Are you trying to find the motivation to lose weight?  Do you find it hard to just “Get started?”

What motivates one person may not be the thing that motivates someone else.

And how you think about motivation is key to whether you will be able to motivate yourself …or not.

People expect motivation to lose weight to just come down and hit them on the head.

POOF!!!

….And they will suddenly feel motivated.

I can tell you that this may happen – but it is rare.

Many people wait to get started on an exercise or fitness program when they “feel” motivated to lose weight.

I can pretty much assure you that you may be waiting quite a long while.

This is the funny thing about motivation – it comes and it goes.  It’s like riding a wave at the beach.  You may be able to stay on the wave for quite a while  – or you may catch one and it will die out pretty fast.   

If you are not good at catching the next wave….you will be sitting there for some time until your next wave comes in. 

Or ….. You could learn what it takes to ride that wave for as long as possible.

This is what we know about the motivation to lose weight:

• Something may come along and inspire us.  Maybe someone we know lost a ton of weight and it inspires us to do the same.
• Maybe we have a health scare and it motivates us to make changes.
• We may have an upcoming event like a wedding or vacation that motivates us to reach a goal to look and feel better.
• Maybe our children inspire us to lead healthier lives and we want to set a good example for them.
• Some of us may just be sick and tired of FEELING tired.
• Some of feel motivated when the scale responds.

But these factors are external and we are often waiting for something to come along to motivate us to go to the gym or adopt new eating habits.

We may be motivated for a week or two…..but then complacency sets in and it is EASY to talk ourselves out of sticking to our menu plan or skipping that workout.

Then….motivation to lose weight wanes….complacency gets stronger and before we know it our best laid plans are buried…..deep in our own justifications and excuses.

This has happened to all of us with something in our lives….whether it be a weight loss goal, career goal, school goal, etc. We set out all gung ho!!! And then……it fizzles and we find ourselves second guessing our ability to follow through.

But some people don’t seem to be affected by this.  Why is it that some people just seem to set a goal and follow it through. 

Why are they so motivated?  And why aren’t you?

I wish I could say that the “motivation fairy” is going to come visit you and bless with you with endless amounts of motivation to lose weight. 

But….there is no such thing.

And even the most motivated people struggle with doing the thing they know they need to do.

Three Tools
for Motivation to Lose Weight

#1. BE ON GUARD…..

Whenever I hear that little voice that says:

“Ehhh…you can just do it tomorrow…what’s one more day.”

I shut that voice down and do it NOW.

Whenever I ask myself:

“Do I feel like working out today?”

I know I am asking myself the WRONG QUESTION.  It opens the door for a conversation with myself that can go very wrong and take me away from my goal!! Don’t ask yourself questions you know you won’t answer right!!!

If I start saying:

“Just this once….I’ll go off my meal plan ……. Just this once.”

I do the opposite…..and say “stick with it” and prove myself wrong.

This is one step towards creating your OWN SOURCE OF MOTIVATION TO LOSE WEIGHT. 

It’s great to have things, events and people around you to motivate you – but this is not always going to be the case.  You MUST find a way to motivate yourself.

And nobody……nobody EVER feels WORSE after doing the right thing. 

NOBODY ever feels worse about themselves AFTER a workout.

NOBODY ever feels remorse after a day of sticking to their meal plan.

And nobody feels lousy when the scale responds the way we want….when we are doing the work we need to do.

NOBODY.

So where does motivation to lose weight come from when it seems like you don’t have ANY at all?

When you are searching for something to motivate you and there isn’t anything like a wedding, a friend to cheer you on, a vacation that’s coming up…….then just set a mini goal for the next day……and actually do it and SEE IT THROUGH.

Nike didn’t make a fortune off the slogan “Just Do It” for nothing!!!

Set a goal….right now.

Set a goal to take a 30 minute walk tomorrow.

When tomorrow gets here…..stick to that goal and ACTUALLY GO FOR THAT WALK.

Don’t wait to see if you FEEL LIKE IT.

Don’t wait to see if you have a DESIRE TO.

Don’t wait to see a friend can go or if the weather is nice.

JUST …. DO….IT.

And let me know how you feel after you stick to your own word.

Let me know if you feel worse about yourself.

