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 demotivate and who can be the best motivator? These questions are of interest to many who want to lose weight. In this article, we will discuss the reasons that prevent you from starting a new, "harmonious" life.

It is an obvious fact that a person, regardless of gender and age, is not indifferent to his appearance and the appearance of other people. One of the most interesting things is watching an attractive person, imagining his character and lifestyle. Our appearance also came under our attention. We try to understand our preferences and maybe hide something - both from ourselves and from others.

Throughout 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 problems.

Man 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 do overweight people so often lack this factor to create the image that man has needed since ancient times?

What is motivation?

The term "motivation" comes from the word "motive" (Latin movere - "to set in motion, push"). Motivation is not only internal, but also a set of external forces that encourage some kind of activity. It is needs and feelings that are the main motivating factors. Hunger, sexualCravings, thirsts and feelings of insecurity always accompany emotions.

Emotions are a psychological factor. For example, positive emotions indicate a satisfied need, while negative emotions indicate an unmet need. Due to the high emotionality of women, they are the ones who experience strong 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 deficiency, and it seems that there should be more than enough motivation to achieve the goal.

So why are there problems with this drivetrain? How to find motivation to lose weight? It is important to understand that human activity is multi-motivated, i. e. it is affected by different motives at the same time, which may conflict with each other. This is where the problems begin.

Factors of lack of motivation

• Lack of knowledge. First of all, ignoring the psychological causes of overweight. However, it should be noted that more and more often, nutritionists themselves and clients of nutritionists talk about the possible causes of overeating.
• Lack of support, even if your loved ones only wish you the best. So they may think that everything is fine with you. If you do not find support in your environment, you can contact a psychologist.
• Dishonesty of future specialists and focus only on quick results is traumatic for both health and psyche. They do not teach how to maintain the obtained results, what to do if a relapse occurs.
• Persistent disorder and relapses (requiring professional support when working with eating disorders) reduce motivation and mood.
• Slow weight loss with the right comprehensive approach, as a result of which short programs are chosen. An example of such a choice is the goal "to lose weight for the summer. "

These factors negatively affect motivation to lose weight and lead to the inability to deal with the problem independently. A person who has lost weight goes through certain stages: at the beginning of the weight loss marathon, against the backdrop of group euphoria, he strictly follows the recommendations, and then the enthusiasm disappears. There is apathy, often protest, followed by a crash.

food addiction

Almost all overweight people have food addictions. This conclusion arises 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 the hidden reason for being in this state. Being overweight causes 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 the person is in no hurry to change anything, then he continues to be overweight. Eating, that is, we are talking about addiction to food.

Every day, food is used, among other things, as an anti-depressant and sedative to suppress the feelings and emotions that arise in the cycle: diet - breakdown - guilt - diet. Food soothes, improves mood and even relieves pain.

The child's psyche develops on the basis of "couple relationships": mother-child, breast - milk, mouth - stomach, care - support. Food fulfills important needs for babies from the beginning of life.

Delicious food is the perfect mother for him. A mother who understands and accepts anyone or anything. 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. This is why it is so difficult and takes so long to work with overweight and food addictions, crashes, failures and relapses.

Reasons for low motivation

In the process of working with excess weight, a person is simultaneously affected by multipolar motives: 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 emotional maintenance. balance.

Emotions and feelings that throw them out of balance are quite a serious condition. Most common: shame, guilt, fear, anxiety, helplessness, despair, sadness, boredom, fatigue. Every day we experience many different feelings and emotions.

Let's consider some of them in detail in order to understand the depth of the problem and the next time when motivation decreases, do not rush to condemn yourself. Try to find out where the demotivating factors come from.

1. tiredness. This is a loss of strength after long work. But this need requires sleep and rest, not food. However, in addition to physical fatigue, psychological fatigue can also appear when repressed emotions take on too much energy. The inability or unwillingness to seek other tools of self-regulation makes tired people resort to food. The idea of constantly overcoming oneself for the sake of something or someone is combined with the inability to replenish resources by leisure. How to solve the problem? Take a walk in the fresh air, meditate, read a book, plan to go to bed earlier, take a magnesium bath.
2. sadness. Did you know that the feeling of waiting too long leads to burnout and chronic boredom? With the loss of meaning in life and the apparent meaninglessness that is happening, it is pointless to talk about the motivation to lose weight. Sadness, despair, emptiness. . . Intense and complex emotions cause discomfort, and in the case of food addiction, only food helps to cope. How to solve the problem? Find something that fuels your passion! when was the last time you drewDid you pick up a new book? Have you tried cooking a new dish?
3. fear of hunger. Genetically and historically, fear of hunger leads to increased appetite. Therefore, a large number of people eat more than their stomach capacity allows. A festive table or cupboards and a fridge full of food will definitely reduce motivation. How to solve the 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 the flat plate should not exceed two palms. Remember the principle of balance - the right combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates will help satisfy hunger for at least 3-4 hours.
   A cheat sheet on macronutrient and water intake:
   • 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 about 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 most powerful feelings. Losing weight is a process, usually with ups and downs, crashes and setbacks. And every time a relapse occurs, a person feels shame and guilt for his weakness. And to punish himself for this crime, he goes on a strict diet, which causes him to break again. And so on in a circle.

