You’ve heard it said or maybe you’ve said it yourself, “I want to lose weight”.
Well, why?
“To look better.”
Why?
“Because I want to look like I did before I had kids.”
Why?
“Because my coworkers are losing weight, so I should lose weight too.”
But WHY?!
Uncovering your “why” is one of the first steps to progress and change. Without a strong “why” goals are merely mystical ideas someplace in the future we may or may not achieve. Without a strong “why” excuses come easily, and any obstacle, whether big or small, quickly provides a stumbling block on our road to success and lasting change.
If your “why” is vague, your results will be vague, and your success will be limited. While you may be able to make some progress, it likely won’t be permanent (i.e. losing and re-gaining the same twenty pounds repeatedly over the years). I’ve fallen into the same trap, as many of you have as well. If you’re tired of the weight-cycling and ready to make a change for the last time, please know it is possible—IF you uncover your “why” (the root one, the one that deeply motivates you).
Uncovering your why is quite simple. Identify your initial goal (“I want to lose 50lbs”) and ask yourself no less than three whys. Follow the circle of whys until you’ve identified a tangible reason for choosing such a goal. If you struggle to identify your why, your goal may need a reevaluation—and that’s ok! You don’t want to waste any more time chasing goals you won’t be able to achieve or sustain.
Here’s an example of what uncovering your “why” might look like:
If your goal is to lose 50lbs to decrease risk of diseases [1] (maybe diseases hereditary in your family) and have a better quality of life as you age, these are good, motivating, and sustainable reasons to pursue your weight-loss goal. Keeping these reasons in front of you and reminding yourself of these things will help you get through those days you’re tempted to go off the rails or give up entirely. “It’s been three days since I worked out, I’ve lost progress, I failed again. I guess I’ll never reach my goal. Where’s the donuts?” Instead, it can go like this, “I haven’t worked out in three days, I feel sluggish and unmotivated. My body has had some rest, and that is good, but if I don’t get moving again, my risk for XYZ condition will increase. I will go for a ten-minute walk today, just to get some activity and make a little progress toward my goal of a more mobile, less painful aging process.”
Conversely, if your goal is vague or somewhat superficial, it will be much easier to throw in the towel when obstacles present themselves. Let’s say you want a “six-pack” or well defined abdominal muscles (who doesn’t?), merely having that as a goal isn’t enough to keep you persevering when life throws you a curve ball (injury, illness, etc.)—especially as you begin to realize just how much work goes into such a goal, and how meticulous you’ll need to be with your dietary choices and exercise regimen. You may go at it for a while but as the weeks drag on and the results don’t come as quickly as you’d hoped, you’ll be more likely to abandon not just that goal, but any goal. And there you go again, back on the yo-yo train. It’s an exhausting cycle!
I have my own set of whys that have kept me progressing for years and continue to push me towards new goals. One of my whys involves mental health. Exercise decreases my anxiety and depression, allowing me to manage my mental health without medication [2] (although this hasn’t always been the case and won’t be this way for everyone—meds are OK and necessary for many people!). In my case, activity—quite literally—keeps me sane. On those days I really really don’t feel like getting a workout in, I remember my why and most of the time I get to work in my home gym. I choose to move before the motivation kicks in, taking it one step at a time (mentally). The internal dialogue goes something like this: “I’m going to put my workout clothes on. Ok, now I’m going to write out the exercise routine I want to do. Now it’s time to go to the home gym. I’m going to set up the barbell for my first exercise so I can start immediately after my warmup. Let’s start my warmup now.” After my warmup is complete and I complete the first few reps of the exercises I’ve planned I’m usually back in the game and motivated to push myself through the remainder of the workout. I can say honestly there’s never been a workout I’ve regretted. There’s been plenty of times, however, I’ve chosen not to work out and have regretted it, understanding that every time I choose not to put in the work, I am only coming between myself and my goals, making the process take longer.
So, identify your why and make the most out of what you can while you have the ability and means to do so, knowing that a time will come when you have less control over what you’re able to do (injuries, illnesses, global pandemics). If you can make the most of out the “good” times, you’ll likely have developed strong enough habits to get you through the “bad” times. The strongest whys will yield lasting results and push you through even the toughest of circumstances.
Sometimes it’s hard to identify goals and develop a sustainable plan to help you get there, it’s hard to know where to start or what to do first. Whether it’s through me or someone else, reach out and get support and accountability. Share your why with someone you love so they can help you stay on track on those days (or weeks, or months) you’re really not feeling it. Remember, you have the rest of your life, so there’s no need to hurry. Take your time, think about it, write it out, and hang it up somewhere to remind yourself why you chose this path to begin with. If at any time you start to waver, revisit your why and see if something needs to be adjusted. In any case, keep moving forward, any movement helps you reach your goal better than no movement. You can do it; you just need to know why you want it.
Research Studies of Interest-
Rebecca was a Precision Nutrition Certified Nutrition Coach, an A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer, an A.C.E.Fitness Nutrition Specialist, an A.C.E. Sports Conditioning Specialist, and an A.C.E. Youth Fitness Specialist. She first earned her Personal Training certification with A.C.E. (American Council on Exercise) in 2002. She has been in and out of the "Health & Fitness" industry for nearly two decades. She also spent two years as a dietetic student at ASU & EMCC. She now blogs about her experiences with the health and fitness industry, eating disorders, lifestyle modification, weight loss, and nutrition for chronic disease, wellness, and longevity.
Comments