If you're like quite a few other people, you are ready to lose weight but just can't get motivated. Whether you want to lose weight for aesthetic purposes, to feel better about yourself and your lifestyle, or for health reasons, you have the right reasons in place. The only thing missing is the motivation.
So, how do you start a diet and stick to it? How can you start an exercise regimen that you know will work? Setting your weight loss goals is only half of the battle.
Actually getting started is another. If you want to start losing weight but simply can't find the willpower to diet and exercise, then these tips might help.
Intrinsic vs Extrinsic MotivationÂ
Did you know that there are two different types of motivation? One is intrinsic, while the other is extrinsic. If you truly want to lose weight and just need the right catalyst to do so, then you'll need to understand both so that you know where your motivation comes from.
Intrinsic Motivation
Have you ever started a project and been so excited about what you'll learn and accomplish that you can't stop working on it? You look forward to doing that research or updating that information to the point that you think about it all the time.
This is intrinsic motivation. It comes from within and pops up when you have a challenge in front of you that you really want to overcome. You have internal inspiration to stick with your weight loss plan.
Dieting with intrinsic motivation will keep you on track. You'll look forward to your regular physical activity and putting together meal plans. Every pound lost or muscle gained will feel like a huge accomplishment because you really want to meet that goal.
How can you get intrinsically motivated? You need to be confident and determined. Setting your own long-term goals and putting your diet plan together will help.
In addition, consider learning a new type of workout, such as Zumba, or start taking karate lessons. Something interesting will definitely keep you in the right mindset. It also helps to focus on your overall health, rather than specifically your weight—this trick can be very helpful.
Extrinsic MotivationÂ
On the other hand, extrinsic motivation comes from outside of you. A health professional telling you that you need to lose weight "or else" is one example, and seeing a personal trainer on social media that you want to look like is another. In order to avoid all of the health complications that your doctor states you're heading towards, you need to begin dieting and exercising right now.
Another example is an extreme diet. You want to lose weight, so you get sucked down a rabbit hole of a weight loss program that cuts out certain food groups or drastically reduces your food intake and decide that it's the holy grail that you need to finally lose weight.
The problem with extrinsic motivation is that it doesn't last beyond the short term. You might start dieting and going to the gym, but eventually, you'll give up and return to your unhealthy habits. Since the motivation doesn't come from within, and it doesn't satisfy your own curiosity or help you meet your own goals. The results won't stick, and you might lose a bit of weight, only to have future weight gain.
In order to truly find the motivation to diet, you need intrinsic, internal motivation.
Other Ways To Get Motivated To Lose WeightÂ
On top of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, there are plenty of other ways to get motivated to lose weight. Consider doing one or more of these suggestions in order to start your diet and stick to it. All have been proven to help with weight loss success, so they might just work for you as well.
Plan To Diet and Work Out With a FriendÂ
Everything's better when you have a friend to lean on. Whether you both follow the same diet and exercise regimen or have set individual goals and have separate plans in place, you'll be more likely to finally get motivated to diet and exercise when you have a friend by your side. Plus, you have someone to commiserate with when you've been through a particularly grueling workout or are having a hard time following your diet.
As long as you don't compete against each other (unless you're motivated by competition), your motivation will be kicked into gear when you do it alongside a friend. The social support can be really helpful in combatting a lack of motivation.
Practice Realistic Goal SettingÂ
Dieting can be hard, even when you put together your meal plan on your own. However, when you're too tough on yourself, you may feel as though you just can't get motivated to diet in the first place.
Instead of setting specific goals, like losing two pounds a week or working out every single day for half an hour, keep them general. For example, stating that you're going to lose weight each week without setting a certain amount prevents you from feeling as though you're under pressure. The more pressure that you feel (even from yourself), the less likely you'll be to actually start dieting in the first place. Plus, this way, minor setbacks won’t completely put you off your schedule—and you can reward yourself when you’ve reached a goal that’s not so high pressure.
Order Your Meals
If the thought of meal planning and counting calories intimidates you, then ordering your meals is one way to ensure that you follow a specific plan. Plus, if that's all of the food you have in the house, you're much less likely to cheat on your diet and eat junk food if you don’t have it hanging out in the fridge.
A meal service, like My Fit Foods, will send you complete meals that you just need to heat up. This makes following a diet and practicing portion control easy, which will motivate you to get started in the first place.
This can also help you avoid overeating when you come across certain triggers. For example, if you keep a food journal or food diary and find that you tend to cheat on your diet when you watch movies late at night, you’ll have a much harder time doing so without unhealthy snacks on hand to satisfy those cravings.
Use the SMART Goals System
While you need to have some goals in place to get and stay motivated, following a specific system to create realistic, achievable goals will help. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example, you need a specific goal, such as "I will eat 1,500 calories a day."
Just saying "I will follow a diet" is too general to help. Measurable goals, like only drinking one serving of soda a day or incorporating one healthy snack into your regular routine, instead of many, are another way to stay on track.
In addition, those goals that you set need to be attainable, as in realistic. No one will lose 50 pounds in a week in a healthy manner. It just isn't a realistic dieting goal.
As far as relevancy is concerned, every one of your goals set for your diet needs to actually be for your diet. You can't toss in a random goal, like taking the time to meditate daily, into your diet plan.
And finally, your goals need to be time-bound. If you want to get into shape for bikini season, then set a time limit of however long it takes from now until the first day that it's warm enough to go to the beach or pool. This will help keep you motivated and on track because you have a specific milestone to reach.
It’s Time To Just Do ItÂ
Stop waiting for the perfect day to begin your diet. If you keep saying, "I'll start it on Monday" or "I'll wait until the holidays are over, since the beginning of the year is ideal for a new start," then you'll just keep putting it off. There’s no time like the present to start adjusting your behavior.
Instead, follow Nike's slogan and just do it. Start today. No matter what you've eaten so far, you can still start your diet right this minute. You just need to think to yourself: no more procrastinating on those healthy habits. It's time to finally get started with the healthy lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of.
Sources:
Permanent Weight Loss Motivation: What It Takes | Psychology Today
16 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Lose Weight | Healthline
7 Ways to Stay Motivated on Your Weight Loss Journey | Insider