weight loss and exercise - When Motivation Is Not Enough!
When you're pursuing a weight loss and exercise goal, it's all very well being told you need to work on your motivation. However, you're very seldom told how to go about doing so. Taking a 'blanket' approach
to your motivation as regard your weightloss and exercise goal just won't work! Why?
Because what suits one woman will not suit another. You're as individual
as your needs, so to succeed, you'll need to understand what it is
that drives you. Armed with this knowledge on 'how' to maintain your motivation and you're halfway to achieving your weight loss and exercise goal.
It's natural to feel an initial and overwhelming sense of motivation toward your weight loss and exercise goal, your healthy weight loss diet, or any other goal for that matter. But what happens when your level of motivation wane and you just don't feel motivated to carry through on your actions, even though you know how
important they are to achieving your goal?
There's absolutely no point
in pursuing a goal when you're feeling less than enthusiastic about it or having to drag yourself through, what perhaps has become a daily drudge.
Could it be that your choices and/or actions are not the right ones for you? What I'm about to share with you will help you to clearly identify all your available options, appropriate to your weight loss and exercise goal. This knowledge will enable you to make informed choices and to take action that is appropriate to your value-base, as you build and maintain your motivation, ensuring your success with your weight loss and exercise goal.
How values affect motivation
Your starting point for increasing your motivation must be a close examination of your personal values so as to develop an awareness of your goal in relation to those values - prioritising your personal health values exercise.
By aligning your weightloss exercise goal with values that are important to you, you'll better
understand the priority of your goal. For example, let's say that that you're a very outgoing person who like nothing better than getting out of the house for long country walks or even spending a few hours at a time window shopping.
By aligning this value (something you particularly like doing) to your weight loss and exercise goal, and opting to jog on your trails or to walk instead of driving around town, you'll be far more successful at maintaining your motivation toward your weight loss and exercise goal. You'd most probably not want to be working out at home to an aerobics video when your mind is on something else you'd rather be doing - like window shopping on a beautiful day.
Similarly, if variety and challenge is what you need, there's only
so much window shopping you'll need. So how about satisfying that nature trail hobby you've been meaning to take up!
Now, let's apply this same principle to the numerous methods of weightloss exercise programs available to you. In the self-help
department, you might for example want to research jogging exercise or a selection of other weight loss activities you can do yourself.
Perhaps some weight-loss exercise tips would prove another valuable source of information. Or even an inspirational weight loss book.
Weight-loss diet might also be a further priority, since you
may want to ensure your adequate intake of food health vitamin.
Or, how about a comprehensive fat loss program that will not only remove body fat but guarantees increased energy, health and vitality?
Are you over 40 and could really benefit from some inspirational anti-aging, health and weight loss advice?
Could you even do with some help on goal-setting your healthy eating plan? or even
get further information on a healthy eating Mediterranean diet?
Does this fit comfortably with your values and needs? Or, are you the kind of person who thrives on interaction with other people and would benefit from a consultation with an expert or from the supportive environment
of a healthy eating, weight-loss forum? The choice is yours -
you choose what you think is right for you. If you don't like water - why opt for swimming?
Is your weight loss and exercise goal to be supplemented with a low fat or low carb diet or are you intent on following a healthy low calorie and vegetarian diet.
Alternatively, you might want outside support, in which case you'll need to research the best weight loss programs. Perhaps you could start with two or three, such as the
living raw food diet?, Atkins Diet or
the Mediterranean Diet.
You might prefer the additional support and encouragement from pursuing your weight loss and exercise goal by joining a weightloss centre. You'll find that some will also have the option of online support groups or forums. For example, Weight Watchers or Medifast.
Whatever your preference, you'll undoubtedly benefit from joining a well managed weightloss forum. Along with the excellent source of support forums can give, you'll also gain a great deal of information
and develop your knowledge-base on matters such as a healthy weightloss diet and nutrition; learning from other women's personal experiences; becoming more informed as to
the different diets and their effectiveness; getting answers to your questions and even pick up some helpful weightloss dieting tips.
There is also additional support from organisations such as Overeaters Anonymous and TOPS, if you consider yourself as being heavily overweight or having obesity.
Whatever you decide, your choice must be a comfortable fit with your value base and your personal style.
Here are some additional important questions you'll want to journal and
give your undivided attention to:
Self-questioning to increase
motivation
What would achieving my weight loss and exercise goal mean to me?
What aspiration or expectation would it fulfill?
What sort of person would achiving my loss weight goal make me?
How else would my weightloss and exercise goal benefit me?
What is currently preventing me from achieving my weightloss goal?
What else might stop me from achieving my exercise and weightloss?
What barriers might I encounter on my way to achieving my goal?
If I could have my weightloss goal right now, would I take it?
