Maximize Your Motivation

By Bob Greene

Remember back to your first few weeks on the Challenge plan—you were excited and committed to the program: You were at the gym just as it opened and you didn't even think twice about the vending machine when you walked by it to get to your desk. Wouldn't it be great if you could bottle up all that motivation and use it whenever you needed it? Staying motivated when you're trying to slim down can be tough, but you don't need magic to stick to the program. Use these strategies whenever you feel your drive starting to take a dive.

Evaluate your goals. Do some soul-searching to tap into what you really want to achieve, and it shouldn't be just a surface thing like losing weight. Too often people put all their emotional eggs in the weight-loss basket, so their emotions and motivation are tied to what the scale says. That's a huge mistake. Instead, you should look at your entire life to identify the areas you want to improve. For instance, maybe you want to lose weight so you'll have more energy to keep up with your grandchildren. Or maybe you don't have grandkids yet, but you want to be around long enough to see them. Dig deep to find an important, life-changing reason for losing weight and you'll be more likely to see it through.

Find balance. When you focus on losing weight, you can easily lose sight of other parts of your life—particularly the ones that weren't going well in the first place. That's why I recommend The Circle of Life exercise for all new clients. (You can also use it as a refresher if you feel like you're getting off course.) The purpose of this is to add balance to your life. It forces you to look at your entire life, and to realize that motivation comes from making a little progress each day. You learn to find satisfaction in the little steps you take toward your goal.

Look beyond weight. Your progress shouldn't be measured solely by what the scale says. I've seen too many clients get discouraged because there was an uptick in their weight or they didn't lose as much as they'd hoped. Remember, the scale is not the best way to gauge success. Water retention, your menstrual cycle, the natural fluctuation of weight throughout the day and a variety of other factors can affect the number of the scale. If you have areas in your life where you can get gratification, then these small setbacks won't become major issues. For example, say you step on the scale and that number's higher than you expected. Sure, you're disappointed, but your relationships, your career or any of the other things that bring you fulfillment will help carry you through that day. Then you can wake up the next day, lace up your sneakers and do whatever you need to do from a weight-loss standpoint.

The Challenge plan isn't just about slimming down—it's about crafting the life you want, and then making small steps each day toward that life. Don't forget to take gratification in these small victories; that's where you'll find motivation that lasts.