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 are of interest to 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 the appearance of other people is an obvious fact. One of the most interesting things is staring at an attractive person, fantasizing about their character and lifestyle. Our own appearance is also under our scrutiny. We try to understand our preferences and, perhaps, hide something - both from ourselves and from others.
We work on our image all our lives - 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. Therefore, it is important to consider the role of appearance as a very strong motivational factor. But the question arises: then why do obese people so often lack this factor to create an image that a person needs so much, since ancient times?
What is motivation
The term "motivation" is derived from the word "motive" (Latin movere – 'to move, push'). Motivation is a set of not only internal, but also external forces that encourage some kind of activity. Needs and feelings are the main motivational factors. Hunger, sexual desire, thirst and feelings of insecurity are always accompanied by emotions.
Emotions are a psychological factor. For example, positive emotions indicate a satisfied need, while negative emotions indicate an unsatisfied need. Due to the greater emotionality of women, they often experience strong emotional stress.
The experience of an unsatisfied need causes discomfort and the desire to eliminate it arises. For example, if a woman is unhappy with her weight, she wants to get rid of this deficiency, and it seems that there should be more than enough motivation to achieve the goal.
So why 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 motives that may be in conflict with each other. This is where the problems begin.
Factors of lack of motivation
- Lack of knowledge. First of all, ignoring the psychological causes of excess weight. Although it should be noted that increasingly clients of nutritionists and dietitians themselves talk about the possible causes of overeating.
- Lack of support, even if your loved ones only want the best for you. That's why I can think that everything is fine with you anyway. If you cannot find support in your environment, you can turn to a psychologist.
- The unscrupulousness of potential specialists and their focus only on results that are quickly achieved are traumatic for both health and psyche. They do not teach how to maintain the achieved results, what to do if there is a relapse.
- Constant breakdowns and relapses (which require professional support when working with eating disorders) reduce motivation and mood.
- Slow weight loss with a real comprehensive approach, which is why short programs are chosen. An example of such a choice is the goal "to lose weight by summer".
These factors negatively affect motivation when losing weight and lead to the inability to deal with the problem on your own. A person losing weight goes through certain stages: at the beginning of a weight loss marathon, in the wake of group euphoria, he strictly adheres to the recommendations, and then the enthusiasm disappears. Apathy appears, often protest, followed by breakdown.
Addiction to food
Almost every overweight person has a food addiction. This conclusion is self-evident because of the connection between well-being and behavior. That is, a person who does not have any 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 reason for such a 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 anything. then he continues to overeat, i. e. we are talking about food addiction.
Day after day, food is used, among other things, as an anti-depressant and a sedative, to dampen the feelings and emotions that arise in the race in circles: diet - crash - guilt - diet. Food relaxes, improves mood and even relieves pain.
A child's psyche develops on the basis of a "couple relationship": mother - child, breast - milk, mouth - stomach, care - support. Food satisfies the important desires of the infant from the very beginning of his life.
For him, delicious food is the ideal mother. A mother who understands and accepts anyone or anything. It is important to remember that food has not only a physiological significance for a person, but also a psychological one. It is a strong regulator of psychological balance. That is why it is so difficult and takes so much time 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 motives: on the one hand, the fear of losing an ideal image and the condemnation of society, and on the other, the fear of losing a powerful tool for maintaining emotionality. balance.
The emotions and feelings that throw those who lose 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 judge yourself. Try to find out where the demotivating factors come from.
- Fatigue. This is a loss of strength after a long period of work. But this need requires sleep and rest, not food. However, apart from physical fatigue, it can also occur mentally when repressed emotions take up too much energy. The inability or unwillingness to seek other tools of self-regulation drives tired people to grab food. The idea of constantly overcoming oneself for the sake of something or someone is combined with the impossibility of replenishing resources with rest. How to solve the problem? Take a walk in the fresh air, meditate, read a book, plan to go to bed early, take a magnesium bath.
- Boredom. You know that feeling when waiting too long leads to burnout and long-term boredom? With the loss of the meaning of life and the apparent meaninglessness of what is happening, talking about the motivation to lose weight is meaningless. Melancholy, despair, emptiness. . . Strong and complex emotions cause discomfort, and in the case of food addiction, only food helps to cope. How to solve the problem? Find something to do that sparks 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 starvation causes increased appetite. Because of this, a huge number of people eat much more than their stomach capacity allows. A festive table or cupboards and a fridge full of food will certainly reduce motivation. How to solve the problem? Don't forget to drink water! Eat slowly, without the distraction of gadgets and conversation. The salad plate should be deep - a bowl is ideal. The size of the flat plate should not exceed two palms. Remember the principle of balance - the right combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates helps to satisfy hunger for at least 3-4 hours.
