Weight gain is relatively easy. Consume a typical Western diet for a number of decades and considerable metabolic damage will have been done to the insulin system that is a key regulator of energy balance. The consequence of this damage is a slow but insidious gain in body fat, characterised particularly by a gain in fat around the waist. Opulence is more likely to cause such a weight gain because it bring with it low quality but highly palatable foods that are the direct cause of the metabolic damage. Reversing this damage is not so easy and it may take several years before significant progress is made. While most people who decide to lose body fat and improve their body composition begin with the best intentions, their motivation often becomes lessened as the reality of the long journey ahead starts to dawn. Most people believe that weight gain is caused by overeating and so their chosen strategy is to limit energy intake and perform aerobic exercise, however this is a big mistake and a cause of demotivation.
Losing motivation is significant problem in fat loss. Finding effective ways to motivate yourself and maintain interest in the project is highly important. Often motivation is subjective, but most humans share similar drives and ambitions. Tapping into that motivational force can often be hard, but it is a useful ability to learn. A strong motivator can be the realisation that aerobic exercise and energy restriction are not required for effective long term fat loss.
One of the best ways to motivate is to abandon the energy restrictive diet and the outdated notion of aerobic exercise. Effective long term fat loss comes not from restricting energy, but from consuming a healthy high quality diet that reverses the metabolic damage caused by low quality foods. This is motivating because energy restriction in the long term is not only difficult it is almost impossible. The drive to eat is so powerful that even the most dedicated individual eventually will succumb to its drive, and this makes energy restriction effective only in the short term. Another force that can reinvigorate the individual is the realisation that aerobic exercise of long duration is not required for effective fat loss and body composition improvements. In fact, it can be detrimental if performed to extreme. Daily tasks such as gardening and walking are suitable to training the cardiovascular system for health, and if exercise is taken it should be of high intensity and short duration, in order to build muscle to speed the metabolic rate.
Some individuals also thrive on competition and so having a friend or colleague attempt to lose body fat at the same time and making a competition out of it can also be motivating. However, this can be a double edged sword as it may become disheartening for the less successful person especially if others are aware of the competition. Therefore this sort of scenario has to be finely judged and taken on a case by case basis depending on the individual’s personality traits. Having the support of close family is highly important and this can be sa strong motivating factor, particularly when motivation begins to wain. A few kind words are often all that is required in order to reinvigorate fat loss efforts. Another suggestion is to keep a detailed diary, including pictures of progress, and to look back on these when motivation flags. It is easy to forget the progress that has already been achieved when looking forward, and sometimes it is important to remind oneself of the distance already travelled on the long journey.
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