Knowing how to motivate yourself in the right way for YOU is critical to your success in losing weight. On the Shrinking Thinking weight management programme, we teach our members how to get more motivated.
Most people struggle with motivation to start because they focus on the difficulties and challenges in losing weight, like the hard work of the exercise & worrying about feeling hungry. It’s no wonder this doesn’t get them motivated to start! They forget to look at all the positives that come when the goal has been achieved & the weight has been lost.
There are two key types of motivator: the stick, and the carrot, and they’re all about reward and punishment. When you’re motivated by the “carrot”, this is a “towards” motivation – for example, I want to be fit & healthy – you’re motivated by what is in front of you, by what you’re focussing on or working towards, and by the reward you get when it is completed – the carrot!
When you’re motivated by the “stick”, this is an “away from” motivation – for example, I don’t want to be fat – you’ve motivated by what you don’t want, by what you’ve moving away from, and by the punishment that might come if you don’t achieve it – the stick! The trouble with this type of motivation is that you’re constantly focussing on what you don’t want. Now get this – your brain can’t process a negative!! So by focussing on what you don’t want (to be fat), your brain has to first think about wanting it (being fat), before it can focus on not wanting it. This can really add to the stress of the situation, and often gets us stuck in procrastination!
A classic example of motivation by the stick is someone who wants to lose weight because they don’t want to suffer from the health complications often associated with being overweight, like diabetes and heart disease. They may be very motivated to lose weight initially, usually out of fear of what could happen if they don’t lose it. The trouble is, the moment they’ve lost a little bit of weight, the motivation to lose more actually LESSENS because the risk of suffering from poor health is now perceived to be smaller. And when the motivation to lose weight reduces, the likely effect is that the weight goes back on! This is why so many people suffer from “yo-yo” dieting.
If you’re normally a “motivate by the stick” kind of person, and it’s not working for you, here’s our top 5 tips to help you change your motivator & achieve your goals:
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Identify what your goal is. For example: I want to be fitter, healthier & happier by losing two stones in weight within 3 months.
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Ensure you use positive language to describe your goal – negative language won’t make it compelling enough!
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List what will happen, and what won’t happen when you achieve your goal – eg you’ll feel more energetic, and your clothes won’t feel so uncomfortable any more.
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Write a list of pros and cons about achieving your goal. Look at your pros, and find the one that resonates with you the most – this is likely to be your key motivator.
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Tell people about your goal! Accountability is often a strong motivator in achieving your goal.
Make sure that your goal is really achievable – there’s no point in setting a goal that’s so challenging & scary that you give up immediately. Perhaps you need to break your goal up into manageable steps, and plan their order, including which steps must be completed before the other steps can start – this helps to make your goal feel so much more achievable! For example, first I need to register with a gym, get a fitness assessment, and get a gentle exercise programme designed for me. Then I’ll start eating healthily & cutting out snacks, so I can lose 1-2 lbs a week. Then, after 6-8 weeks, I’ll get my programme reviewed at the gym as I’ll be able to increase the activity level of each exercise by then.
Imagine the successful completion of your goal. Really bring it to life! What will it feel like, having lost 2 stone? Visualise how you’ll look with you new shape, perhaps wearing a new dress with a great big smile on your face! What will your friends say to you? Hear the compliments in your mind! What will you think about yourself, and say to yourself inside? Lock those feelings, sounds and sights into your mind, and recall them every time you think about losing weight & exercising. It’ll make getting started so much easier!
You can also use this process each time you exercise. For example, I struggle with motivation & getting enough energy to go out exercising, especially when it’s wet outside. My motivator is the great feeling I get afterwards as I enjoy a lovely, long, steaming hot shower, and I look forward to this the whole time I’m exercising. If I just focus on the rain, I’d never get out the door!
If you’d like help with getting motivated to manage YOUR weight more effectively, click here.
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