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 are of interest to many who want to lose weight. In this article we will look at the reasons that prevent you from starting a new and "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 to do is to look at an attractive person, fantasizing about their character and lifestyle. Our own appearance is also under 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 own 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 needs so much, since ancient times?
What is motivation
The term "motivation" is derived from the word "motive" (Latin movere – ‘to set in motion, to push’). Motivation is a set of not only internal, but also external forces that encourage some type of 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 greater emotionality of women, they are the ones who often experience strong emotional stress.
The experience of an unmet 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 deficiency 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 reasons that may contradict each other. This is where the problems start.
Lack of motivation factors
- Lack of knowledge. Firstly, ignoring the psychological causes of being overweight. Although it should be noted that more and more clients of nutritionists and nutritionists themselves talk about the possible causes of overeating.
- Lack of support, even if your loved ones wish you only the best. That's why they might think everything is fine with you anyway. If you cannot find support in your environment, contact a psychologist.
- Lack of scruples on the part of aspiring specialists and focus only on quickly obtained results that are traumatic for health and the psyche. They do not teach how to maintain the results obtained, what to do if a relapse occurs.
- Constant meltdowns and relapses (which require specialist support when working with eating disorders) reduce motivation and mood.
- Slow weight loss with the right integrated approach as a result of selecting short programs. An example of this choice is the goal of "losing weight by summer. "
These factors negatively affect the motivation to lose weight and lead to the inability to deal with the problem alone. Those who lose weight go through some stages: at the beginning of a weight loss marathon, in the wake of group euphoria, they follow the recommendations to the letter and then the enthusiasm disappears. Apathy appears, often protest, followed by collapse.
Food addiction
Almost all overweight people have food addiction. This conclusion arises due to the connection between well-being and behavior. In other words, a person who does not have any addiction will change their behavior when their health worsens.
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 series of physiological problems (illnesses, lack of energy, poor condition of the skin and hair) and psychological problems (low self-esteem, shame, guilt, constant anxiety, depression, chronic depression) appear, but the person is in he is in no hurry to change anything, so he continues to overeat, in other words, we are talking about food addiction.
Day after day, food is used, among other things, as an antidepressant and sedative, to stifle the feelings and emotions that arise when running in a circle: diet - collapse - guilt - diet. Food relaxes, improves mood and even relieves pain.
The child's psyche develops on the basis of "pair relationships": mother - child, breast - milk, mouth - stomach, care - support. Food satisfies a child's important desires from the beginning of his life.
For him, delicious food is the ideal mother. 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. That's why it's so difficult and time-consuming to work with excess weight and food addiction, with breakdowns, setbacks and relapses.
Reasons for low motivation
In the process of working with excess weight, a person is simultaneously affected by multipolar reasons: 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 balance.
Emotions and feelings that unbalance those who are losing weight are very serious conditions. The most common: shame, guilt, fear, anxiety, helplessness, despair, 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 find out 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 appear when repressed emotions consume too much energy. The inability or unwillingness to seek out other self-regulation tools causes tired people to reach for food. The idea of constantly overcoming something or someone is combined with the inability to replenish resources with rest. How to solve a problem? Take a walk outside, meditate, read a book, plan to go to bed early, take a magnesium bath.
- Boredom. Did you know that that feeling of waiting too long leads to exhaustion and persistent boredom? With the loss of meaning in life and the apparent meaninglessness of what is happening, it is pointless to talk about 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 to do that sparks your passion! When was the last time you drew? Did you buy a new book? Have you ever tried to cook a new dish?
- Fear of hunger. Genetically and historically, fear of hunger causes an increase in appetite. Therefore, a large number of people eat much more than their stomach capacity allows. A festive table or cabinets and refrigerator full of food will certainly reduce motivation. How to solve a problem? Don't forget to drink water! Eat slowly, without being distracted by devices 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.
- Shame and guilt. These are the two strongest feelings. Weight loss is a process often with ups and downs, breakdowns and setbacks. And each time a relapse occurs, the 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 once again leads to collapse. And so on in a circle.
