When we want to change our bodies, the obvious solution is to simply start exercising or take up a new hobby or play sports. This is the solution to the problem, but before these events take place, the mental block that is motivation rears its ugly head.
Motivation is basically the driver behind why we will and won't do certain things in our life. We have to find some way of pushing ourselves to do the things that we need to do to get to where we want to get to.
Everyone has different levels of motivation for different things, and it really comes down to what the person values more in their life.
Now in regards to motivation for weight loss, this issue has to be address correctly otherwise things can be affected in the long term.
When you first decide that you want to lose weight, there has to be some kind of motivational reason behind this decision. There could be any number of reasons why you want to lose weight, they could be personal or family reasons or even peer pressure.
Many people will really struggle with this hurdle, as they are not doing what they want for the correct reasons. If you decided that you want to lose weight, because you are so unhappy with your body, and you want feel better about yourself, then you this is your motivation to lose weight.
There is a real purpose for the reason, and when you have a purpose for a decision, the actions you take are normally more much focused and decisive.
Let's take the other scenario that you want to lose weight for a family member, then this reason is a fairly strong reason to lose weight, but it is not going to motivate you as hard as doing it for yourself would be.
Now to find motivation, this can come from many different places. One of the best ways to find motivation is to buddy up with a friend who wants to reach the same goals as you and you both motivate and spur each other on to lose weight. This can work really well, because you feed of each other's energy.
Another great way to get motivated is to set a date to reach a goal by. When you set a date you set yourself a challenge, by doing this you will become more motivated to reach the goal. A good way to bring this up even more is to give yourself an incentive to reach the goal, this will also help you with motivation.
The next strategy to help you find motivation is to make sure that you are going into a new challenge with a clear mind, with no bad obstacles that can cause a hindrance to your progress. Motivation is very hard to find and keep when your life is run down with financial stress, health issues and family problems.
A common mistake that people make when they want to lose weight is that they put pictures/posters of size zero models on the walls in their houses. The idea here is that you will become more inspired to reach the desired figure in the posters, but that opposite is actually true according to extensive research.
The reason why this theory is less affective for motivation is that people are more likely to become discouraged by creating unrealistic self-standards. This will then cause a lack of motivation and the person will most likely give in on reaching their ideal body shape from the poster.
Another common reason why people lose motivation to lose weight is that they focus too much on the numbers. When you have decided that you want to lose say 10lbs within 2 months, all of your energy and focus is centred on this one goal, and if you do not reach it, you will feel bad and most likely lose motivation. This should be avoided.
Another reason why people lose motivation when they are trying to lose weight is because they do not have a plan of action in place from the start. A weight loss goal or program should be treated like a business plan and specific details should be written down and put on paper to help the individual stay motivated.
When creating a plan of action to lose weight, there needs to be a few factors tailored into the plan, realistic, measurable and free from any in-effective strategies. If you have an unrealistic plan of action for your goals from the start, you will lose motivation very quickly and most likely give in on the goals that you want to reach.
A very useful way to stay motivated towards your weight loss goals is to give yourself rewards every so often, when you have reached a certain milestone. A good way to do is by starting off with small incentives or small prizes and makes the prizes bigger as you reach your ultimate goal. This practice is often overlooked but very powerful as you have something to work towards each time, this provides a new lease for motivation.
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