| Introduction | | | | properly - big deal! I can easily do this if I put my |
| If there is one thing that all dietitians and obesity | | | | mind to it. Heck! Eating good food isn't difficult. |
| experts agree on, it is that personal motivation is | | | | What's difficult is seeing myself being overweight |
| the foundation of all weight loss success. No | | | | for the rest of my life. I want something better. |
| matter how healthy the diet-plan, or what | | | | Something a lot better than a fistful of nachos or |
| combination of calories and nutrition it contains, it | | | | a dollop of fatty dessert."Example 2 |
| won't help anyone lose weight unless they follow | | | | "Hmm, my diet isn't going so good. So let me |
| it for long enough. Their willingness to do so | | | | remind myself why I'm dieting. All my life I've |
| depends entirely on how motivated they are to | | | | been eating to please other people. My mom said |
| change their eating and exercise habits in order to | | | | "eat this", so I ate it. My school friends said "have |
| achieve their weight loss goals.Motivation Advice | | | | some of this", so I had lots. My work colleagues |
| Hard To Find | | | | now say "have a slice of this", so I have two! And |
| The Internet offers a bewildering array of diets | | | | my kids say "you must try this", so I try it. And |
| and weight loss eating plans, but advice on | | | | every time I make an effort to lose weight, |
| motivation when dieting is in extremely short | | | | everyone says "forget about your diet, eat some |
| supply. Given the strong link between | | | | of this" so I do. Well that's enough! No more |
| diet-compliance and motivation, this lack of | | | | eating to please other people. Today I'm going to |
| motivational help is surprising to say the least. It | | | | start eating to please me. And what pleases me |
| may stem from the fact that many diets are | | | | is the idea of wearing a size (?) dress to my |
| created by people who lack hands-on experience | | | | daughter's wedding (or other very selfish goal). I |
| of helping people to manage their weight. Perhaps | | | | realise I need to eat properly, but this is a |
| they see weight loss as a biological rather than a | | | | ridiculously tiny price to pay for achieving my goal. |
| human process. If so, I think it's a | | | | Heck! Eating good food isn't difficult. What's difficult |
| mistake.Motivating Yourself To Lose Weight | | | | is carrying my excess weight around all day. I |
| I tell all my clients that starting a weight loss diet | | | | want something better. Something a lot better |
| is like starting a journey. And like any journey it | | | | than a 4-cheese pizza or a box of |
| requires preparation. We need to look ahead and | | | | cookies."Example 3 |
| plan how to overcome problems that occur along | | | | "Hmm, my diet isn't going as smoothly as I |
| the way. By doing this we take control of the | | | | thought it would. Never mind, I'm sure this is quite |
| process and greatly increase our chances of | | | | normal. I can't expect to change my regular |
| success.Unfortunately, many dieters don't plan | | | | eating habits without a few hiccups along the way. |
| ahead. Instead, they take things as they come, | | | | Besides, I'm looking for more than the few |
| and rely upon two things: their initial enthusiasm, | | | | minutes of pleasure I get from filling my stomach |
| and (when this wears off) their willpower. But | | | | with junk. I want a lifetime of pleasure - real |
| enthusiasm and willpower aren't enough to | | | | pleasure from looking good and being taken |
| overcome the temptations and difficulties which | | | | seriously and who knows, maybe finding a great |
| we face when we try to change our eating habits | | | | partner. I know other people see me as a fat |
| and lifestyle.Stop for a moment and imagine | | | | person - goodness, at times I do too! - but this is |
| taking your family on a camping trip. Do you rely | | | | exactly WHY I want to change. I'm tired of being |
| on your enthusiasm and willpower for food and | | | | fat. Real tired. And if this means learning how to |
| shelter? Of course not. In all probability you spend | | | | eat good food, then let's do it! And when it gets |
| hours beforehand carefully packing and preparing | | | | tough I'm going to login to Anne Collins forum and |
| for every eventuality, and the whole trip is | | | | get help. All I know is, I want to make it |
| carefully planned out in advance.Yet when you | | | | happen!"Example 4 |
| start a diet-journey, many of you set off without | | | | "Hmm, my diet isn't going as smoothly as I |
| any kind of planning or preparation. It's as if you | | | | thought it would. This morning I watched my |
| are convinced that everything will go smoothly. | | | | colleagues eat a whole birthday cake - it looked |
| But let's face it, what diet ever runs smoothly? | | | | delicious - and I sat there feeling miserable and |
| Answer: none! So what happens when we | | | | deprived. Then I went for lunch with a friend and |
