With all the craziness in the world, losing weight and staying fit can be one of the last things that you feel motivated to do.
You’re not alone!
The hardest part of losing weight isn’t eating right or working out, it’s the actual motivation to lose weight that contributes to successful weight loss.
Here are some easy tips I’ve gathered to boost your motivation to lose weight – you’ll be back to looking and feeling like your best self in no time!
Now, one of the most important steps to increasing your motivation to lose weight is to cultivate intrinsic motivation.
What is intrinsic motivation?
Most people get the motivation to lose weight because of attractive celebrities they see plastered on television or to get those Insta-worthy shots next time they’re at the beach.
These would be sources of extrinsic motivation.
Extrinsic motivation is when you are motivated by external factors outside of yourself.
However, intrinsic motivation is when you are motivated by yourself internally.
Intrinsic motivation is the little voice inside your head urging you to keep on growing into a better version of yourself, regardless of what kind of journey everyone else is on.
Intrinsic motivation is so key in losing weight because it’ll encourage you to continue healthy habits for the long run, not just temporarily!
Intrinsic motivation pushes you to be your best self, for YOURself. To motivate myself to work out, I focus on health rather than looks.
How to cultivate intrinsic motivation to lose weight
The first step to creating this powerful intrinsic motivation to lose weight is being honest with yourself.
Take some time to reflect on what are the reasons why you want to lose weight in the first place.
- Is it to feel better, stronger, healthier?
- To start cooking more meals at home instead of eating out?
- Do you want to focus on more mindful eating and living?
Any of these reasons are valid, as long as these reasons for losing weight come from you and no one else.
If you’re only trying to lose weight because of extrinsic motivation (like the pressure from seeing everyone with their summer bodies on Instagram), then your journey to losing weight will be short-lived and full of comparison.
Instead, your weight loss journey should be filled with lots of love and compassion as these are important factors of healthy motivation to lose weight.
Support yourself.
Physically hug yourself.
Cheer up for yourself!
3 Ways To Boost Your Motivation to Lose Weight
1. Set Realistic Expectations
Being compassionate towards yourself means setting realistic expectations.
Unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle can’t be changed overnight, and they shouldn’t be expected to.
If you create unattainable expectations, you’ll only set yourself up for failure and lose even more motivation to lose weight.
Instead, break down your goal into baby steps.
Instead of trying to commit to working out every morning at 7 am, when you’ve never been an early bird at all, try aiming to work out 3-5 days a week.
This is much more realistic and doable.
A large part of why people lose motivation to lose weight is because their end goal seems so out of reach.
Setting small, realistic expectations helps make that goal seem even more like reality.
2. Write Down Your Weight Loss Goals
An important part of maintaining your motivation to lose weight is remaining focused.
It’s easy to lose sight of the big picture and get caught up in the day-to-day hustle.
Try writing down your goals!
In a weekly or daily planner, write down affirmations or goals that you want to achieve. (I jot down my healthy-eating notes in my Wellness Planner.)
Some affirmations that boost your motivation to lose weight can be, “I crave foods that nourish my body”, “I can do anything I set my mind to”, and “I love and respect my body”.
Even though they’re just words, affirmations and constant thought processes can increase your motivation to lose weight, while keeping you in a positive state of mind during your weight loss journey.
Writing down these goals and affirmations also gives you something tangible to look back on and remind yourself of when you’re especially being challenged.
3. Help Yourself To Stay Committed
Remaining consistent and committed goes hand in hand with focus and constant motivation to lose weight.
It doesn’t do your body any justice if you’re healthy one day but veer off track the next three days.
Remain committed by celebrating every small step you take.
Congratulate yourself on your simple meal switches, your extra walk in the morning, or on not grabbing seconds during dessert.
Recognizing your step-by-step successes helps keep you consistent for the rest of your journey.
If you’re constantly talking down to yourself, you’ll never be able to stay committed to your goals.
A month of daily practice gets most habits going, and research suggests it takes around 66 days on average to really solidify one.
Remind yourself that you’re in for the long run, and return back to those original intentions you set for yourself.
Final Thoughts
All in all, everyone’s carrying a little extra weight right now.
Whether it’s the weight of the world or extra weight around the hips, it’s all manageable and part of the human experience.
Your motivation to lose weight can dramatically increase with just a little shift in perspective and commitment to yourself.
At the end of the day, a few extra pounds never seriously hurt anyone.
But lack of self-love and compassion does.
Like these tips for motivation to lose weight?
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