Cheat sheet on macronutrient and water intake:- proteins - 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 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. Weight loss is a process usually with ups and downs, crashes and crashes. And every time a relapse occurs, the person experiences a sense of shame and guilt for their weakness. And in order to punish himself for this offense, he goes on a strict diet, which again leads to a breakdown. And so in a circle.
I eat, which means I exist. The passionate desire to feel active is one of the motives for eating excess 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 properly set goals to increase motivation
So, negative emotions hinder weight loss. In other words, consciousness 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 passes quickly. The fact is that those who dream of losing weight ignore the issues that are really important to them and are guided only by secondary, superficial desires when formulating their motivation.
Many girls really want to lose weight, trying to force themselves to do it again and again, but at the same time they remain overweight, trying different methods. Have you ever thought this 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 in increasing your motivation to lose weight is to have a clear vision and plan for that "something". Goal setting training is based on this secret, which essentially teaches you to "wish it right". It is difficult to lose weight if you do not understand thedetails of what losing weight will give you. It is not easy for a girl to refuse another candy if she does not remember the very swimsuit in which she will parade on that very beach and notice those very looks. No principles of rational nutrition will help you lose weight without exciting fantasies about yourself and abouthow you feel in a slim body, in different outfits, in different life situations.
A swimsuit is not the only motivator. The body of overweight people experiences severe stress. The consequences of fat tissue deposition and lack of muscle tissue are early aging, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, disturbed detoxification processes. . . This is not the whole 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, I will be safer, healthier and more beautiful" - and start thinking about those joyful moments that await you.
A correctly set goal is the best motivator in losing weight.
List of basic rules for setting goals:
- Your goals (in our case, it's thoughts about slim) should be framed in small plots (stories, scenarios, histories, essays - whatever you want) with you in the main role, where you describe in detail the situation you are in. they will be very comfortable thanks to your slim body. These stories should start with a detailed description of your figure in one or another outfit (or without it), then - your appearance as a whole, 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 you feel your body, how happy, proud of yourself, how confident and satisfied you are). As a result of this design, fantasy gets an energy that is found in feelings and 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 get with harmony, what you will become, and not what you will get rid of! And all that in the present tense, as if it had already happened. You can't write for your needs about missing folds, swelling, shortness of breath! Describe slender legs, graceful ankles, a thin waist and easy breathing. Our unconscious, our inner girl, cannot see what is no longer there. You only need to wish - then they will unconsciously 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: private life, communication with loved ones, work, free time, health, self-knowledge. 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, surprisingly, 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 your inner child appreciates and supports them. You dream and write his goals.
- Each of your goals should have a time and space frame so that at a certain moment you can say to yourself: "Oh! It is over! I motivate myself. I'm losing weight".
- And in order for the goals to be achieved, 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 an important situation, and your mood will do the job. . .
- Your goals should be both immediate and short-term, and distant and long-term. You will have to spread them over the entire time of losing weight so that, as they are gradually realized, they will "warm you up" and encourage you to new achievements. You must be proud of yourself, praise yourself and reward yourself for every goal that is achieved. Don't forget to update your "joyful plans" as they progress. There is only one condition: the reward should not be in the form of a sweet bun or hamburger. What do you like? A new dress, going to the theater, meeting friends? There must be at least seven goals at any given time. Once the targets are cleared, the difficulty will stop.
- You are on the right track if, in the process of imagining, thinking and writing goals, you experience joyful excitement, impatience and itching in your fingertips: "Oh, I wish I could hurry! "Oh, how much I want this! How great it will be! " You can "test" an already achieved goal by mentally holding it and weighing it on one side, while putting your favorite product on the other. Imagine its smell, its taste. . . What beats it? If the product is still desired, your goal may be incomplete or not completely accurate.
Goals are a powerful driving force on your journey to getting 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 guide to action. It can force you to start analyzing the possible reasons for your decreased motivation. As practice shows, there are significantly fewer motivating incentives in working with excess weight than demotivating ones, so the latter needs to be worked out carefully.
- Determine the relevance of the goal: do you really want to lose weight?
- Remember the importance of a balanced diet. Lack 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 have a desire to lose weight and that it is relevant today, it is better to seek the help of a psychologist or psychotherapist, because it is often difficult to cope with the problem on your own due to internal resistance.
And before you start applying the acquired knowledge, we will give you the main advice: do not fight with tricky fats, force yourself to lose weight. It is important that you build friendships and partnerships with your own body. The biggest motivator is yourself.