Because today's nutrition includes too much fat, too much sugar, and too many processed foods, more people are also worried about their weight and working on a weight loss program. Motivation to continue to lose weight often starts out in high gear and quickly goes downhill. People are often motivated many times in their lives to lose weight, but keeping the motivation seems to be the problem.
Psychologists understand that to maintain a high level of motivation you need positive feedback and a support mechanism. After an initial fast weight loss for most weight loss programs or supplements, people are often left tired, hungry and either at a plateau of weight loss or losing minimal amounts of weight each week. This decreases the level of motivation needed to maintain weight loss and the client is left high and dry. (1)
Weight loss success will be higher with both positive feedback and a strong support mechanism. Positive feedback comes from positive movement toward your goal. Your support person also can be a motivating force to keep you on track and help to keep your weight loss motivation high.
Failure happens when we diet. The definition of a diet is to deprive yourself of specific foods you believe keep your from losing weight. Those feelings of deprivation will lead to decreased weight loss motivation and ultimate failure. Diets have come to be associated with hunger, fatigue, and deprivation.
But you aren't alone! Many people are on that roller coaster.
Stop the cycle and fix the problem by first understanding that you are changing your eating habits for life and not developing a quick start diet. This is not a 'diet'. You are learning how to put your body into a burning mode as opposed to a starvation mode.
When your body feels deprived and starved your metabolism slows considerably and weight loss is close to impossible. This decreases your motivation and your positive feedback. You end up going back to eating the way you did before the 'diet' and your body will put on more weight than you had before the diet.
Learn what good eating habits are. Portions are really smaller than you might think. The amount of meat that is one portion is considerably smaller than the normal portions at a restaurant or fast food place. In fact, a serving size of beef is about the size of a deck of cards! By learning good eating habits and improving your rate of success you will also keep your weight loss motivation high.
Weight loss success depends greatly on weight loss motivation and your ability to maintain a high level of motivation to achieve the dietary changes necessary. It is up to you to focus on ways to improve your positive feedback and find a support mechanism that works for your personality.
