Setting goals for weight loss. How to motivate yourself?

In people management practice in big companies it’s said that a goal should be: a) clearly defined, b) possible to achieve, c) measurable, d) meaningful, e) defined in time. It’s the same with losing weight.

It’s worth adding that it’s better when the goal is positive and achieving it fully depends on ourselves. It’s good to determine first steps, just at the very beginning, before you start achieving your goal. All of this sounds very simple in theory...

But if it’s so uncomplicated, how is it possible that we’re setting goals that we can’t achieve? And finally - how to determine the goal in order to succeed in losing weight?

In my therapeutic work I often meet people who want to lose weight so much. Some of them work really hard on their bodies and health. They don’t stop trying to adapt to nutritionists and personal trainers guidelines. They put a lot of energy into facing the challenge and achieving the look they dreamed of. These people are often very stressed and dissatisfied with themselves, they want to stop being who they are as soon as possible and become the person they dreamed of. Such attitude, paradoxically, can delay or even sabotage the process of weight loss.

What can help?

Looking carefully at what motivates you and what won’t let you give up on your goal. Understanding if you are motivated ‘from’ or ‘to’. Motivation ‘from’ is characterized by the will to escape from what is a part of your life - dissatisfaction, anger, embarrassment, appearance which you don’t like. Motivation ‘to’ concerns your aspirations, success, contentment and satisfaction.

It’s time for changing the perspective!

The most important is to define your goal differently. How? For example: ‘I don’t want to think about myself badly, criticize myself and always be dissatisfied with my behavior. I want to be polite to myself and support myself in what I’m doing’. Are you able to support others when they need that? So offer yourself the same kind of support. Stop looking at yourself with endless criticism and anger. In spite of motivating by losing 5, 10 or 15 kilograms, you should imagine yourself as a person who can think well about yourself and who can be happy with who you are. Will you give it a try?

*This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment.