Lots of people believe that motivation is a magical quality and some people are blessed with it & some people are not. Well… Their this “belief” is absolutely wrong. There are a lot of easy techniques through which anyone can learn to get motivated to lose weight. By understanding how it works, one can assemble the building blocks one need to achieve weight loss success.
Today, we gonna share with you those things about motivation which nobody would have ever told you. And not being aware of these things can be the reason that you are of “belief” that “for motivation – only prayers work”.
Different Kinds of Motivation
For understanding motivation, it is very necessary to know that how many types of it are there. There are 2 kinds of motivation:
1):- Extrinsic motivation
2):- Intrinsic motivation
Extrinsic motivation is the inspiration which comes from an external source i.e from outside you. Consider a Physician tells you that you need to lose weight otherwise you will get diabetes or any other serious disease. Now here you are being externally motivated to get on diet to save yourself from – lets call it – (some) “death”. Most of rewards are also extrinsic sources. If you get on a diet in order to fit into a dress of smaller size, your motivation is extrinsic.
Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, comes from inside. Consider that you are exercising because of the sense of accomplishment which you gonna achieve at the end of the workout. Here your motivation is intrinsic. If you choose any healthy snack because it makes you feel much better about yourself, you’re internally or intrinsically motivated.
So, now the question is: Why are these different types of motivation important? Well.. Because you’ll come across extrinsic & intrinsic inspiration various times during your weight loss journey/experience. Understanding both of these forms will help you in equipping yourself with the tools which need for successful weight loss.
Use Extrinsic Motivation to Accomplish Short Term Goals
People usually begin exercise or weight loss program for external reasons: their clothes do not, or their doctor has told them that they need to lose weight, or their family & friends have put pressure on them to slim down or become skinny
These extrinsic factors are actually great.
When you get some outside pressure to lose weight, let it be a motivation for you to gather information. You may not be willing to get on a diet, but you can learn so much about weight loss plans & exercise programs. Look if there are small steps which you can take to improve your health before taking the plunge & committing to a full-scale weight-loss program. Ask physician of yours about how to make small changes to your diet and how this lifestyle will affect your health.
Extrinsic motivation can be so helpful when you need a gentle and just judge to achieve short-term goals. For example, you might know that workout / exercise is good for you, you may even know that you will feel better after doing it, but still on some days you might struggle to get to the gym. On such days, promise to yourself a healthy reward. Like: Set the DVR to record your any favorite show or pick up some bubble bath & reward yourself with some relaxing time in the tub after the workout is complete.
Foster Intrinsic Motivation to Achieve Long-Term Success
While external motivation may help you to overcome short-term challenges, the people who’re successful at weight loss are usually motivated by intrinsic factors. Eating & exercising well make them feel great. That is why they continue to practice and remain on healthy habits for the long term.
For external motivation, we need some “judge”. But for internal motivation… How to get it? The good news is that the most of people already have it. All you’ve to do is to find it, identify it & acknowledge it.
3 Steps to Foster Internal Motivation
1):- Set some short-term goals. Get yourself up for success by setting some very short-term achievable goals. Your long-term goal might be to lose 20 pounds, but a great short-term goal might be to eat a lean healthy breakfast every day during the week. If a weekly goal seems so broad, set a goal for just a day or even an hour. Instead of the high calorie soda, have water. Commit to cut your lunch in half & save that half for another hour (which can be in the same day) or another day.
2):- Keep a journal/diary. Write out your each and every goal in a journal. At the end of the day, write about the day’s success. Keep in your mind that just taking the time to write in your journal is healthy & is an accomplishment in itself. Use positive words which describe how you feel about your new activites & actions.
3):-Acknowledge success. Take time to review that how far you have come & give yourself credit. Review your journal/diary on a regular basis & take pride in every step you have taken to improve your health.
As you move through the process of this motivation (Foster Internal Motivation), you will find that your confidence will increase. When you start acknowledging the success of small accomplishments, it becomes very easy to believe that larger goals are not un-attainable. Youstart to believe in yourself & in your ability to change your health by bringing some changes in your weight.