Why does motivation skyrocket at the beginning of the weight loss process and then disappear somewhere? What can demotivate 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.
The fact that a person, regardless of gender and age, is not indifferent to his own appearance and the appearance of other people is an obvious fact. One of the most interesting things to do is stare at an attractive person, fantasizing about their character and lifestyle. Our appearance is also the object of our attention. We are trying to understand our preferences and, perhaps, hide something, both from ourselves and from others.
Throughout our lives we work on our image: you can imagine how important the impression we make is for us! This is especially true for women.
The paradox is that external attractiveness is often more important than health concerns.
Man is a social being. Therefore, it is important to consider the role of appearance as a very strong motivational factor. But the question arises: why then do overweight people so often lack this factor to create the very image that a person so needs, since ancient times?
What is motivation
The term "motivation" comes from the word "motive" (from the Latin movere – "to set in motion, to push"). Motivation is a set of not only internal, but also external forces that encourage some kind of activity. Needs and feelings are the main motivational factors. Hunger, sexual desire, thirst and a sense 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 greater emotionality of women, it is they who often experience severe emotional stress.
The experience of an unsatisfied need causes discomfort and the desire to eliminate it arises. For example, if a woman is dissatisfied with her weight, she wants to get rid of this defect and, it would seem, 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 multimotivated, that is, it is influenced simultaneously by different motivations that can contradict each other. This is where the problems begin.
Factors of lack of motivation
- Lack of knowledge. First of all, ignoring the psychological causes of excess weight. Although it should be noted that more and more often clients of nutritionists and dieticians talk about the possible causes of overeating.
- Lack of support, even if your loved ones wish you only the best. This is why they might think that everything is fine with you anyway. If you cannot find support in your environment, you can contact a psychologist.
- Unscrupulousness of aspiring specialists and focus only on results that are obtained quickly and are traumatic for both health and psyche. They don't teach how to maintain the results obtained, what to do in case of a relapse.
- Constant breakdowns and relapses (which require the support of a specialist when working with eating disorders) reduce motivation and mood.
- Slow weight loss with the right global approach, following which short programs are chosen. An example of such a choice is the goal of "lose weight by summer".
These factors negatively affect motivation when losing weight and lead to the inability to cope with the problem on your own. A person losing weight goes through certain stages: at the beginning of a weight loss marathon, in the wake of the group's euphoria, he strictly follows the recommendations, and then the enthusiasm disappears. Apathy appears, often protest, followed by a nervous breakdown.
Food addiction
Almost every overweight person has a food addiction. This conclusion suggests itself because of the connection between well-being and behavior. That is, a person who does not have any addiction will change his behavior when his health worsens.
If 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 series of physiological problems appear (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 continues to overeat, that is, we are talking about food addiction.
Day after day, food is used, among other things, as an antidepressant and sedative, to dull the feelings and emotions that arise in the running in circles: diet - exhaustion - guilt - diet. Food relaxes, 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 satisfies important desires of the child from the beginning of his life.
For him, delicious food is an ideal mother. A mother who understands and accepts anyone or everyone. It is important to remember that food has not only physiological significance for a person, but also psychological. It is a powerful regulator of psychological balance. That's why it's so difficult and time-consuming to work with excess weight and food addiction, burnouts, setbacks, 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, the fear of losing a powerful tool for emotional maintenance scales.
The emotions and feelings that throw weight losers off balance are quite serious conditions. The most common: shame, guilt, fear, anxiety, impotence, desperation, melancholy, boredom, tiredness. Every day we experience many different feelings and emotions.
Let's consider some of them in detail to understand the depth of the problem, and the next time motivation wanes, don't rush to condemn yourself. Try to understand where the demotivating factors come from.
- 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 absorb too much energy. The inability or unwillingness to seek other self-regulation tools causes tired people to reach for food. The idea of constantly surpassing oneself for the sake of something or someone is combined with the inability to replenish resources with rest. How to solve a problem? Take a walk outdoors, meditate, read a book, plan to go to bed early, take a magnesium bath.
- Boredom. Did you know that the feeling of waiting too long leads to exhaustion and persistent boredom? With the loss of meaning in life and the seeming senselessness of what is happening, talking about motivation for losing weight is useless. Melancholy, desperation, emptiness. . . Strong and complex emotions cause discomfort, and in case of food addiction, only food helps to cope. How to solve a problem? Find something to do that ignites your passion! When was the last time you drew? Have you picked up a new book? Have you tried cooking a new dish?
- Fear of hunger. Genetically and historically, the fear of hunger causes an increase in appetite. Therefore, a huge number of people eat much more than the capacity of their stomach allows. A festive table, cabinets and a refrigerator full of food will definitely reduce motivation. How to solve a problem? Don't forget to drink water! Eat slowly, without getting distracted by gadgets and conversations. The salad plate should be deep: a bowl is ideal. The size of a dinner 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 Fact 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.
