In this program we put an end to that cycle. We slowly develop sustainable habits that become part of our permanent lifestyle. Usually, in our disgust with ourselves, we launch major offenses on the enemy and get burnt out quickly. With this problem, long-term success only comes when we incorporate changes in our lifestyle that are sustainable. This will mean changing attitudes, schedules, relationships, etc. It's a lot of work! And to keep from getting burned out and quitting, you need to give yourself time to get used to small changes. In this program it's not just about changing the weight, it's about YOU changing as a person.
It is said that it takes an aircraft carrier 28 minutes to turn around. And during that time it is exerting a lot of energy, even though, for all practical purposes, it is not going anywhere! We are kind of like battleships. We need to change life direction. We don't need to learn how to go faster in the direction we have always been going. Therefor, you may need to put out a lot of effort before you begin to see tangible results. For example, it may be critical for you to learn to love your body and love yourself before you have the hope of incorporating permanent changes in your lifestyle and get successful at weight loss. And learning to love your body and yourself may take awhile. (This is just one example.)
The good news is that once you are heading in the right direction you will have momentum, meaning that it will be easier to keep going in that direction. You will still need to pay attention, and continue doing the habits, but it won't require so much effort.
Short-term motivation
We're all familiar with trying to lose weight for a wedding, vacation, bikini season, etc. The trouble with these motivations is that they have an end-date. Generally speaking, after the awaited day/season has arrived we go back to old habits, and maybe even worse because we are making up for all the deprivation we experienced. Then we frantically search for another short-term motivation.
Long-term motivation
Long-term motivation, on the other hand, has no end date. These motivations are sustainable for a lifetime, and therefor, more effective for the permanent changes we really desire. These motivations are not as flashy as short-term motivations are, but they are ultimately more effective. So let's look at some possible long-term motivations.
- Health and Longevity: If you want to live a long, disease-free life most medical professionals would recommend a lower weight.
- Comfort: Generally speaking, the less you weigh the easier it is to get around, and to fit comfortable into clothes, chairs, etc.
- Energy: Being fit and healthy usually means you have less fatigue and more energy to deal with life's demands.
- Spirituality: Some people see eating normally and taking care of their body as something that pleases God, or helps them be less focused on the material things of life.
- Mental Health: Over-eating can cover up emotions and situations that need dealt with. In addition, the whole diet/binge cycle causes lots of interference to our peace and serenity.
- Better Sexuality: Generally speaking, being fit and healthy not only allows us to perform better sexually, but may influence us and our partner to want it more!
- Appearance and Self-esteem: This is a tricky one because we don't want to base our self-esteem on our weight and appearance. Also, different cultures have different opinions about what size is attractive. However, being fit and healthy will generally mean we feel better about our appearance, and that can make our self-esteem struggles less intense.
Everyone's motivation is going to be different. The important thing is to have enough long-term motivations of sufficient strength to help us stay with this process forever. If you don't have enough, you can work on it. Pick ones that you have the most inclination toward and work on reinforcing them. Hopefully, the aforementioned suggestions will get you thinking.
Developing a support system to help you make and maintain your changes can be a crucial element to long-term success. Don't try to do this all alone!