I eat, which means I exist. A passionate desire to feel active is one of the motives for overeating. A society in which material values are the measure of social success leads to a number of negative feelings, without work, you will not be able to increase motivation.

How to set goals correctly to increase motivation

So, negative emotions prevent weight loss. In other words, consciousness is overloaded with experiences that take away the energy necessary to mobilize the forces to lose weight. And the range of these feelings is great: from finding yourself to fighting loneliness.

It turns out that the desire to lose weight is there, but the motivation quickly passes. The fact is that dreams of losing weight ignore the issues that are really important to them and are guided only by secondary, superficial desires when forming motivation.

Many girls really want to lose weight, they try to force themselves to do it again and again, but at the same time they remain overweight, they tried different methods. Have you ever thought that was 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". This secret is based on goal-setting trainings, which essentially teach you to "get your wishes right". Losing weight is difficult if you do not understand in detail what it will give you to lose weight. It's not easy for a girl to say no to another candy bar if she doesn't remember the swimsuit she's going to walk down that beach and notice that face. None of the principles of rational nutrition will help you lose weight without interesting fantasies about yourself and how you feel in a thin body, in different clothes, in different life situations.

A swimsuit isn't the only motivator. The body of overweight people experiences serious stress. The consequences of fatty tissue accumulation and muscle tissue deficiency are early aging, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, 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, be more confident, healthy and beautiful" - and start thinking about the joyful moments that await you.

A properly set goal is the best motivator for weight loss.

List of basic rules for setting goals:

1. Your goals (in our case, these are thoughts about being weak) should be put into small plots (stories, scripts, stories, essays - whatever you like) with you in the main role, where you describe in detail the situation in which you are. It will be very comfortable thanks to your slim body. These stories should start with a detailed description of your figure in (or without) certain clothes, then - with your overall appearance, 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 sensations and feelings (how you feel your body, how happy you are, proud of yourself, how confident and satisfied you are). As a result of this design, the imagination takes on the energy that is in the senses and that charges you with the desire to be happy - and it guides you, even if you do not fully understand it.
2. Important: describe in your goals only what you will gain in harmony, what you will become, not what you will 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, swelling, shortness of breath! Describe slender legs, slender ankles, a slim waist, and easy breathing. Our unconscious, our inner girl, cannot see what is no longer there. You just have to think - then the unconscious will perceive these images as a done deal and your body will lose extra pounds.
3. You should have several such fantasies or stories, at least seven. They should be reflected in different areas of your life: personal life, relationships with loved ones, work, leisure, health, self-realization. Everyone has their own list. After all, you need harmony not as an end in itself, but as a means of improving life in all its manifestations. Being thin does not in itself bring happiness, but, oddly enough, it can be planned in the form of pleasurable situations related to being thin. Remember that achieving your goals should bring you real joy, not profit, so that they will appreciate and support 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! It's done! I motivate myself. I'm losing weight. "
5. And in order for the goals to be realized, 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 consider and describe your confidence, joy, pride, and admiration for yourself in certain important situations, and your mood will come in handy. . .
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 they gradually build up, "warm up" and lead you to new achievements. You need to be proud of yourself, praise and reward yourself for each goal that comes true. Remember to update your "fun plans" with themduring progress. There is only one condition: the reward should not be in the form of a sweet cookie or a burger. What do you like? A new dress, going to the theater, meeting friends? There must always be at least seven goals. Once the targets are exhausted, the weight will stop.
7. You're on the right track if, as you fantasize, think, and write down your goals, you feel excited, impatient, and itchy at the tips of your fingers, "Oh, I wish I could hurry! "Oh, how I want this! How good! "You can "test" an already completed goal by mentally pressing and weighing it on the one hand, and placing your favorite product on the other. Imagine its smell, taste. . . . What prevails? If the product is stillIdeally, your goal may be incomplete or not entirely accurate.

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

What to do - step by step plan

This article is not an instruction or action guide. It might force you to start analyzing the possible reasons for your decreased motivation. As practice shows, when working with excess weight, there is significantly less motivational stimulus than for demotivation, so the latter should be handled carefully.

• Determine the relevance of the goal: do you really want 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 sure that you want to lose weight and it is relevant today, it is better to consult a psychologist or a psychotherapist, because it is often difficult to deal with the problem on your own due to internal resistance.

And before you start using the acquired knowledge in practice, we will give you the main advice: do not fight with dangerous fats, force yourself to lose weight. It is important to build a friendship and partnership with your body. The most beneficial motivator is yourself.