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Motivation Makeovers: Mind Games You Must Stop Playing

October 20, 2011 at 12:37 pm
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Food temptation and mind games

Photo courtesy of SparkPeople

Motivation is like cold hard cash: You can never have too much! And when you’re trying to lose weight, it’s nice to have a wealth of motivational strategies. But, with so many motivational tips and tricks to sift through, why do we lose our motivation rather than reap the rewards? It could be because the mind game you’re playing with yourself won’t always work in the long run…

Mind Game:  Starting Out Super Strong
It’s Sunday evening and you realize that you spent the weekend indulging on brews, barbeques, and binges. A twinge of guilt has you psyched to start speeding down the road to wellness first thing Monday and you figure that going full throttle is the way to reach your weight-loss goals as quickly as possible. You’re excited for it! But pretty soon, your muscles are too sore to roll out of bed, you’re sick of salads, and you’re already thinking about throwing in the towel.

     Motivation Makeover: Maintaining motivation is like running a marathon. Instead of starting at full speed and running out of steam, it is better to focus on simply putting one foot in front of the other. Set small, achievable goals so that you can build momentum and feel successful in the beginning, and pat yourself on the back when you conquer each one.

Mind Game:  Being Inspired by “As Seen on TV”
There will always be a new diet or exercise program that promises fast progress and fantastic results. Reading about the latest food fad or watching a perky personal trainer push sweat-drenched clients through an infomercial workout can definitely spark your motivation. But trying every new fad that comes on the market may leave you broke and brokenhearted…

     Motivation Makeover: If you want a plan that works long term, stick with the tried and true. Keep your eating close to the earth with whole fruits, veggies, grains and lean meats. Get up and moving with whatever activity suits your style and schedule. Remind yourself that following through with real nutrition and fitness habits is a process: It takes the proper planning and commitment that can’t be found in a book, a box or a bottle.

Mind Game:  Flying Under the Radar
You’re already feeling self-conscious about losing weight, so you certainly don’t want your friends and family making more of a fuss. Besides, you’re confident that you can do this all on your own! Going it alone may seem like a good idea, but it is actually counterproductive. Soon enough, you’ll be feeling lonely and left out of social merriment.

    
     Motivation Makeover: Call in the recruits! Whether it’s a neighbor down the street, a fellow play group parent or a Facebook friend, get someone to join you on your weight-loss journey. Studies in behavior science show that changes that you make in the public eye have a much better chance of sticking in the real world.

Continued: Should you look at that scale?


More from SparkPeople:

25 Ways to Get Back on Track

Goals That Help vs. Goals That Hurt

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