Will power and motivation go hand in hand. In this post we are going to look at how to improve will power and maximise motivation to help you achieve your health and weight loss goals.
Most people can use will power alone to stick to a temporary diet plan for a few weeks with rapid weight loss serving as a temporary motivator. The only focus in this situation is the weight loss itself but soon other factors such as hunger, cravings and prep/ organisational time begin to creep in, dwindling will power. Before you know it, further weight loss just doesn’t seem worth it compared to eating that chocolate cake! Motivation is key when embarking on any new regime and different factors will motivate different people. The trick is to look deeper than the superficial ‘dropping a dress size’ and think about your relationship with food and the long term health benefits of losing weight. How do different foods effect your mood or energy levels? How does food effect your health and well-being now or in the longer term?
What is your ‘WHY’?
- Focus on why you are making the change.
- What has prompted you to make these lifestyle changes?
- Who do you hope will benefit as well as you?
- Your ‘why’ will be your biggest motivation so identify that and it will continue to fuel your will power!
My ‘WHY’ is to ensure my kids develop a good relationship with food, understand how it fuels and effects them and use that knowledge so they will never have to ‘diet’.
Identify 3 (or more) goals you’d like to achieve on your journey
- By breaking the journey down into shorter term goals, you’ll be achieving something that will motivate you to keep it going.
- Be sure to set a variety of goals relating to different aspects of your life.
- Think health, fitness, emotional well-being and energy levels as well as the all important weight loss!
Make easy changes first to guarantee success
- Be realistic with changes and take it slow. If you are successful, you will be inspired to continue.
- Maximise your motivation by making note of your small successes, they add up really quickly!
- Take a look at these easy ways to reduce your sugar intake, you’ll be patting yourself on the back before you know it!
Use your previous success to inspire you
- Before and after photos can be a powerful motivator.
- You don’t need to share photos with others but sometimes seeing a photo is more powerful than stepping on the scales!
- You may be motivated by seeing a photo of yourself at your heaviest or one of your fit and healthy former self.
- Make a note of any unexpected achievements along the way, it might not be an original goal but if it makes you feel better, it’ll motivate you to continue.
Allow yourself cheat days
- All work and no play is no fun at all!
I allow myself from when I get home from work on Saturday until Sunday then it’s back to ‘being good’ on Monday. However, holidays are one big cheat!
Relate food to mood and physical reactions
- Think about how over eating or bingeing makes you feel afterwards- bloated, lethargic, tired.
- When you’re tempted to eat another portion, take a few seconds to think it through, relate it to past experience and decide if your body really wants or needs it.
- Keep a food/ mood/ feelings diary to find out which foods effect your mood and how your body feels.
I find sugar makes my back ache, dairy increases mucus/ hay fever, yeast products bloat me, alcohol makes my hands and feet swell and bags under my eyes!
Talk it through
- Talking about it reinforces why you are doing this and you may even come up with some new reasons!
- If your friends and family know what you are trying to achieve, not only are you making yourself accountable (highly motivating) but they will also support you.
- Note down other people’s positive observations and compliments to look back on whenever you’re struggling!
Work as a team!
- Change the whole families eating habits and educate your children so that they will never have to ‘diet’.
- All meals should be healthy and well balanced so there’s no need to cook different meals for the ‘dieter’.
- Eat together, exercise together, change and learn together.
- Motivation to continue will certainly be found in seeing your loved ones thriving!
Make your own personal Motivational Kick sheet!
- Write down your personal goals, achievements and ‘whys’, giving you the kick you need any time your will power begins to dwindle!
- Adding photos of you or loved ones to it can be super motivating and give you a clear goal to where you’re headed and of your progress.
- Your children’s health will be a more powerful motivator than your own!
I’ve put together a ‘Motivational Kick’ sheet and a ‘Food Effect Diary’ template to help you get started! They are absolutely free, simply sign up here and I’ll send them over!
If you are following my ‘How to lose weight forever’ plan, it’s time to start putting this into practice!
Remember, this is a lifestyle change for a healthier, happier you so share it with the whole family!
Understand it– Make sure you get it! Understanding why you are making a change means you are far more likely to stick to it!
Download your ‘Motivational Kick’ sheet and start filling it in! Contact me or leave a comment below if you have a question.
Optimise and adapt it– No one can implement every dietary change to the letter. Work out what will work for you and suit your lifestyle. Make a small change now and revisit in a few weeks. Small steps are the key to losing weight forever.
Different things motivate different people so finding the best motivational tools for you may take a bit of trial and error. Think of as many as you can and you’ll keep coming back to the ones that are working for you.
Master it– Once you have decided how this change can work for you, do it! Change takes time so you need to stick at it to see results. To help you master changes, don’t do it alone……….
If you need support feel free to contact me through any of my social media channels. Sometimes we all need some external motivation so if you feel that you’re struggling, get in touch!
Teach and share it– Making any change alone is hard. If everyone is doing it and understanding it, you are all in it together. Introduce ideas to your family and friends. Educate your children and get them into great habits. Share the love!
Remember to explain the reasons why when introducing a change to young children (or anyone for that matter). The best moments are hearing your child explaining it to someone else or better still, telling you off for not following your own rule!! I for one, am far more motivated to get something done if I’ve told someone else that I’m going to do it. It could be pride or just my competitive streak, whatever it is, if I’m accountable to someone, I work that bit harder!!
Are you always on a different diet? Always trying to lose weight? Stop with the quick fixes and start with the ‘forever’ plan. Join me and my family and lose weight forever!