Did you pause or hesitate on the last question? If so, perhaps you'll
want to journal the possible reasons for your hesitation. Could it be that you're not really ready? Are you pursuing this goal for you
and you alone, rather than for someone else's benefit? When you're able to answer these questions with total honesty and clarity,
you'll find that your motivation toward your exercise and weight loss
goal will be intact.
You're now ready to move on to the Action stage of your weight loss and exercise goal. This is where you stop thinking
about it and start doing it.
To do so, you'll need to break down your bigger 'weight loss and exercise' goal into smaller achievable steps. For example, 'I will exercise and lose weight'
(which is the bigger goal), becomes 'I am going to research via the
Internet, a good weightloss and exercise book'.
Here's another example: 'I am going to research fully the three best online weight loss diet programs'. When are you going to do this? Today!
Ongoing, sustained yet small actions will without doubt feed your motivation toward your weight loss and exercise goal. But, you must engage in a dialogue with yourself about your goal and how best to achieve it.
Here are examples of how this dialogue could run. Remember, - use your journal to record your questions and answers.
What can I now do toward achieving my weightloss and exercise goal?
What one thing can I do this minute toward my weightloss motivation?
What other number of things can I do to get the ball rolling?
Now that you've identified that one, first thing, draw up an action plan to clearly state that mini goal, when you're going to do it and what exactly you're going to do.
You'll find all the resources you need, including health goal forms and worksheets to set your weight loss and exercise goal here. You might also want to consult this guidance on healthy
weightloss diet and exercise and this weightloss goal example too.
Self help: motivation techniques
and tips
Once you've achieved your first small step (your mini goal) toward your bigger weight loss and exercise goal, your motivation will soar.
You'll have worked toward that outcome and you'll be delighted with
your results. Simply continue with the actions you identified in your journaling exercise questions and answers, using these to set yourself further mini goals.
For example, once you have researched information on your weight loss and exercise goal, you will now want to select one two or three different weightloss
exercises you can do throughout the week.
For instance, is the
gym for you? Could you consult with the personal trainer?
Are you going to walk every day to work? Are you going to swim
3 times per week as well as jogging twice weekly? Whatever you
decide, remember - its got to fit.
When you're in tune with your personal values, you'll be adept
at using self-motivation techniques to achieve your goals. Here are some self motivation tips which are very effective and will inspire you no end. I have used these techniques to motivate myself in similar ways.
Do use your own creativity to find
self motivation techniques that suit you. In the meantime, here are some Weightloss Exercise Goal Tips, in addition to those below:
Don't be a slave to your weighing scale but do weigh yourself
at the start of your weight loss and exercise goal and note your weight in your journal. Thereafter, you can do this weekly. Do not lose heart if one week there's no budge. This
is quite normal. Just as you might find you lose more than you
expected in another week. Either way, it'll motivate you even further
Similarly, you can also take your measurements, particularly of those stubborn areas you want to wittle down. Don't be measuring too often - every couple of weeks or so will do.
Seeing improvements is progress and will give your motivation a much added boost
Find a photo of yourself - which in your opinion, is the least flattering. Paste it into your weight loss and exercise
journal page, where you can clearly see it every time you visit your journal (daily I trust). It will serve as a powerful reminder of the alternative shape and size you now want to bring into your life
Positive visualisation is one of the most powerful self-
help techniques for maintaining your motivation. If you don't believe me, just think about the last time you saw
that 'must have' dress. Did it not occupy your thoughts day and night - and did you not work yourself up into a frenzy just thinking about where you were going to wear it, what accessories you were going to team it with or even how you were going to style your hair etc., Trust me you were visualising and you know what - I bet you ended up getting it even if you couldn't afford it at the time.
Do the same with your loss weight goal and especially first thing in the morning and last thing at night - just before you go off to sleep. Your subconscious will be busy working away to help you materialise your weightloss goal.
keep raising the bar. Once you've achieved your weight loss and exercise goal, don't just leave it at that!
Set yourself further goals to maintain your weight loss
and/or expand on your goal further by committing yourself
to a healthy eating plan
Do remember to plan a small reward for yourself, on attaining each milestone - e.g. a small weekly treat to say 'well done'. Do lavish praise on yourself for every successful stage you complete - this is very important for
making you feel 'you matter'
These are but a few of the numerous ways you can work on your self-motivation and keep up the momentum toward your weight loss and exercise goal. Sure, you'll encounter challenges along the way - learn how to manage barriers and blocks. But deal with them you must. Don't
simply see them as 'problems', because this mindset will lead you to making excuses for not pursuing your weight loss and exercise goal.
"Nothing is more powerful for your future than being a gatherer of good ideas and information. That's
called doing your homework".
Resources:
You'll find further guidance on how to write your goal at personal goal setting. Just click on all the links for some really useful information
on all aspect of setting your weight loss and exercise goal.
Your weight loss and exercise will undoubtedly include a secondary weight loss diet goal. You'll find further information on this, at:
goal setting your healthy eating plan
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