| encounter a big problem? Answer: we wobble, | | | | chose a tuna salad while she ate half a pizza |
| and often quit.We Need To Plan New Thinking | | | | followed by two slices of cheesecake. It was |
| Habits | | | | torture! But then I started thinking to myself |
| Planning a diet-journey doesn't involve packing | | | | "what's more important - a few slices of |
| equipment, it involves packing "new thoughts". We | | | | cheesecake, or a really lean shape?" And I |
| need to rehearse and adopt new ways of thinking | | | | decided that looking good was what I really |
| in order to overcome problems during our | | | | wanted. I know that it's not going to happen |
| journey. This isn't psycho-babble - this is plain | | | | overnight, but if I can persevere and learn good |
| common sense. After all, successful dieting is | | | | eating habits along the way, I know I'm gonna |
| largely a matter of motivation and attitude. It's | | | | make it..."Example 5 |
| about what goes on between our ears!The Most | | | | "Hmm, my diet isn't going as smoothly as I |
| Common Dieting Problem | | | | thought it would. But at least it's not a race. So |
| The most common problem we face when | | | | who cares if I have a few wobbly moments, as |
| dieting is boredom. This typically occurs when our | | | | long as I get where I want to go. At 26 I'm in the |
| initial enthusiasm for losing weight wears off, and | | | | prime of my life, and I want to make the most |
| we become tired of watching what we eat. We | | | | of it. I'm tired of my slim friends getting all the |
| become dispirited, and slightly depressed at the | | | | best guys. I want to turn a few heads myself. I |
| idea of having to maintain our "sensible eating | | | | want the attention and I want to be taken |
| habits" while everyone else seems to be having a | | | | seriously, and if I have to spend 12 months dieting |
| good time.Losing Direction Leads To Boredom | | | | - heck! I'm gonna do it. Last week I saw a friend |
| We get bored when we lose our sense of | | | | of mine in hospital who lost a leg in a car crash. |
| direction. So to overcome it, we need to | | | | The doctors say it's going to take her 12 months |
| reestablish exactly where we are going. | | | | to relearn how to walk. Now that is tough. By |
| Remember, dieting is not an aimless process, it's a | | | | comparison, my journey is easy. And as long as I |
| journey from A to B. Here's how we think when | | | | keep reminding myself of this, I'll be fine."Points |
| we lose direction:"I'm really bored with dieting, it's | | | | To Remember |
| such a pain. I don't have any freedom any more. I | | | | 1. A diet is a journey from A to B. |
| can't eat this, I can't eat that... I'm fed up. I can't | | | | 2. Feeling bored is a sign we are losing our |
| share food with the girls at work, I can't eat at | | | | direction. |
| my favorite restaurants, I have to keep saying | | | | 3. When we lose direction we need to regain it, |
| No to food when I visit friends, I have to watch | | | | fast! |
| my family eating in front of me, I don't have time | | | | 4. The way to regain direction is to remind |
| to exercise properly, I'm never going to lose | | | | yourself why you are dieting. |
| weight and I'm feeling really miserable. Heck! Life is | | | | 5. You are dieting because you want something |
| too short for this..."This kind of thinking is totally | | | | better than a plate of fattening food.Getting Help |
| demotivating. It focuses exclusively on the | | | | To Lose Weight |
| negative aspects of dieting and signals complete | | | | Changing our eating habits is much easier when |
| aimlessness. No weight loss goal is achievable | | | | we get support from other people. So make sure |
| when we think like this.A Better Way of Thinking | | | | your online weight management plan includes |
| Now let me show you some better alternatives. | | | | membership of a forum. Because only people can |
| Please compare them with the above | | | | offer you the sort of encouragement you need |
| example.Example 1 | | | | to achieve your personal weight loss goals.Anne |
| "Hmm, my diet isn't going so good. But I'm not | | | | Collins, 54, is a qualified nutritionist and full time |
| going to make excuses. I've wasted enough time | | | | weight management consultant with over 23 |
| making excuses to myself. From now on, no | | | | years experience. Her clients range from top |
| matter what happens, I'm going to be honest with | | | | celebrities to ordinary people of every age and |
| myself. So what do I want? I want to lose weight | | | | shape. Her website, attracts 9 million unique |
| and get myself into shape. Why? Because I really | | | | visitors per annum, and her weight loss forum is |
| want that beach holiday (or other very selfish | | | | one of the most active support centers on the |
| goal) which I promised myself. I want it so bad I | | | | Internet. |
| can touch it! Okay, so I need to learn how to eat | | | | |