What’s Your Motivation?

If you listened to our Radio Show last Saturday on 103.9FM – you know it was about Motivation and how important it is to have in your life. We all need it! When it comes to weight loss it’s especially important. Just think about it – you are in a controlled state 6 days a week following your menu like a soldier and on top of that you are hungry. Motivation is what will keep you on track every week. For some, motivation might be the Cheat Day – It’s the light at the end of the tunnel. For others, it might be a pair of pants they want to fit into or a special party they want to attend – a vacation or celebration! Maybe your motivation is even an old picture of someone you use to be. It’s so easy to lose track of who you once were that sometimes we settle for anything better than where we are. But that’s not always good. Because better is not our best and with one life that you are given why wouldn’t you always want to be your best!

WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? A client recently came in and we were talking about how important it is to follow your menu and really understand that anything over the amount is going to make a difference in your weight loss. She said to me, “I see so many of your clients who have lost so much weight and they are so thin but they act like it’s a job and they treat it like it’s a job – is that good?” I said you have to treat it like that. But it’s doesn’t have to be negative job – it should be a positive job. It’s a job that you love to do. You want to eat clean and be healthy and yes treat it like an important job in your life or you will just keep gradually gaining and before you know it you are not in an easy place to get out of.

WHAT YOU DO TODAY WILL REFLECT TOMORROW: The bottom line is if you are asking if it’s good to treat your health and weight loss like a job then ask yourself this question – Are you happy where you are? Because I can tell you first hand that my clients who obsess about it and treat their health and weight loss like it’s a job are very happy! They wake up happy because getting dressed is not an issue. They go out and have fun because they feel good. They are excited for summer and even more excited to go shopping for it. So yes, while they may be obsessive and work hard and treat their weight and health like it’s a job – the pay off they get for it is priceless. So ask yourself right now, are you happy with the effort you have put in to yourself, your health and your weight? Are you excited to go summer shopping and excited for all the outdoor parties and barbecues that will be coming your way soon? Do you wake up excited and happy and full of energy? Understand that this is all real –  I am not exaggerating at all. I hear the clients who do not do the right things and continue to make it a struggle on themselves because they constantly put food ahead of their happiness. I see how it makes them unhappy. Then I see the clients who make it a priority to stay on program. Yes they all have their own struggles, it’s not easy for anyone but they still do it. They have learned to love how they feel more then they love the instant gratification of feeding into a craving. You have to constantly remind yourself which is more important to you and what will make you happy.

HOW DO YOU REALLY FEEL? There is no faking it and you can even feel it in your own mood  – when you take care of yourself and you eat right and you lose weight you FEEL GREAT! You have more energy and you spring out of bed. You are excited to feel that lighter feeling that you know can change your day from bad to good. But if you are not feeling all these amazing things then it’s time to take your health and weight loss seriously and treat it like the important job that it is. Because then and only then will you get the pay back of feeling happy, healthier, lighter, fitter, energetic and strong. It’s not always about the number on the scale – it’s about doing the right things and feeling good. You feel good and your personality shines – you feel like crap and your personality reflects it. Sometimes it’s not only just about how you want to feel, but also how you are presenting yourself to your family, friends and co-workers. Eeyore or Tigger – who do you want to be and how do you want the world to see you.

IT NEEDS TO BE ABOUT YOU: What we don’t always realize is weight loss is so much more than just the number on the scale. Because everything in our life stems from how we feel and how well we take care of ourselves. Feeling good or bad will result in having a good or bad day. Feeling good and treating your body well is going to result in how you approach life and all the good an bad obstacles that come with it. If you are feeling happy, healthy, fit and strong you are going to get through the rough days a lot better than if you are feeling heavy, bloated, sick and depressed. In fact, studies show that overweight people have an 80% higher rate of depression than people of a healthy weight. Why? Because you always feel better about yourself when you are taking care of yourself. Sometimes just having the feeling of control over what you are and are not eating can change your day from bad to good. You have to decide what is important to you. Find a motivation to help get you there and make a commitment to make your health and weight loss a priority! A job that you are excited about doing.

I know you have heard this before from me but I need to repeat it – you need to start somewhere. If you are already in a good place then I am super excited for you to continue to be amazing! If you are not feeling great and have no control then you need to get right back on program TODAY! I promise you, after one week you will feel good after two weeks you will feel great and a month in you will never want to go back to your old eating habits.  But you need to start because in order to be happy with everything else in your life you need to start with YOU!