When you first begin a journey you might have a goal you’re working toward. Your goal could be a certain size or a specific weight or an amount of weight that you want to lose. Perhaps your goal is to complete an event, like a 5K or a triathlon. Whatever that goal may be, it needs to be a strong enough goal that when confronted with temptation (because there WILL be temptation) you have the motivation to resist. That temptation could come in the form of being tired, being too busy, or it just being too inconvenient to exercise or eat right. The temptation could be a favorite food or drink that has become part of your life. It could come in the form of a party or special event that you’ll be attending.
What has helped me and many others, and could quite possibly be the difference between success and failure, comes in the form of discovering your real motivation. That requires you to dig a little deeper. If your motivation is simply to lose 20 pounds, but you don’t really know WHY you want to lose 20 pounds, that motivation will not equip you with the ability to resist that favorite food or to exercise when you really don’t feel like it. Think about it this way. If you lost 20 lbs, but you still looked and felt the same way, would you feel you’d been successful? Probably not! So, discovering your motivation required you to look beyond WHAT you want, to WHY you want it. I want to lose 20 pounds BECAUSE I’m getting married and I want to look amazing on my wedding day, for my new spouse! I want to lose 20 pounds because I’m currently on high blood pressure medication and I want to be free from that. I want to complete a triathlon because I will be setting an example for my children. I want them to see their mother or father completing goals and living a healthy lifestyle.
If you’ve had trouble sticking with a fitness or nutrition plan, perhaps it’s time to dig a little deeper and discover what it is you’re REALLY trying to do, and WHY you want to do it.
Lisa Madson
90/10 Nutrition
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