How to increase your will to lose weight

Adhering to a specific weight loss diet can sometimes be impossible, due to a loss of motivation, or the presence of so many delicious, high-calorie foods in our surroundings, which makes us lose motivation to lose weight.

On the other hand, following some tips can enhance our will to lose weight, and the following is a set of these tips.

Why do you want to lose weight?

We need to clearly define our reasons for losing weight, and then write these goals down on a piece of paper to help us increase our will to lose weight.

Let's read these goals daily, and use them as a reminder when we feel like we're losing control of our drive to lose weight.

Your motivation could be preventing diabetes, keeping up with fashion, improving your confidence or even wearing a certain pair of jeans in a certain size.

Many people can start dieting because their doctor tells them to, but research has shown that motivation from oneself is stronger than motivation from outside.

Make your goals realistic

For example, we may hear of a diet that loses you three kilograms or seven kilograms per week, but these goals are somewhat harsh and difficult for the body, and may increase psychological stress.

Health practitioners recommend losing just half a kilogram or one kilogram per week, and setting bigger and more difficult goals can lead to frustration and giving up.

Also, people who set realistic weight-loss goals and achieve these goals are more likely to maintain weight loss in the long-term, and do not regain lost weight easily.

A study of data collected from weight-loss centers showed that women who expected to lose a lot of weight per week were expected to stop visiting a weight-loss center more quickly than those who did not.

In fact, do not think that losing 5% or 10% of your weight is a simple loss, as losing only half a kilogram or one kilogram per week contributes to the following:

Blood sugar control.
Reduce the risk of heart disease.
Reducing cholesterol levels in the blood.
Reduce joint pain.
Reducing the risk of some types of cancer.

Set goals for how to lose weight

Goals often focus on the desired end result, such as I want to lose 10kg, but goals often focus on how to achieve the end goal, such as exercising four times a week.

This is because focusing on the end goal only without setting goals related to how to reach that goal often makes us feel the distance or exhaustion of the goal.

A study was also conducted on 126 obese women, and the results of this study showed that women who set goals related to how to lose weight were more successful in losing weight, and more willing during the process of losing weight.

Therefore, smart goals must be set, and the following are the specifications of these goals:

specific.
measurable.
achievable.
realistic.
depend on time.

Here are some examples of SMART goals:

Walk for 30 minutes five days a week.
Eat four servings of vegetables daily.
Drink soda once a month.

Choose a diet program that is right for you

It is important to choose a diet appropriate for your personality and lifestyle, and to avoid regimes that are impossible for you to follow in the long term.

Nutritionists have created hundreds of diets, most of which are based on reducing calories in the diet.

But it is important to warn to avoid strict diets that allow you to eat few foods, as it is expected that the lost weight will return after a certain period of time.

You can also consider creating your own nutritional plan by following some healthy habits that help lose weight, such as:

Reduce calorie intake.
Reduce the portion size.
Cut back on snacks.
Reduce fried foods and sweets.
Eat more fruits and vegetables.

Writing daily foods

Although monitoring the foods you eat and constantly measuring your weight may have a negative impact on the weight loss process, dietitians suggest keeping a diary of your weight loss journey.

In this notebook write down everything you eat, including snacks and even a small candy bar your co-worker gave you.

You can also write down your feelings in this notebook, in order to identify foods that motivate you to eat more food to avoid in the future.

Give yourself small prizes

Celebrate your small successes during your weight loss journey, and give yourself a reward when you achieve a goal.

You can share your success on social media for support, and you can also celebrate your elimination of some bad behaviors or habits, and it's not just about losing weight.

For example, if you exercise four days a week, celebrate with a fun night out with friends, or a bubble bath.

Here are some examples of rewards that contribute to improving your psychological state and increase your desire to lose weight:

Go to the beauty salon.
Watch a movie of your favorite rating in the cinema or at home.

Finding Social Support

Everyone needs support and compliments to keep them motivated, so tell your family and close friends about your weight-loss goals, and ask for support and encouragement.

You can also find a partner on your journey, to work together and hold yourselves together, and you can both reach your ultimate goals and celebrate together.

Force yourself to commit

This is up to you. Some people can feel a sense of responsibility for their goals if they tell their family about it, others can feel it if they sign up for a gym membership, or a group of exercise classes for a good amount of money.

This step makes it more difficult to lose weight, and motivates you to increase your will to lose weight.

speak positively

Talking positively to yourself and others about your plan to lose weight often increases your enthusiasm and drive.

Talk positively about the small changes you are making, and the reasons behind them, however, excessive positivity may only contribute to your dream world.

Therefore, experts advise using the method of contradiction, and this is to think positively at times, then think about the set of obstacles that stand in your way, and devise ways to overcome them.

A study was conducted on 134 students who were trained in the contrast technique, and the results showed that they ate fewer calories, exercised more, and focused on eating low-calorie foods.

Create a crisis backup plan

No one knows when life stresses will hit us as an obstacle on our way to losing weight.

It is therefore important to find ways to counteract these stressors, and develop a plan to cope with them while maintaining a weight loss plan.

These obstacles can be a vacation, a party full of delicious meals, as well as a bad psychological state that leads to emotional eating.

Here are some ways to overcome emotional eating for example:

Do breathing exercises.
Bathing.
Walk outside and breathe the fresh air.
Talk to a friend.
Seek help from a trusted person.

You can also choose healthy options during events or parties, or eat very small portions.

How to increase your will to lose weight