What motivates you to lose weight?

 

The most critical element of weight loss is your own personal drive to succeed.

 Odds are, you already have a pretty good idea of what you need to do to lose weight — eat less and move more. That’s the basic equation of weight loss. But if you’re using this website, you probably haven’t done it successfully. Why?

You may not have found the necessary motivation.
Knowing the how-to, eat-this/don’t-eat-that of weight loss is certainly important — and this site will help you with that. But to be successful at losing weight, you need to figure out what will give you an ongoing, burning desire to succeed. The best motivators come from within. How do you unlock your inner motivation?
Start by asking yourself this: “Why do I want to lose weight?” There may be several reasons. Improved health. More energy. An upcoming beach vacation. Whatever. Make a list of what’s important to you. Then under each item, write down specific reasons why it matters.
For example, let’s say your top reason for losing weight is that you have a high school reunion coming up. (OK, maybe that’s not as important as improving your health, but big life events can be great motivators.) Under that, write why exactly you want to lose weight and what you plan to do to succeed. There are no wrong answers here — it’s what matters to you.
Make a record of all the benefits of losing weight and staying fit. Keep that list of motivators in front of you, especially at moments of decision (do I really want that candy bar?). It’s a great way to find the strength to get through challenging moments.