Why does motivation go through the roof at the beginning of the weight loss process and then disappear somewhere? What can demotivate and who can be the best motivator? These questions interest many people 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 the appearance of other people is an obvious fact. One of the most interesting things is staring at an attractive person, fantasizing about his character and lifestyle. Our own appearance is also the subject of great attention. We try to understand our preferences and maybe hide something - both from ourselves and from others.
All 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 care.
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" comes from the word "motive" (lat. movere - "to move, push"). Motivation is a set of not only internal, but also external forces that encourage some kind of activity. It is needs and feelings that are the main motivational factors. Hunger, sexual desire, thirst and insecurity 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.
Experiencing an unsatisfied need causes discomfort and a desire to eliminate it arises. For example, if a woman is dissatisfied with her weight, she wants to get rid of this shortcoming and, it seems, should have 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 multi-motivated, i. e. it is simultaneously influenced by different motives that may contradict each other. This is where the problems begin.
Factors of lack of motivation
- Lack of knowledge. First of all, ignoring the psychological reasons for being overweight. Although it should be noted that more and more clients of nutritionists and nutritionists are talking about the possible causes of overeating.
- Lack of support, even if your loved ones wish you only the best. That's why they may think that everything is fine with you anyway. If you cannot find support in your environment, you can contact a psychologist.
- Unscrupulousness of future specialists and focusing only on results that are obtained quickly and are traumatic for both health and psyche. They do not teach how to maintain the obtained results, what to do if a relapse occurs.
- Constant crashes and relapses (which require professional support when dealing with eating disorders) reduce motivation and mood.
- Slow weight loss with the right complex approach, as a result of which short programs are chosen. An example of such a choice is the goal "lose weight by summer".
These factors negatively affect the motivation to lose weight and lead to the inability to cope with the problem on your own. A person who loses weight goes through certain stages: at the beginning of the weight loss marathon, as a result of group euphoria, he strictly follows the recommendations, and then the enthusiasm disappears. Apathy sets in, often protest followed by collapse.
Food addiction
Almost every overweight person has a food addiction. This conclusion is necessitated by the relationship between well-being and behavior. That is, a person who does not have an addiction will change his behavior when his health deteriorates.
If the behavior does not change and continues to destroy a person's health, we can talk about a hidden cause of this condition. Being overweight causes a lot of physiological problems (illness, lack of energy, poor skin and hair) and psychological problems (low self-esteem, shame, guilt, constant anxiety, depression, chronic depression), but the person is in no hurry to change anythingand yes. then he continues to overeat, that is, we are talking about food addiction.
Day after day, food is used, among other things, as an anti-depressant and a sedative to drown out the feelings and emotions that arise in the cycle race: diet - crash - 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 - milk, mouth - stomach, care - support. Food satisfies important desires for a baby from the very beginning of its life.
For him, delicious food is an ideal mother. A mother who understands and accepts anyone or everyone. 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 is why it is so difficult and time-consuming to work with excess weight and food addiction, with crashes, failures and relapses.
Reasons for low motivation
In the process of working with overweight, a person is simultaneously affected by multipolar motives: 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 maintaining emotional balance.
The emotions and feelings that throw slimmers off balance are quite serious conditions. The most common: shame, guilt, fear, anxiety, powerlessness, despair, melancholy, boredom, fatigue. Every day we experience many different feelings and emotions.
Let's look at some of them in detail to understand the depth of the problem and next time when motivation is reduced, do not rush to judge 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 occur when repressed emotions take up too much energy. The inability or unwillingness to seek other tools for self-regulation leads tired people to grab food. The idea of constantly overcoming oneself for the sake of something or someone is combined with the inability to replenish 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 of waiting too long leads to burnout and prolonged boredom? With the loss of meaning in life and the apparent meaninglessness of what is happening, talking about motivation to lose weight is pointless. Melancholy, despair, emptiness. . . Strong and complex emotions cause discomfort, and with food addiction, only food helps to cope. How to solve a problem? Find something to do that ignites your passion! When was the last time you drew? Did you get a new book? Have you tried cooking a new dish?
- Fear of hunger. Genetically and historically, fear of hunger provokes increased appetite. Consequently, a huge number of people eat far more than their stomach capacity allows. A festive table or cupboards and fridge full of food will definitely reduce motivation. How to solve a problem? Don't forget to drink water! Eat slowly without being distracted by gadgets 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 satiate hunger for at least 3-4 hours.
Cheat sheet regarding macronutrient and water intake:- protein - 1 g per 1 kg of weight;
- fat - 1 g per 1 kg of weight;
- carbohydrates - 3-4 g per 1 kg of weight. Don't forget about 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. Losing weight is usually a process with ups and downs, crashes and setbacks. And every time a relapse occurs, a person feels a sense of shame and guilt for his weakness. And to punish himself for this transgression, he undergoes a strict diet, which again leads to a breakdown. And so in a circle.
