How to Get Motivated to Lose Weight

Intrinsic motivation is what we call the drive or instinctive part of us that says "yes" to everything. This can be very hard to suppress. It can also be very easy to give up on intrinsic motivation to lose weight, as this is the kind of motivation that comes up whenever you are faced with resisting temptation. This is not the kind of motivation that will keep you going when times get tough and you find yourself saying "it's not worth it".

So how do you lose motivation to lose weight in a world full of short-termism and self-centered attitudes? What kinds of strategies might work? First and foremost, intrinsic motivation needs to come from within. When your entire world says "no", your will feel like it should say "yes".

Here's another good way to boost your intrinsic motivation to lose weight. The best research suggests that people become more committed when they have clear goals to work towards. It makes sense that if you are working towards a set goal, that it will make life easier for you. It becomes a lot easier to keep focused on your short-term and long-term goals if you know exactly what you are working towards. In this case, your short-term goal is losing five pounds and you want to achieve this in the next three weeks. A solid foundation is what you need to succeed.

Another strategy for boosting your intrinsic motivation to lose weight is to connect the diet plan to some sort of prize. Prizes work well because they instill confidence in your ability to be successful. If you are working on an extrinsic motivation to lose weight goal, such as being able to purchase a new wardrobe, then the prizes should be small enough to motivate you but large enough to be worth the effort. Something nice, such as free tickets to the theater or dinner with a favorite friend, can make the reward more significant.

Intrinsic motivation to lose weight works best when you are having trouble getting started with your weight loss journey, such as when you feel overwhelmed by various dietary components or the multitude of options available to you. The best solution to this dilemma is to focus on one weight loss aspect and stick with it. Even if it seems like the weight is piling up, taking one course and continuing is often enough to start seeing real results. If not, then perhaps eating healthy and exercising a little more is the right answer.

Intrinsic motivation to lose weight is all about believing in yourself. When you don't truly believe that you can do something, it just becomes another chore rather than something that motivates you to take action. If you approach dieting as a form of self-evaluation, then you won't be motivated to alter your behavior or the things you do. People who have intrinsic motivation usually know exactly what they want to accomplish and are persistent in their efforts no matter how long it takes.

Intrinsic motivation to lose weight can occur when you are facing some difficulties with your diet plan. Sometimes a little sacrifice will get you over the hurdle and help you continue along your journey. When you are making changes to your diet, remember that each time you are successful, you become better at it, too. Over time, the small victories will add up to big successes and you'll find that the journey itself is much more rewarding than the destination.

When you're motivated to lose weight, eating healthy is always the first step. Healthy eating is an intrinsic motivator and should be a primary focus as you make dietary changes. This will provide an ongoing source of motivation to maintain your new diet. Your motivation to lose weight can come from within and it can also come from some external sources, such as the results you see from your weight loss meal plans. The choice is yours.