If there is one thing all nutritionists and obesity experts agree on, then personal motivation is the basis for all weight loss success. No matter how healthy the diet plan is, any combination of calories and nutritious foods it contains, will not help anyone to lose weight without following it long enough. Their determination to do so depends entirely on how they are encouraged to change their diet and exercise habits in order to reach their weight loss goals.
Encouraging Advice Is Hard to Find
The internet offers a variety of confusing diets and diet plans to lose weight, but advice about motivation when dieting is in short supply. Given the strong link between dietary and motivation, this lack of motivating support is surprising to say the least. It may stem from the fact that many foods are created by people who do not have the knowledge to help people manage their weight. Perhaps they view weight loss as a biological process rather than a human process. If so, I think it is a mistake.
Exercising to Lose Weight
I tell all my clients that starting a weight loss diet is like starting a journey. And like any trip it needs to be fixed. We need to look ahead and plan how we can overcome the problems that arise along the way. By doing this we control the process and greatly increase our chances of success.
Unfortunately, many dieters do not plan ahead. Instead, they take things for granted, and rely on two things: their initial enthusiasm, and (when this is the end) their capacity for determination. But it is not enough to overcome the trials and tribulations we experience as we try to change our diet and lifestyle.
Stop for a moment and consider taking your family on a camping trip. Do you rely on your own enthusiasm and determination for food and shelter? Of course not. It is possible to spend hours prematurely packing carefully and preparing for everything, and the whole trip is carefully planned ahead of time.
However, when you start a food journey, many of you leave without planning or preparing. It is as if you are confident that everything will go well. But let’s face it, what foods ever go well? Answer: no! So what happens when we encounter a serious problem? Answer: we move, and we usually stop.
We Need to Develop New Thinking Habits
Food-trip planning does not include packaging equipment, it involves packing "new ideas". We need to exercise and use our thinking ability to overcome obstacles during our journey. This is not a psycho-babble - this is a common concept. After all, an eating disorder is primarily a matter of motivation and attitude. It's about what happens between our ears!
General Eating Problem
The most common problem we face when we date is boredom. This often happens when our initial enthusiasm for losing weight diminishes, and we are tired of watching what we eat. We get frustrated, and a little depressed when we think we have to maintain our “healthy eating habits” while everyone else seems to be having fun.
Loss of Direction Leads to Opportunity
We get frustrated when we lose our sense of direction. So to win it, we need to re-establish where we are going. Remember, fasting is not a meaningless process, it is a journey from A to B. Here is how we feel when we lose our way:
“I get bored with dieting, it hurts a lot. I no longer have freedom. I can't eat this, I can't eat that ... I'm full. I can't share food with girls at work, I can't eat at my favorite places, I have to keep saying No to food when I visit friends, watch my family eat in front of me, I don't have time to exercise properly, I will never lose weight and feel really sad. Heck! Life is too short for this… ”
This kind of thinking is completely depressing. It focuses exclusively on the negative aspects of the diet and shows a complete lack of purpose. There is no goal that weight loss can be achieved if we think about it.
A Better Way to Think
Now let me show you some better ways. Please compare the example above.
Example 1
“Hmm, my diet is not going well. But I will not make excuses. I spent enough time making excuses for myself. From now on, no matter what happens, I will be honest with myself. So what do I want? I want to lose weight and get in shape. Why? Because I really want that beach holiday (or some other very selfish goal) that I promised myself. I want it so badly I can't touch it! Okay, so I need to learn how to eat properly - great! I can easily do this if I put my mind to it. Heck! Eating good food is not difficult. The hardest part is seeing myself fat all my life. I want the best. Something better than a full-blown nachos or an oily dessert doll. "
Example 2
“Hmm, my diet is not going well. So let me remind myself why I am dieting. All my life I have been entertaining other people. My mother said "eat this", so I ate. My school friends say “have some of this”, so I have more. My current colleagues say “have a piece of this”, so I have two! And my kids say “you should try this”, so I try. And every time I make an effort to lose weight, everyone says "forget about your diet, eat some of this" so I do. Well enough! No more food to please other people. Today I am going to start eating to have fun. And what makes me happy is the idea of wearing a size (?) Dress for my daughter’s wedding (or another very selfish goal). I realize I need to eat right, but this is a ridiculous price to pay for my goal. Heck! Eating good food is not difficult. Hard to carry my excess weight all day. I want the best. Something better than a 4 cheese pizza or a cookie box.
Example 3
"Hmm, my diet isn't as good as I thought it was. Don't worry, I'm sure this is normal. I can't expect to change my regular restaurant.
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