Losing weight can be tough but when we discover our why we can get through the tough times without quitting. Your why is the driving force in your weight loss.
I lost 100 lbs and everyone asks me how I did it. It was not about what how I did it, but why I committed to losing the weight.
We know how to lose weight but we don’t do it, or if you do lose the weight you gain it back. What is missing is your “Why” you want to lose the weight. You may have thought you had your why but if it is not strong enough you wont succeed. Why you are going to do it is the mental side and your body will always follow your mind.
When I work with my clients so many want to go right into asking “What should I eat” but what is most important is “Why you want to lose the weight”.
If you are like me you might start with “to be heathy”, ask yourself again “why”. Keep asking why until you uncover an emotion that you truly feel you’re missing in your life and it means everything to have it.
You why, that reason you want to lose weight is your core motivation because it will keep you on track when the challenges come up. That why of yours will propel you towards your goal.
Writing down your why each day is so powerful as well as having it written down and keeping it somewhere you can see daily. Maybe your why is “I want to look at pictures of myself and feel good”, just reading that sentence will keep you connected to staying on your plan.
It is not only about what it is that you want, you have to DECIDE what you want and COMMIT to it. When you know you have a compelling reason, you know that you are going to stay committed no matter what. It is not about “trying” anymore.
When you are fully committed to something you remove all the options because doing that will have you get though any times you feel you are struggling.
When you are losing weight and you have an unplanned event come up, you will have all these options in front of you. You could tell yourself “I could eat this just this once”, but if you have that very strong why you will be fully committed and focused on what you need to to to keep you from having it. Your why doesn’t take away cravings, but it does help you remember the decision you want to make in the moment that gets you closer to your goal, your why.
Being fully committed removes any other option no matter what, even if you’re truly justified. Telling yourself I am totally committed no matter what happens or comes up.
So in order for you to commit, your Why has to be compelling enough. It is not about wanting to do something but committing to doing it no matter what. Your commitment has to also be consistent. It drives you even when the desire wanes and doubts creep in.
Your commitment is that one thing that will keep you going! If you make a mistake by overeating that is not the time to give up. That is when it is time to get back to looking at your why and to commit even stronger. Remember that your Brains job is telling you to “seek pleasure, avoid pain and expend as least amount of effort as possible” So be prepared for this and hear yourself saying NO! You have to manage your mind!
The reason why most of us give into the options that come up is that it feels hard and you thought because you had your why it shouldn’t be that way so something must be wrong now. Nothing is wrong! First maybe your why is not powerful enough. If it is powerful enough, you have to continue mentally rehearsing your why at all times that you may feel that things are difficult or uncomfortable. You have to be willing to be uncomfortable.
