Why does motivation skyrocket at the beginning of the weight loss process, and then disappear somewhere? What can be demotivating 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 appearance and that of others is obvious. One of the most interesting things to do is look at an attractive person, fantasizing about their character and lifestyle. Our own appearance is also the subject of our full attention. We try to understand our preferences and, perhaps, hide something - from ourselves and from others.
Throughout our lives we work on our own image - you can imagine how important the impression we make is to 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. It is therefore important to consider the role of appearance as a very strong motivator. But the question arises: why then do overweight people so often lack this factor in order to create the very image that a person so needs, since ancient times?
What is motivation
The term "motivation" is derived 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 a certain type of activity. Needs and feelings are the main motivators. Hunger, sexual desire, thirst and feeling insecure are always accompanied by emotions.
Emotions are a psychological factor. For example, positive emotions indicate a satisfied need, while negative emotions indicate an unmet need. Due to the higher emotionality of women, it is they who often experience strong emotional stress.
The experience of an unmet need causes discomfort and a desire arises to eliminate it. For example, if a woman is unhappy with her weight, she wants to get rid of this disadvantage and, it seems, there should be more than enough motivation to achieve this 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 simultaneously influenced by different motivations which may contradict each other. This is where the problems start.
Factors of lack of motivation
- Lack of knowledge. First of all, ignore the psychological causes of excess weight. It is worth noting, however, that more and more clients of nutritionists and dietitians are talking about the possible causes of overeating themselves.
- Lack of support, even if those close to you wish you only the best. This is why they may think everything is fine with you anyway. If you cannot find support in your environment, you can contact a psychologist.
- Lack of scruples of future specialists and concentration only on results obtained quickly and traumatic both for health and for the psyche. They do not teach how to maintain the results obtained, what to do in case of relapse.
- Constant breakdowns and relapses (which require specialist support when working with eating disorders) reduce motivation and mood.
- Slow weight loss with a proper overall approach, following which short programs are chosen. An example of such a choice is the goal of "losing 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 who is losing weight goes through certain stages: at the beginning of a weight loss marathon, in the wake of group euphoria, he scrupulously follows the recommendations, then the enthusiasm disappears. Apathy appears, often protesting, followed by collapse.
Food addiction
Almost all overweight people have a food addiction. This conclusion is necessary because of the link between well-being and behavior. In other words, a person who has no addiction will change their behavior when their health deteriorates.
If the behavior does not change and continues to destroy a person's health, we can speak of a hidden reason for being in this state. With excess weight, a bunch of physiological problems appear (illness, lack of energy, poor condition of skin and hair) and psychological (low self-esteem, shame, guilt, constant anxiety, depression, chronic depression), but the person is in no hurry to change anything, so he 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 suppress the feelings and emotions that arise when running in a circle: diet - depression - 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 infant from the beginning of life.
For him, delicious food is an ideal mother. A mother who understands and accepts anyone. It is important to remember that food not only has physiological significance for a person, but also psychological significance. It is a powerful regulator of psychological balance. That is why it is 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 motivations: on the one hand, the fear of losing an ideal image and condemnation from society, and on the other hand, the fear of losinga powerful tool for emotional maintenance. balance.
The emotions and feelings that throw those losing weight out of balance are quite serious conditions. The most common: shame, guilt, fear, anxiety, helplessness, despair, melancholy, 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 motivation decreases, do not 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 appear when pent-up emotions consume too much energy. The inability or unwillingness to seek out other self-regulation tools prompts tired people to seek nourishment. The idea of constantly surpassing oneself for the sake of something or someone is combined with the inability to replenish one's resources with 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.
- Boredom. Did you know that feeling like you're waiting too long leads to burnout and persistent boredom? With the loss of the meaning of life and the seeming insignificance of what is happening, talking about motivation to lose weight is useless. Melancholy, despair, emptiness. . . Strong and complex emotions cause discomfort, and in the case of food addiction, only food can 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 tried cooking a new dish?
- Fear of hunger. Genetically and historically, fear of starvation causes an increased appetite. As a result, many people eat much more than their stomachs can accommodate. A festive table or cupboards and refrigerator full of food will certainly 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 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 to 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 over their weakness. And to punish himself for this offense, he goes on a strict diet, which again leads to depression. And so on in a circle.