I highly doubt it!!!!

This text from my client after she PROCRASTINATED about learning to create her own meal plan…..she put it off for a long time.  But look at what she wrote!!!

See…..nobody feels worse after doing the very thing they need to do – even if they don’t WANT to do it. 

Don’t expect to WANT to all the time…..just do it whether you feel like it or not.

You will feel better afterwards……really!!!

And you will fuel your own motivation to lose weight 😉

#2. KNOW YOUR CHARACTER DEFECTS

Look…we all have defects….we are not perfect and we were put on this Earth to become better people and to learn our life lessons.  So accept that fact that we have faults then learn to use those faults to make us stronger by overcoming them.

These are my issues:

• I am THE MOST DISOGRANIZED PERSON EVER.

It’s a miracle I actually got this website going – to be honest!!!

• I stink at keeping a calendar system but as my training business grew I had no choice but to adapt.
• I find it difficult to be productive with my time.
• I procrastinate.
• I am a lousy planner and can’t seem to think past tomorrow.

BUT….it’s EXACTLY these defects which prevented me from starting this business in the first place.  My husband pushed me and pretty much forced me to get it together 🙂

Brave Man!!

Now I set up “self- boundaries” that I feel I can follow through with.

For example, if I say I am going to do something – I do it.  No matter if I want to…feel like it…have a second thought, etc. 

If I say I am going to do it – I DO IT.  And it has become a habit so strong that I cannot think of being any other way. 

In the past I used to say I was going to do something then find a way out of it….no matter what excuse I had to make up. 

And you know what?? It made me feel lousy and it STOLE MY MOTIVATION.

So what are your defects?  Do you know what they are?  If not, maybe it’s time to take a good look and start tackling them….one at a time.

You are probably thinking “She’s crazy!!! How is taking a look at everything I am LOUSY at going to give me motivation to lose weight?”

Why?  Because you are going to PROVE YOURSELF WRONG and shut that voice down that says you can’t….

….that says you are inadequate.

…..that says you will fail.

Take the time to acknowledge your strengths.  This was not meant to beat you up – but to get you to be honest with yourself.  I have lots of strengths!!! But if my defects keep getting in the way….my strengths won’t have a chance to shine!!!

I love motivational stories of people who have done EXACTLY what I set out to do.  When I read that “Mary Jane” met her goal and persevered despite the obstacles she had to face – I find motivation even if it is just for a day or two. 

Things like this help me get back on my motivational “wave”.

Maybe I use a You Tube video like this one……https://www.youtube.com/embed/q5nVqeVhgQE

#3. Create a Motivational Tool Box

Sometimes I write words on my mirror that reminds me of the traits I need to accomplish my goal.  When I was going through my divorce and I was an unemployed, single mom I used to post words on my bathroom mirror that reminded me of what I needed to reach my goal while I was looking for a job. 

I needed STRENGTH, CONFIDENCE, FAITH, FOCUS, FEARLESSNESS, PERSEVERANCE, DETERMINATION, etc.

So maybe you need to FOCUS (which also stands for Follow One Course Until Successful)….so you don’t flip flop from one diet to another…so you don’t flip flop from one workout to another…..so you don’t flip flop from one belief about yourself to another…..write on your mirror:

F O C U S

Follow One Course Until Successful

Every time you are about to do something other than what you planned out to do….

Every time you get distracted…..

Write it down…..F O C U S.

I read books like “The Time Warrior” because being organized with my time and being productive with my time is my biggest challenge.  I use the tools in this book to REMIND me of my character defects….and to conquer them.

Do you have a MOTIVATIONAL TOOLBOX?  If not…..then it’s time to build one.

If you are struggling with motivation to lose weight try using one of these techniques above.

• Catch yourself if you are complacent.
• Gather some motivational tools and keep them with you.
• Write down the character traits you NEED to have in order to reach your goal….and at least FAKE IT TIL’ YOU MAKE IT.
• Lastly….JUST DO IT.

No excuses…no looking back….just look ahead and make it happen. 

You can build the motivation to lose weight….and tap into it at ANYTIME.

If I can make a website……you can lose weight.  Trust me!! I still think we have a VCR that’s how NOT TECHIE I am!!!