Whether you feel stuck, discouraged because you aren’t seeing results, or you feel you’ve plateaued, motivation feels fleeting.
Honestly, motivation is fleeting, which is why you need to know how to create it so you can stay consistent with your weight loss habits. There are two key pieces to look at when creating motivation. Knowing why you want to lose weight, and recognizing which emotions you feel when you are most motivated to change.
Finding your deeper why
This is a topic that I go in depth on in the episode Commit to Change. In that episode I walk you through the process of finding your deeper “why”, or compelling reason that you want to lose weight.
The basic premise of this activity is getting out your journal or notebook, and asking yourself why you want to lose weight. Keep asking why, and writing out the response at least 5 times to dig deeper.
Once your reasons begin to bring up emotion, (i.e. I want to lose weight so I can be around and active with my children and family) take note. These reasons will be much more compelling when faced with choosing between fitting in your skinny jeans or eating out of the ice cream carton when you’re stressed.
About a week ago, I went on a hike with my partner. The plan was to go out to some near by sand dunes, go exploring, play some frisbee and avoid our house where the swamp cooler only gets the temperature down from 105 outside to 95 inside.
Let’s just say the outing didn’t go as planned. I was struggling. I was leaning on excuses. It was too hot… The sand was too warm on my feet (side note, never wear sandals to sand dunes, even if the store says they work well as hiking shoes)… I didn’t eat or drink enough that day… I was sore from a previous workout… I was sweating more than I was walking, and I felt like I was out of breath every five minutes. It was so discouraging!!
Y’all I am embarrassed by how much I complained on this hike. I just want to forget that it happened, and bury it in the recesses of my memory. However, I share because I want you to know that I am on this journey with you, and it would be inauthentic of me not to share the struggles I experience on my own weight loss journey.
Besides being a discouraging and extremely frustrating example of how much further I have to go on my weight loss journey, it was also a great reminder of my values, and what I want from my life and why I am on this journey in the first place.
I love hiking, and going exploring with my family and friends. I want this to be a bigger part of my life, without feeling like I’m dying every time I go out. Being able to keep up, have fun and not feel trapped in a larger body is my dream. During this hike I vowed that I would keep working towards my goal so I can enjoy being active.
Finding motivation through emotion
Emotions can be a very helpful asset in making lifestyle changes while we create our weight loss habits.
By feeling the discomfort and frustration in that situation, I was able to create some motivation and momentum to keep moving forward.
You can use your emotions to find motivation to keep going too.
Pull your journal or notebook back out and think about a time that brought up emotions you can leverage and lean into to create motivation.
These emotions don’t all need to be negative. The same week I felt trampled on while hiking, I also crushed a strength training workout. I felt so empowered afterwards! Reminding myself of how empowered I can feel while taking action toward my goals is another way that I create motivation to keep pushing forward.
Strong emotions that remind you of what you’re working towards, and why you are losing weight help the most when creating motivation.
Creating Motivation as a Daily Habit
When you know how to create motivation by reflecting on your why, and leaning into strong emotions, you can form a habit around it. Anytime you feel unmotivated, use this skill set. Do it daily so you can feel motivated about your goals constantly!
Action Steps
In your journal, ask yourself why you want to lose weight. Keep asking yourself why until you’ve found your deeper reason, or “why”.
Write down emotions that you have had, and use this to remind yourself of what you are working for.
Next time you feel unmotivated, reflect on your why and the strong emotions that motivate you. Share this post with your friends who are also struggling with motivation to lose weight! Talk to you next week!