One of the most frequently asked question I get is, ‘Shelter, you seem so
motivated, how do you do it’? I have been reflecting on this and felt it would
be appropriate to share with everyone how I got motivated and stay motivated.
Let me start by telling you that motivation did not wrestle me to the ground and
beg me to take it. It wasn’t always easy. Like many of you, in the beginning I
often battled with lack of motivation to get started or keep going on my journey
towards weight loss.
The following is a list of some of the reasons why I struggled with motivation;
1. Lack of belief
I would look at myself and did not believe I could truly lose the weight. I felt like it was pointless to even try and had a tough time imagining myself being slimmer.
2. Too much effort
I felt like it was going to require too much effort for me to lose weight. That I would have to give up too much and take on this whole new way of life that I knew nothing about.
3. Tried and failed
I had tried to lose weight several times and had never really succeeded. And in some ways I had developed a defeatist attitude.
4. Not knowing what to do
When I would sit and decide that I wanted to lose weight there was so much conflicting information that I never really knew what to believe or what to do to get started.
5. Feeling embarrassed to talk about it
I wanted to ask for help or ask for advice but felt embarrassed to admit that I didn’t like the way I looked and felt. I felt embarrassed to admit that I needed help and I felt embarrassed admitting that I didn’t know certain information and needed help to understand it. I felt embarrassed to admit that I didn’t have enough self-control and discipline to make the changes I needed.
6. Couldn’t afford it
I felt like I couldn’t afford to buy healthy food and instead opted for processed food because it seemed cheaper.
7. Eat what I enjoy
I wanted to continue eating EVERYTHING I enjoyed eating unencumbered. I didn’t have the discipline or the motivation to say, ‘This food is making me fat, and I need to stop eating it’.
HOWEVER, I reached a place where I wanted to make the change and decided to lose weight because I wanted to go down a few dress sizes so that I could shop at my favorite retailer. This was the goal that motivated me to make changes. I discovered that setting a goal was a key part of motivation. In all my attempts to lose weight in the past, I had failed because I did not have a goal. Everyone wants to lose weight, to be healthy and to be attractive but if you don’t have a goal or something that you are passionate about you will always struggle with getting started and staying focused.
Setting personal goals such as getting into a specific dress size, getting ready for a sporting event such as a 5k or 10k, going to a family reunion or high school reunion, your wedding, preparing for a photo shoot or just being alive long enough to watch your kids grow is what will get you motivated. It has to be something important to you, something near and dear to you, something you get emotional about when you think about it. Note that goals are going to change throughout your life and that is important to recognize so that you continually set goals and that will help you continue on your weight loss journey. Goals
help you set the steps to achieve your goal and hold yourself accountable. Watch this space for my next topic on how to set S.M.A.R.T Goals.
What is preventing you from getting started on your weight loss journey? If there was a way to overcome that specific obstacle would you start on your journey right away?
motivated, how do you do it’? I have been reflecting on this and felt it would
be appropriate to share with everyone how I got motivated and stay motivated.
Let me start by telling you that motivation did not wrestle me to the ground and
beg me to take it. It wasn’t always easy. Like many of you, in the beginning I
often battled with lack of motivation to get started or keep going on my journey
towards weight loss.
The following is a list of some of the reasons why I struggled with motivation;
1. Lack of belief
I would look at myself and did not believe I could truly lose the weight. I felt like it was pointless to even try and had a tough time imagining myself being slimmer.
2. Too much effort
I felt like it was going to require too much effort for me to lose weight. That I would have to give up too much and take on this whole new way of life that I knew nothing about.
3. Tried and failed
I had tried to lose weight several times and had never really succeeded. And in some ways I had developed a defeatist attitude.
4. Not knowing what to do
When I would sit and decide that I wanted to lose weight there was so much conflicting information that I never really knew what to believe or what to do to get started.
5. Feeling embarrassed to talk about it
I wanted to ask for help or ask for advice but felt embarrassed to admit that I didn’t like the way I looked and felt. I felt embarrassed to admit that I needed help and I felt embarrassed admitting that I didn’t know certain information and needed help to understand it. I felt embarrassed to admit that I didn’t have enough self-control and discipline to make the changes I needed.
6. Couldn’t afford it
I felt like I couldn’t afford to buy healthy food and instead opted for processed food because it seemed cheaper.
7. Eat what I enjoy
I wanted to continue eating EVERYTHING I enjoyed eating unencumbered. I didn’t have the discipline or the motivation to say, ‘This food is making me fat, and I need to stop eating it’.
HOWEVER, I reached a place where I wanted to make the change and decided to lose weight because I wanted to go down a few dress sizes so that I could shop at my favorite retailer. This was the goal that motivated me to make changes. I discovered that setting a goal was a key part of motivation. In all my attempts to lose weight in the past, I had failed because I did not have a goal. Everyone wants to lose weight, to be healthy and to be attractive but if you don’t have a goal or something that you are passionate about you will always struggle with getting started and staying focused.
Setting personal goals such as getting into a specific dress size, getting ready for a sporting event such as a 5k or 10k, going to a family reunion or high school reunion, your wedding, preparing for a photo shoot or just being alive long enough to watch your kids grow is what will get you motivated. It has to be something important to you, something near and dear to you, something you get emotional about when you think about it. Note that goals are going to change throughout your life and that is important to recognize so that you continually set goals and that will help you continue on your weight loss journey. Goals
help you set the steps to achieve your goal and hold yourself accountable. Watch this space for my next topic on how to set S.M.A.R.T Goals.
What is preventing you from getting started on your weight loss journey? If there was a way to overcome that specific obstacle would you start on your journey right away?
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