I eat, which means I exist. The passionate desire to feel active is one of the motivators for eating too much food. A society in which material values are the measure of social success leads to a series of negative feelings, without work, through 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, consciousness is overloaded with experiences that take away the energy so necessary to muster the strength needed to lose weight. And the range of these feelings is vast: from the search for 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 really important to them and, when formulating their 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 after trying 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 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 how to "make wishes right. "It is difficult to lose weight if you do not understand in detail what slimming will bring you. It is not easy for a girl to refuse another candy if she does not remember the swimsuit in which she will parade on this same beach and notice these same looks. No principle of rational nutrition will help you lose weight without exciting fantasies about yourself and how you feel in a slim body, in different outfits, in different life situations.
A swimsuit isn't the only motivator. The body of overweight people experiences significant stress. The consequences of adipose tissue deposition and muscle tissue deficit are early aging, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, disturbed 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, be more confident, healthier and more beautiful" - and start thinking about those moments of joy that await you.
A correctly 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 slimming) should be formulated in small plots (stories, scenarios, stories, essays - whatever you like) with you in the main role, where you describe in detailthe situation in which you will be very comfortable thanks to your slim body. These stories should begin with a detailed description of your figure in one or another item of clothing (or without it), then - your appearance as a whole, including accessories, hairstyle and makeup; your actions in this situation (how you came, sat, 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, how confident and satisfied you are). Through this conception, the fantasy acquires the energy that is in the feelings and which charges you with the desire for happiness - and it will guide you, even if you are not fully aware of it.
- Important: in your goals, describe only what you will gain with harmony, what you will become, and not what you will get rid of! And all this in the present tense, as if it had already happened. You cannot write for your own needs about disappeared folds, swelling, shortness of breath! Describe slender legs, graceful ankles, thin waist and easy breathing. Our unconscious, our inner daughter, cannot see what is no longer there. You just need to wishful thinking - then the subconscious will perceive these images as a fait accompli and will cause your body to lose extra pounds.
- You should have several of these fantasies or stories, at least seven. They should be reflected in different areas of your life: personal life, communication with loved ones, work, hobbies, health, self-realization. Everyone has their own list. After all, harmony is not an end in itself, but a means to improve life in all its manifestations. Being thin in itself does not bring happiness, but, oddly enough, it can be planned in the form of such 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 down goals for him.
- Each of your goals should have a time and space framework so that at some point you can say to yourself, "Oh! It's done! I motivate myself. I'm losing weight. "
- And for the goals to be achieved without fail, they must be realistic and depend only on you. For example, you can't predict that someone will fall in love with you, but you can assume and describe your confidence, joy, pride, and admiration for yourself in an important situation, and your mood will do the trick. . . .
- Your goals should be both immediate and short-term, and distant and long-term. You will need to distribute them over the entire period of weight loss so that as they are achieved, they "warm up" you and stimulate you to new achievements. You must be proud of yourself, congratulate yourself and reward yourself for each goal that is achieved. Don’t forget to update your "happy projects" as they progress. There is only one condition: the reward must not take the form of a sweet bun or a burger. What do you like? 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 in your fingertips: "Oh, I wish I could hurry up! "Oh, how I want this! How awesome it will be! You can "test" an already achieved goal by mentally holding and weighing it with one hand, while placing your favorite product in the other. Imagine its smell, its taste. . . What wins? If the product is still preferred, your goal may be unfinished or not entirely accurate.
Goals are a powerful driver in your journey to getting fit. They will work somewhere in the depths of consciousness, pointing in the right direction.
What to do - step by step plan
This article is not an instruction or guide to action. This may force you to start analyzing the possible reasons for your decreased motivation. As practice shows, there are much fewer motivating incentives to work with excess weight than demotivating ones, so the latter must be carefully worked out.
- Determine the relevance of the goal: do you really want to lose weight?
- Don't forget 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 want to lose weight and this is relevant today, it is better to seek help from a psychologist or psychotherapist, because it is often difficult to cope aloneto the problem due to internal resistance.
And before you start putting the acquired knowledge into practice, we will give you the main advice: do not fight with delicate fats, force yourself to lose weight. It is important to form friendships and partnerships with your own body. The most rewarding motivator is yourself.