotivating factors come from.

1. Fatigue. This is the loss of strength after prolonged work. But that requires sleep and rest, not food. However, in addition to physical fatigue, psychological fatigue can also appear if suppressed emotions take up too much energy. The inability or unwillingness to seek other means of self-regulation leads tired people to grasp for food. The idea that we are constantly outdoing ourselves for something or someone is coupled with our inability to replenish resources through 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. You know that feeling when waiting too long leads to burnout and prolonged boredom? With the loss of the meaning of life and the events becoming meaningless, it is meaningless to talk about the motivation to lose weight. Melancholy, despair, emptiness. . . Strong and complex emotions cause discomfort, and in the case of food addiction, only food helps to cope. How to solve a problem? Find something that sparks your passion! When was the last time you drew? Did you pick up a new book? Have you tried cooking a new dish?
3. Fear of hunger. Genetically and historically, fear of starvation increases appetite. Therefore, many people eat much more than their stomach capacity allows. A festive table or cupboards and fridge full of food will definitely reduce motivation. How to solve a problem? Don't forget to drink water! Eat slowly without the distraction of gadgets and conversations. The salad plate should be deep - a bowl is ideal. The size of a flat plate should not exceed two palms. Do not forget the principle of balance - the right combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates will help you feel hungry for at least 3-4 hours.
   Cheat sheet on macronutrients and water intake:
   • protein - 1 g / 1 kg of weight;
   • fats - 1 g / 1 kg of weight;
   • carbohydrates - 3-4 g per 1 kg of weight. Don't forget the fibers either! 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 feelings. Losing weight is a process usually with ups and downs, breakdowns and failures. And every time a relapse occurs, one experiences shame and guilt for one's weakness. And to punish himself for this offense, he goes on a strict diet, which leads to another breakdown. And so on in a circle.

I eat, which means I exist. The passionate desire to feel active is one of the motives for eating unnecessary food. A society in which material values are the measure of social success leads to many negative feelings, without working on them, you cannot increase your motivation.

How to correctly set goals to increase motivation

So negative emotions interfere with weight loss. In other words, the mind is overloaded with experiences that take away the strength needed to lose weight. And the range of these feelings is huge: from finding yourself to fighting loneliness.

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

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

The most important thing in increasing your motivation to lose weight is to have a clear vision and plan for this "something". Goal setting trainings are based on this secret, which essentially teaches you to "wish it right". It's hard to lose weight if you don't understand in great detail what slimming gives you. It's not easy for a girl to refuse another piece of candy if she doesn't remember the bathing suit she's going to walk down that very beach and notice those stares. Not a single principle of rational nutrition will help you lose weight without exciting fantasies about yourself and how you feel in a slim body, in different clothes, in different life situations.

Swimwear is not the only motivation. The body of overweight people experiences serious stress. The consequences of fat tissue deposition and lack of muscle tissue are premature aging, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, and disruption of detoxification processes. . . This is not a complete 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, become more confident, healthier and more beautiful" - and start thinking about the joyful moments that await you.

A correctly set goal is the best motivation for losing weight.

List of basic rules of goal setting:

1. Your goals (in our case, these thoughts about slimness) should be formulated in small plots (stories, scenarios, stories, essays - as you like), with you in the main role, where you describe in detail the situation in which you will be very comfortable thanks to your slim body. These stories should start with a detailed description of your figure in one or another outfit (or without), and then - the look 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 - a description of your feelings and sensations (how you feel in your body, how happy you are, proud of yourself, how confident and satisfied you are). As a result of this design, the fantasy acquires the energy inherent in feelings, which fills you with a desire for happiness - and this will lead you, even if you are not fully aware of it.
2. Important: in your goals, only describe what you gain with harmony, what you will become, and not what you get rid of! And all this in the present tense, as if it had already happened. You can't write for your own purposes about the disappeared folds, swellings, shortness of breath! Characterize slender legs, graceful ankles, thin waist and easy breathing. Our unconscious, our inner girl, does not see what is no longer there. You only need a wishful dream - then the unconscious will perceive these images as a fait accompli, and your body will lose the extra pounds.
3. You should have more such fantasies or stories, at least seven. These should be reflected in different areas of your life: personal life, communication with loved ones, work, free time, 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 all manifestations of life. Slimness alone does not bring happiness, but it can be strangely designed in the form of pleasant situations related to slimness. Remember that achieving your goals should bring you real joy, not profit, so that your inner child will appreciate and support them. 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! Ready! I motivate myself. i'm losing weight"
5. And in order for the goals to definitely come true, 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 in an important situation, and your mood will do the trick. . .
6. Your goals should be immediate and short-term, as well as distant and long-term. You need to distribute them throughout the entire period of weight loss so that they are gradually realized, "warm up" and inspire new results. You need to be proud of yourself, praise and reward yourself for each goal that is achieved. Do not forget to update your "joyful plans" as they progress. There is only one condition: the reward must not be a sweet bun or burger. What do you like? New clothes, going to the theater, meeting friends? There must always be at least seven goals. Once the targets run out, the weight stops.
7. You're on the right track if, while fantasizing, thinking, and writing goals, you feel a sense of joyous excitement, impatience, and an itch at the bottom of your hand: "Oh, I wish I could hurry! "Oh, how I want this! How great it will be! "You can "try on" an already accomplished goal by holding it in your mind and weighing it in one hand, while placing your favorite product on the other hand. Imagine its smell, taste . . . What is its weight? If the product is still preferred, its purpose may be incomplete or not completely accurate.

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

What to do - a step-by-step plan

This article is not a guide or a how-to guide. This may force you to start analyzing the possible reasons for your decreased motivation. Practice shows that when working with overweight, there are significantly fewer motivating incentives than demotivating ones, so the latter must be worked out thoroughly.

• Determine the relevance of the goal: do you really want to lose weight?
• Remember the importance of a balanced diet. A lack of vitamin D, chromium, B vitamins and complete fats in the diet increases the appetite.
• Ask for professional help. If you are convinced that you want to lose weight, and this is relevant today, then it is better to seek the help of a psychologist or psychotherapist, because it is often difficult to cope with the problem alone due to internal resistance.

And before you start putting the acquired knowledge into practice, we give you the main advice: don't fight the tricky fat, force yourself to lose weight. It is important to build friendships and partnerships with your own body. The most rewarding motivator is yourself.