I eat, which means I exist. The passionate desire to feel active is one of the reasons for consuming excess food. A society in which material values are the measure of social success leads to a series of negative feelings, without 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, our consciousness becomes overloaded with experiences that take away the energy we need to mobilize the strength to lose weight. And the range of these feelings is wide: from reunion to the fight against loneliness.
It happens that there is a desire to lose weight, but the motivation quickly passes. The fact is that anyone who dreams of losing weight ignores issues that are really important to them and, when formulating motivation, is guided only by secondary and superficial desires.
Many girls really want to lose weight, repeatedly trying to force themselves to do so, but at the same time they remain overweight, having tried different methods. Have you ever found this strange? The only correct strategy: it is important to strive not to get rid of something, but to achieve 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 "make desires correctly. "It's difficult to lose weight if you don't understand in detail what weight loss will give you. It's not easy for a girl to refuse another sweet treat if she doesn't remember the swimsuit in which she will parade on that same beach and notice those same looks. No principles of rational nutrition will help you lose weight without awakening fantasies about yourself and how you feel in a slender 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 adipose tissue deposition and muscle tissue deficiency are premature aging, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, disrupted detoxification processes. . . This is not the complete list of the consequences of being overweight.
It's better to forget the abstract words that didn't help you find harmony before - "I'm going to lose weight, become more confident, healthier and more beautiful" - and start thinking about those moments of joy that await you.
A correctly defined 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 want) with you in the main role, where you describe in detail the situation in which you will be very comfortable thanks to her slender body. These stories should begin 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 feelings (how your body feels, how happy you are, proud of yourself even, 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 it will guide you, even if you are not fully aware of it.
- Important: in your objectives, only describe what you will gain from 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 cannot write for your own purposes about disappearing folds, swelling, shortness of breath! Describe slender legs, graceful ankles, slim waist and easy breathing. Our unconscious, our inner girl, cannot see what no longer exists. You just need to have an illusion - then the unconscious will perceive these images as a fait accompli and make your body lose extra pounds.
- You must have several fantasies or stories of this type, 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 not needed as an end in itself, but as a means to improving life in all its manifestations. Being thin in itself does not bring happiness, but interestingly, it can be planned in the form of pleasant situations associated with being thin. Remember that achieving your goals should bring you true joy, not profit, so that they are appreciated and supported by your inner child. You dream and write 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: "Ah! It's done! I motivate myself. I'm losing weight. "
- And for goals to come true, they must be realistic and depend solely 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 humor will do the trick. . .
- Your goals should be immediate and short-term, and distant and long-term. You will need to distribute them throughout the entire period of weight loss so that, as they come to fruition, they "warm up" you and stimulate you to new achievements. You need to be proud of yourself, praise and reward yourself for each goal you achieve. Remember to update your "joyful plans" as they progress. There is only one condition: the reward must not be in the form of sweet bread or hamburgers. What do you like? New dress, going to the theater, meeting friends? There must be at least seven goals at all times. Once the targets are gone, the weight will stop.
- You are on the right track if, in the process of fantasizing, thinking and writing goals, you feel joyful excitement, impatience and itching in your fingertips: "Ah, I wish I could hurry up! "How great it will be! "You can "test" an already completed goal by holding it and mentally weighing it in one hand and placing your favorite product in the other. Imagine the smell, the taste. . . What makes up for it? If the product is still preferred, your objective may be unfinished or not completely accurate.
Goals are a powerful driving force on your journey to get in shape. 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 a guide to action. This may force you to start analyzing possible reasons for your decreased motivation. As practice shows, there are significantly fewer motivating incentives for working with excess weight than demotivating incentives, so the latter need to be carefully worked out.
- 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 complete fats in the diet leads to increased appetite.
- Seek professional help. If you are convinced that you want to lose weight and this is relevant today, it is better to seek help from a psychologist or psychotherapist, as 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 will give you the main advice: don't fight complicated fat, force yourself to lose weight. It is important to build friendships and partnerships with your own body. The most rewarding motivator is yourself.