Weight Loss Motivation Checklist
Great Ideas to Get Started Right!

Your attitude and mindset about weight loss affects your ability to succeed. Check your weight loss motivation by asking yourself the following questions to help determine if you need to shift your thinking before you begin. Be honest! It is important that your answers to these questions reflect the way you really are and how you feel, not how you would like to be. Again, the intent here is to get you thinking positive and anticipate likely obstacles or challenges so that you can avoid them. By recognizing where some potential pitfalls may be, you can then make some changes in your habits that will help you be successful with your weight loss!

1. Have you thought a lot about your eating habits and physical activities to identify what you need to change?

It has been said that you cannot change what you do not understand. You might benefit from keeping records (food dairy) for a week to pinpoint when, what, why and how much you eat (or do not eat). This tool is also useful in identifying obstacles to getting regular exercise as well.

2. Have you accepted the idea that you need to make permanent, not temporary, changes in your eating and exercise habits to be successful?

Making drastic or highly restrictive changes in your eating habits may allow you to lose weight in the short run, but may be too hard to live with permanently. You should really think about what is realistic and healthy for you to sustain for the years to come. Similarly, your exercise program should be one you are able to sustain. Both your nutrition and exercise programs should be healthful and enjoyable. Just remember that if your weight loss motivation level remains high, you can achieve great results!

3. Do you believe that you will only feel successful if you lose a lot of weight?

Many people have unrealistic expectations of reaching a weight considerably lower than they can realistically maintain, or that is actually healthy. If you think this may be you, you should rethink your idea of success. A successful, realistic weight loss goal is one that you can comfortably maintain through sensible eating and regular physical activity. Your first goal should be to lose smaller amounts of weight, while learning and adopting sensible and healthy eating and exercise habits to help you maintain your ideal weight for the long-term. Steady and consistent success along the way will help you preserve your weight loss motivation, too.

4. Are you okay with the idea that it is best to lose weight over a period of time?

If you equate success only with fast weight loss, you may have trouble maintaining your weight. You need to learn reasonable and healthy habits to achieve, and then maintain, your weight loss goals. This is why I highly recommend a weight loss program that provides education and support, and reinforces healthy eating and exercise habits.

5. Do you have a desire to lose weight now because you truly want to and not because others "think" you should?

The desire for and commitment to weight loss must come from you. People who lose and maintain weight successfully take responsibility for their own desires and decide the best way to achieve them. Once you take this step and recognize that you are doing this for you, your family and friends become a vital source of support, not for your weight loss motivation.

6. Do you believe losing weight will solve other problems in your life?

While being overweight may contribute to a number of frustrating or disappointing aspects of your life, it is rarely the single cause. Expecting that all of your problems will be solved through weight-loss is unrealistic and may set you up for disappointment. Instead, think of your successful weight loss as the first step to making you feel more confident and empowered. Realize that you can apply the skills you will develop to address your weight to other areas of your life as well.

7. Are you willing and able to increase your physical activity?

Studies have demonstrated that people who develop the habit of regular, moderate physical activity are most successful at maintaining their weight. Exercise does not have to be strenuous to be effective in weight control. Any moderate, physical activity that you enjoy, and will regularly and consistently do, will help you maintain your weight loss. Just get moving!

8. Do you feel that you can only lose weight successfully if you don’t make any mistakes, or stray a little bit from your program?

While most people do not expect perfection of themselves in everyday life, many feel they must stick to a weight loss program perfectly in order to be successful. This is simply not realistic. So, don’t expect perfection from yourself. Rather than viewing lapses as catastrophes, recognize them as valuable opportunities to identify problem triggers and develop strategies for the future. Don’t beat yourself up and don’t worry too much about yesterday. Just try to learn from it.

9. Are you ready to commit some time and effort each week to organize and plan your meals and physical activity?

Successful weight loss is not possible without taking the time to think about yourself, assess your problem areas, and develop strategies to deal with them. Success takes time. You must commit to planning and organizing your weight loss efforts. Your weight loss program does not have to be complicated. You just need to plan ahead a little bit. This pre-planning goes a long way toward avoiding temptations throughout the week!

10. Have you found in the past that once you lose some initial weight you lose the motivation to keep going until you reach your goal?

If you find this to be true, do not ignore these feelings. Rather, think about past efforts and why they failed and try to pinpoint any reasons. Habits are stable behaviors formed by the constant repetition of the same pattern over time. If you are concerned about losing your weight loss motivation, take some time to write down the reasons why you are determined to be successful. Do you want to be able to play with your kids, or grandkids, more easily? Do you need to lose weight to just be healthier and live a longer, more fulfilling life? Whatever your motivators are, write them down and refer to them when you face these weight loss motivational hurdles. Take your efforts one day at a time; a plateau of losing weight within an ongoing weight loss program is perfectly OK!

11. Are you intent to start a weight loss program now even though your life is unusually stressful?

Weight loss itself is a source of stress, so if you are already under stress, it may be difficult to successfully implement a weight-loss program at this time. You may be better served if you resolve other sources of stress in your life before you begin a weight loss program. Of course, there is never a "perfect" time to start. So just give some thought to how high you feel your weight loss motivation is and how successful you feel you can be given your current situation.

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