I eat, which means I exist. A strong 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 set of negative feelings, without dealing with them, you will not be able to increase your motivation.
How to properly set goals to increase motivation
So negative emotions interfere with weight loss. In other words, the mind is overloaded with experiences that take away the energy so necessary to mobilize the strength to lose weight. And the range of these feelings is great: from finding yourself to fighting 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 issues that are really important to them and, when formulating motivation, are guided only by secondary, 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, trying different methods. Have you ever thought that was weird? 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 essentially teaches you to "make wishes right". It's hard to lose weight if you don't understand in great detail what losing weight will give you. It is not easy for a girl to refuse another piece of candy, if she does not remember the swimsuit in which she will parade on the beach and notice exactly those looks. No principles of rational nutrition will help you lose weight without exciting fantasies about yourself and how you feel in a thin body, in different outfits, in different life situations.
Swimwear isn't the only motivator. The body of overweight people experiences serious stress. The consequences of the deposition of fatty tissue and the deficiency of muscle tissue are premature aging, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, impaired detoxification processes. . . This is not the whole list of the consequences of being overweight.
It is better to forget the abstract words that once did not help you find harmony - "I will lose weight, I will be more confident, healthier and more beautiful" - and start thinking about those joyful moments that await you.
The right goal is the best motivator for losing weight.
List of basic rules for goal setting:
- Your goals (in our case, thoughts about being slim) should be shaped into small plots (narratives, scenarios, stories, essays - whatever you want) with you in the lead role, where you describe in detail the situation in which you find yourselfbe very comfortable thanks to your thin body. These stories should begin with a detailed description of your figure in one or another outfit (or without it), then - your appearance in general, including accessories, hair 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, how confident and satisfied you are). As a result of this design, the fantasy acquires the energy that is in the feelings and that fills 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, not what you will get rid of! And all this in the present tense, as if it had already happened. You can not write for your own purposes about disappeared folds, swelling, shortness of breath! Describe slender legs, graceful ankles, a slim waist, and easy breathing. Our subconscious, our inner girl, cannot see what is no longer there. You only need to wish - then the unconscious will perceive these images as a fait accompli and make your body lose extra pounds.
- You should have several such fantasies or stories, at least seven. They should be reflected in different areas of your life: personal life, communication with loved ones, work, free time, health, self-realization. Everyone has their own list. After all, you need harmony not as an end in itself, but as a means to improve life in all its manifestations. Being thin in itself does not bring happiness, but strangely enough, it can be planned in the form of such pleasant situations associated with being thin. Remember that achieving your goals should bring you real joy, not profit, so that they are appreciated and supported by your inner child. Dream and write goals for him.
- Each of your goals should have a time and space frame, so that at a certain moment you can say to yourself: "Oh! Is ready! I `m motivating. I'm losing weight. "
- And in order for the goals to come true, they must be realistic and depend only on you. For example, you cannot 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 mood will do the trick. . .
- Your goals should be both immediate and short-term as well as distant and long-term. You will need to distribute them throughout the weight loss period so that, as they gradually come true, they will "warm" you up and stimulate you to new achievements. You should be proud of yourself, brag and reward yourself for each achieved goal. Be sure to update your "joy plans" as they progress. There is only one condition: the prize must not be in the form of a sweet bun or a burger. What do you like? A new dress, going to the theater, meeting friends? There must be at least seven goals at any time. Once the targets are exhausted, the burden 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 fingers: "Oh, if only I could hurry! "Oh, how much I want this! How great it will be! "You can "test" an already fulfilled goal by holding it and mentally weighing it in one hand, and in the other you put your favorite product. Imagine the smell, the taste. . . WhatIf the product is still preferred, your target may be incomplete or not quite accurate.
Goals are a powerful driving force in your journey to get fit. They will work somewhere in the depths of consciousness, showing the right direction.
What to do - a step-by-step plan
This article is not an instruction or a how-to guide. This can lead you to start analyzing the possible reasons for your decreased motivation. As practice shows, there are significantly fewer motivating incentives when working with overweight than demotivating ones, so the latter should be carefully developed.
- Determine the appropriateness 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 saturated fat in the diet leads to increased appetite.
- Seek professional help. If you are convinced that you have a desire to lose weight, and this is relevant today, it is better to seek help from a psychologist or psychotherapist, since it is often difficult to cope with the problem on your own 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 complex fats, try to lose weight. It is important to build friendships and partnerships with your own body. The most rewarding motivator is yourself.