- Shame and guilt. These are the two strongest feelings. Weight loss is a process usually characterized by ups and downs, breakdowns and setbacks. And every time a relapse occurs, a person experiences a feeling of shame and guilt for his or her weakness. And to punish himself for this crime, he goes on a strict diet, which once again leads to burnout. And so on in a circle.
I eat, which means I exist. The passionate desire to feel active is one of the reasons for overeating. A society in which material values are the measure of social success leads to a series of negative feelings, without which it will not be possible to increase one's motivation.
How to set goals correctly to increase motivation
Thus, negative emotions interfere with weight loss. In other words, consciousness is overloaded with experiences that take away the energy so necessary to mobilize the strength to lose weight. And the range of these feelings is wide: from finding oneself to the fight against loneliness.
It turns out that there is a desire to lose weight, but the motivation quickly passes. The fact is that those who dream of losing weight ignore the issues that are truly important to them and, when formulating motivation, are guided only by secondary and 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. Did you ever think it was strange? The only correct strategy: it is important to strive 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 trainings are based on this secret, which, in essence, teaches you to "correctly express desires. "It's difficult to lose weight if you don't understand in great detail what losing weight will give you. It's not easy for a girl to refuse another candy if she doesn't remember the swimsuit in which she will parade along that same beach and she doesn't notice those looks at all. No rational nutrition principles 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.
A swimsuit isn't the only motivator. The body of overweight people experiences severe stress. The consequences of the accumulation of adipose tissue and the deficiency of muscle tissue are premature aging, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, disruption of detoxification processes. . . This is not the complete list of consequences of excess weight.
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 joyful moments that await you.
A properly set goal is the best motivator for losing weight.
List of basic rules for goal setting:
- Your goals (in our case these are thoughts about being thin) should be framed in small plots (short stories, scripts, stories, essays - whatever you like) with you in the main role, in which you describe in detail the situation in which you you will find it will be very comfortable due to your slim body. These stories should start with a detailed description of your figure with one or another dress (or without it), then - your appearance as a whole, including accessories, hairstyle and makeup; your actions in this situation (how you arrived, sat down, turned your head, moved your eyes, etc. ) and, above all, descriptions of your sensations and feelings (how your body feels, how happy you are, proud of yourself, how confident and satisfied you are). As a result of this drawing, fantasy acquires the energy that is in feelings and that charges you with the desire for happiness - and will guide you, even if you are not fully aware of it.
- Important: in your goals only describe what you will achieve with harmony, what you will become and not what you will get rid of! And all this in the present, as if it had already happened. You can't write for your own purposes about disappeared folds, swelling, shortness of breath! You describe slim 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 shed extra pounds.
- You should have several such fantasies or stories, at least seven. They should be reflected in different areas of your life: personal life, communication with loved ones, work, leisure, health, self-realization. Everyone has their own list. After all, harmony is needed not as an end in itself, but as a means of improving life in all its manifestations. Being thin in itself does not bring happiness, but, oddly enough, it can be planned in the form of pleasant situations associated with thinness. Remember that achieving your goals should bring you real joy, not profit, so that they are appreciated and supported by your inner child. Dream and write down goals for him.
- Each of your goals should have a time and space structure so that at a certain moment you can say to yourself: "Oh! It's done! I motivate myself. I'm losing weight. "
- And for goals to be achieved with certainty, they must be realistic and must 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. . .
- Your goals should be both immediate and short-term, distant and long-term. You will have to distribute them throughout the entire weight loss period so that, as they are carried out, they "warm you up" and stimulate you towards new achievements. You must be proud of yourself, praise yourself and reward yourself for every goal that becomes reality. Remember to update your "joyful plans" as they progress. There is only one condition: the reward should not be in the form of a sweet bun or hamburger. What do you like? A new dress, going to the theater, meeting friends? There must be at least seven goals at all times. Once the goals are exhausted, the weight will stop.
- You are on the right track if, in the process of fantasizing, thinking and writing down goals, you feel joyful excitement, impatience and itching at the tips of your fingers: "Oh, I wish I could hurry! "Oh, how I wish! How awesome will it be! "You can "test" an already completed goal by mentally holding it and weighing it in one hand, while in the other you place your favorite product. Imagine its smell, its taste. . . What prevails? If the product is still preferred, your objective may be incomplete or not entirely accurate.
Goals are a powerful driving force on your journey to get fit. They will work somewhere deep in consciousness, showing 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, motivating incentives in working with excess weight are significantly lower than demotivating ones, so the latter must be carefully worked out.
- Determine the relevance of the goal: do you really have a desire to lose weight?
- Remember the importance of a balanced diet. A deficiency of vitamin D, chromium, B vitamins and complete fats in the diet leads to increased appetite.
- Seek professional help. If you are convinced that you have a desire to lose weight and that 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 putting the knowledge gained into practice, we will give you the main advice: do not fight difficult fat, strive to lose weight. It's important to build friendships and partnerships with your body. The most rewarding motivator is yourself.