Finding the motivation to stick with a weight loss regimen is one of the most important aspects of losing weight. If exercise and eating right if the engine – then motivation is the fuel that makes the engine run. Motivation is the difference maker between the person that meets their goals and the one who does not.
To find out how to tap into motivation we first have to analyze what it is. Motivation is defined as, “The reason for action – the substance that moves someone towards a specific goal.”
That definition reveals a lot about motivation. It reveals that motivation is activated by a reason. It also shows us that motivation works when there is a goal. Before we dissect the rest of the definition let’s take a closer look at motivation in action.
Wilma Rudolph was born June 23, 1940. She was greeted by a mother, father, and 19 siblings! Her mother went on to give birth to two other children. Wilma’s mother was a maid and her dad worked at the railroad. Wilma was born with severe health problems. She suffered from infantile paralysis, and was told she would never walk again by doctors.
By the time Wilma had reached her 12th birthday she has overcome serious health issues such as scarlet fever, chicken pox, whooping cough, and measles. All of this in addition to the fact she was not able to walk.
Her parents were poor and the family could barely make ends meet. They had no resources, no education, no money, and lived during a difficult time for African Americans to get ahead because of substandard treatment.
Wilma went on to win three gold medals at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, Italy. She became the fastest woman in the world. So how was Wilma, a poor girl from Tennessee born with a physical handicap, able to overcome insurmountable odds and win gold? The answer is motivation!
Motivation can be internal or external. The great thing about motivation is that it has nothing to do with ability, intelligence, or God given talent. That means anyone who is trying to lose weight can increase their motivation to meet their weight loss goals.
Wilma was able to overcome such great obstacles because she wanted to do the same things she saw her brothers and sisters do. She wanted to be able to run down the sidewalk with the breeze in her hair without the hindrance of braces on her legs.
Many dieters make the mistake of pinning their success on a great diet, the right gym equipment, their athletic ability, or their socio economic status. If those factors were the answer, then every athletic and well-off person would be at their ideal weight – and we certainly know that is not the case.
The difference maker is motivation. A study done by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that participants who were motivated lost more weight than their non-motivated peers when all other factors were equal.
The beauty of motivation is that you don’t have to be the smartest, most knowledgeable about weight loss, or the richest to experience an increase in motivation. You might be saying to yourself, “I’ve never been motivated to do anything in my life!” If you’ve ever overcome some resistance to obtain something you wanted then you experienced motivation.
So that begs the question, “How can I get motivated to lose weight?” Take a look at the following quote by Wilma Rudolph, “The doctor said to me I would never walk. My mom said I would. I believed my mom.” That shows that people are more motivated by positivity rather than negativity. There are times when we need a kick in the pants to motivate us, but for the most part, we need to be encouraged.
A study done by the University of Rochester showed that motivation hinges on two main factors:
• Perceived competence or ability
• Understanding the reason behind activity
That means people can increase their weight loss motivation by believing they have the capacity to do it, and having a clear understanding of why weight loss should occur. The study showed that there were greater increases in motivation when positive feedback was received. That means you should not be so hard on yourself, believe you can do it, and have a clear reason to lose weight. That’s the secret of motivation and weight loss. Good luck!
