Natural Weight Loss Success Requires Continued Motivation

By Dr. George Best

Although several effective weight loss programs exist that give excellent diet and exercise recommendations, and may include some sort of natural weight loss aid, the majority of people fail to lose weight long-term. Every decent weight loss program has some very impressive success stories, but these are the exceptions and not the rule. The question is, why do some people achieve dramatic weight loss with these programs, while many others fail to lose any weight at all?

The big difference between the successes and the failures lie not in the diet and exercise, or whatever “magical” weight loss aid may be used, the difference lies primarily in whether one sticks to the program or not. In other words, the bid difference is in the level of commitment and motivation one has to staying with the program. Oftentimes, individuals will start out strong, but then lose motivation in a short period of time - usually less than two weeks, and then lose any progress they’ve made.

The question is, what causes someone who has finally made the commitment to lose weight to lose his or her motivation so quickly as to never make any real progress?

Actually, a lot of things can happen. Temptations arise. Other people can interfere. They run out of time and/or energy to eat right and exercise. Or, maybe they simply lose sight of the reasons they decided to try to lose weight in the first place.

One key to staying focused is to frequently think about your weight loss goals and what losing weight will mean to you. Most people don’t just decide they want to lose weight. There’s usually a reason they want to lose weight. Maybe it’s because they’re worried about their health. Maybe it’s because they can’t find clothes they like that fit them. Maybe it’s because they want to find a romantic partner and think that it will be easier if they look better. Maybe they’re tired of people calling them fat and making jokes about their weight. There are probably as many reasons for wanting to lose weight as there are people who want to lose weight. If you get clear on your reasons, you’ll have much greater success with any natural weight loss plan.

By focusing on the reason you want to lose weight on a consistent basis, you will tend to stay more motivated. I recommend writing down your underlying reason(s) for wanting to lose weight, but writing it in a way that it will boost your motivation. The most effective way for most people is to write yourself a negative to avoid and the associated positive to go after. For instance, if you’re tired of not being able to find nice clothes in your size, you might write something like, “I am committed to losing weight because I am not willing to be limited to wearing “fat-person” clothes. I am thrilled to be getting my weight to where I can wear stylish, sexy clothes!”

You’ll want to put your written motivation statement in a location where you will see it frequently throughout the day. It is important to take the time to actually stop and read it - and think about what you are reading - don’t just rush through it. Allow youself to really get into the feelings of that motivating statement.

Due to all of the possible influences that can interrupt your weight loss efforts, it is very important to stay focused on the underlying reasons you want to lose weight. By frequently reminding yourself of your real reasons to lose weight, it will be much easier to stay motivated and ultimately to follow-through on your natural weight loss plan and become a success story!

Dr. George Best is a holistic healthcare provider in San Antonio, Texas. Additional resources, including Dr. Best's E-Book, "Training Your Brain For Weight Loss" can be obtained through his website on natural weight loss motivation.