The Power of your 'Why' for successful Weight Loss

Why do you want to lose weight, really? 
When embarking on a weight loss journey, many people rush to pick a diet or hit the gym, focusing solely on food or exercise. However, what often gets overlooked is the critical role of mindset and a well-defined "why." Your "why" is the driving force behind your weight loss journey, the motivation that will see you through both the highs and lows. Everyone will have a different reason for wanting to lose weight and it’s important to understand your own uniquely personal reason for wanting to lose weight. 

In this article, we'll explore why your "why" matters, and we'll guide you through an 8 step exercise to help you create a bulletproof weight loss motivation that ensures your success is not only achieved but maintained.

Why Your Weight Loss 'Why' Matters

Understanding why you want to lose weight is the cornerstone of achieving lasting results. Without a clear and personal "why," you might find the idea of weight loss appealing but lack the compelling reasons to take action. Many of us assume we know why we want to lose weight, but an undefined or poorly defined "why" can undermine our chances of success.

Your "why" should be more profound and inspiring than a simple desire to shed a few pounds. It should be deeply personal and emotionally resonant. 

Of course, having ‘a healthy fit body’ would be amazing, but that means different things to different people. Being ‘healthy’ is important to most people, ‘looking good’ might appeal, and ‘having more energy and confidence’ could be a reason for some, but why do you want these things? Why do you want to be healthy? What will being healthy, smaller, or more confident enable you to do? What will your life look like when you’re at your goal weight?

Let's delve into how to define your weight loss "why."

Defining Your Weight Loss 'Why'

Before embarking on your weight loss journey, take the time to contemplate your "whys." Here's a simple 8-step exercise to help you discover your compelling motivations:

1. Gather Your Materials: Grab a pen and paper; you don't need anything fancy, just some quiet time and something to write with.

2. Set the Stage: Write "Why I Want to Lose Weight" at the top of a blank sheet of paper.

3. Brainstorm or ideate Your Whys: Start jotting down your reasons. Don't worry if they seem good or right for now; this is an idea-generating session. Write down as many whys as you can think of.

4. Highlight the Meaningful Whys: Circle the reasons that resonate most with you. Remember, you're doing this for yourself, so don't feel guilty about not writing whys for others.

5. Eliminate Negative Whys: Cross out any whys framed in a negative context, like "I don't want to feel embarrassed." Instead, rephrase them in a positive light, such as "I want to exude confidence."

6. Dig Deeper: For each highlighted why, ask yourself why you want that. Go deeper into the underlying motivations. Why do you want to be a size 10? Why do you want to be able to buy any clothes you like? Why do you want to feel confident? Why do you want to be more active? Who will you be with, what will you be doing? Make a rich visual picture in your mind.

7. Create Your Top 3 Whys: Start a new sheet of paper with the header "My Top 3 Weight Loss Whys." Write out your top three reasons and add detailed explanations to truly understand why they matter.

8. Keep It Accessible: Put your list somewhere you can easily access and refer to it regularly. Celebrate the time you've invested in yourself because you deserve your attention and focus.

By following these steps, you'll not only define your "why" but also connect with the profound reasons behind your weight loss journey. Your personalised, inspiring motivations will provide the fuel you need to stay committed, overcome obstacles, and ultimately achieve lasting weight loss success, whatever diet, exercise programme, or weight loss medication you use. At Eatiful, we help you define your why, and work on many other aspects of self reflection among your healthy weight loss journey as you learn to change how you eat. For us, and we hope for you, weight loss is about much more than a number on the scales or a dress size. For us, it’s about really understanding ourselves better, and building that mind-body connection, starting with why.