The most powerful secret you can ever be given when it comes to losing weight and actually keeping it off for good is right here: motivation goes hand-in-hand with commitment!
Motivation vs. Commitment
Having weight loss motivation simply means you have something in mind or physically in front of you that is driving you to take actions that lead toward weight loss. For example, if you were out for a jog and two snarling dogs started nipping at your heels you would be very motivated to run faster. The effect is no different than hanging a pair of size 8 jeans on your bedroom wall as a visual motivating tool that makes you want to skip dessert and hit the treadmill for an extra half hour.
Commitment to losing weight is something very different. Rather than looking to outward objects or focusing on things you would like to achieve in the future, you focus on your own strength and determination. A genuine commitment will mean that you cannot be detered from your goals. You exercise whether you want to or not, and you eat a bowl of fruit instead of the ice cream regardless how deprived you feel in the moment.
Have you settled in your mind that there are no other options – You have your goal and nothing is going to get in your way? That is commitment.
Without a steely commitment to achieving your goal your chances of keeping the weight off long term are very slim. You need a devotion to yourself in order to pull you through those challenging periods when motivation simply escapes you. Those moments will inevitably come at some point, and it is a solid commitment to your plan that will keep you on track, even if you are kicking and screaming all the way.
Motivation will return and stimulate you to keep to your goal but commitment is the boost that gets you through the hard moments.
The Weight Loss Motivation Boost
You have to count on having periods when things that usually motivated you just aren’t working for the time being. For instance, what happens when you get into those size 8 jeans? You will need a new motivating factor, right? The motivation that works today is not guaranteed to work tomorrow.
Commitment to your plan is the boost that will see you through these hard periods time after time. Every single day you must stick to your plan and do all of the things you have vowed to do in order to lose weight. This may mean going to the gym as planned but with the condition that you can leave 10 minutes earlier than usual. Once you get going with that workout, chances are high you won’t actually want to leave early! Just taking those actions as you committed will completely change your weight loss journey.
Essentially, commitment to weight loss equals out to day to day action. Just commit to doing something each day that will propel you closer to your weight loss goals. Some days you will feel the weight loss motivation in overdrive while other days you can feel like giving up. Commitment is there through it all!
Use all of your goals – such as losing thirty pounds, fitting into that smaller summer dress, or having more energy for your kids as motivation… but never lose sight of that weight loss commitment!
This article was written by Hannah Halls of Motivation To Lose Weight. For more tips, tools and resources for staying motivated to lose weight, visit Motivation To Lose Weight
