I don't know about you, but for me, finding motivation to lose weight fast doesn't always come easy. First of all, that word - fast - implies urgency and can stress me out right away.
But what do you do when it is urgent that you start shedding pounds? How do you get motivated to start?
Find Your Why
The first place I start is finding my "why." It's so important to have a cause or mission so that you're almost compelled to take action.
Here's how I go about it: I grab a notebook and I ask myself, "Why do I want to lose weight?" And whatever answer comes, I write it down. If I get more than one answer, I write them all down.
I continue to ask myself this question until I am out of answers.
Write down everything! If it's one word, two words, a sentence, a paragraph, you-name-it...get it all written down.
Then look at each reason and ask again, "Why?"
By asking why, you go deeper and deeper into the reasons you want to lose weight and get healthy.
At first, your answers might look superficial - you want to drop a size or look good at an upcoming event. But like magic, those reasons begin to get deeper - you want to set an optimal example for your children or feel what it's like to run an entire mile without stopping.
One of my "whys" is that I want my joints to be pain free so that I can do more physically demanding things - like play with my son.
This is a very personal exercise and the more real you get with yourself, the more you get out of this.
Control Your Self-Talk
Another way to motivate yourself is to control what you say to yourself - your self-talk.
Do you pay attention to the things you mentally say to yourself? Try it for one day. Keep a small notebook handy and write down what you notice.
Is it positive? Fantastic!
Is it critical, negative, or demeaning? Then it's time to make some changes.
You'll probably notice that you say a mix of positive and negative statements throughout the day. You might cheer yourself on when you're on a roll and chastise yourself when you make a mistake.
It's pretty normal.
What we're going for here is to tip the scale to more positive, uplifting self-talk and less negative self-talk.
I suggest you don't take this too seriously - have fun with it.
When you notice that you're heading into "Negative Town," take a few deep breaths and try to shift your thinking to something less harsh. Can you find something to appreciate in your environment? Can you think to yourself that it's all good because you're doing your best?
Just do what you can starting where you are and take it one day at a time.
Tough Love
My last tip is to use tough love on yourself.
There will be days you do not want to journal your food. There will be days you will not want to exercise. There will be days you want to quit altogether.
So try some tough love on yourself.
Tell yourself:
- It's OK that you don't want to journal your food...do it anyway.
- It's OK that you don't want to workout...do it anyway (and do it now.)
- It's OK that you want to quit...but follow your plan, journal your thoughts, and remember your WHY anyway!
Finding your motivation for losing weight doesn't have to be hard, but you do have to be committed. I hope these few tips help you out a little.
