In this article, we\u2019ll talk about the psychological side of weight loss. Specifically, we\u2019ll discuss why motivation isn\u2019t that important when it comes to losing weight, how to form weight loss habits you can stick to, and what to watch out for when embarking on a weight loss journey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
What Does It Take to Lose Weight?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nPeople blame various factors for their difficulties with losing weight, such as a sedentary lifestyle<\/a>, insufficient motivation to stick to a healthy routine, low metabolism, or \u201cfat genes.\u201d However, the psychology of weight loss is much more complicated. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThis story about financial traders on Wall Street can help put the struggle with weight loss into perspective. A novice asks a guru, \u201cHow do you make money in the market?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The guru responds, \u201cIt\u2019s simple: buy low, sell high.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The beginner replies, \u201cHow can I learn to do that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The guru responds, \u201cAh\u2014that takes a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Simple doesn\u2019t mean easy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nHow do you lose weight easily? It\u2019s simple. Eat fewer calories<\/a> than you\u2019re burning each day. But simple doesn\u2019t mean easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat weight loss really requires is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- A fixation on the goal you want to achieve<\/li>
- An understanding of what\u2019s required to achieve the goal<\/li>
- Developing a rational plan to meet your goal<\/li>
- Carrying out the plan<\/li>
- Willpower and a high tolerance for pain<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
This is what\u2019s needed in any of life\u2019s hurdles, and this is precisely what losing weight takes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Motivation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nYou wouldn\u2019t even attempt weight loss if you didn\u2019t have the motivation to do it. However, the initial motivation will wane quickly once you actually begin your weight loss efforts. This is because motivation comes in waves.<\/strong> It ebbs and flows on large and small timescales. Something that feels like no big deal when you\u2019re surfing the motivation wave can become insurmountable when you\u2019re wallowing in the trough. Motivation can vary:<\/p>\n\n\n\n- Daily\u2014Willpower is known to be highest in the morning.<\/li>
- Seasonally\u2014Weight Watchers has consistent peaks and troughs in their signups throughout the year (peaks in January and after Labor Day; troughs in November and December in the lead-up to food-saturated holidays).<\/li>
- Depending on the circumstances\u2014If you eat lunch at 1 pm, you\u2019ll be more tempted by a pizza at 12:30 than at 1:30.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, competing motivations can pull us in opposite directions. You may want to reduce the sugar in your diet, but you may also really <\/em>want that chocolate chip cookie.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFinally, motivation can be opaque<\/strong>: Often we don\u2019t have a clear understanding of our own motivations. This means that unconscious motivations can rise up out of nowhere and sabotage our efforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSo, as far as the psychology of weight loss is concerned, motivation alone isn\u2019t sufficient to achieve lasting weight loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Habit Formation <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOnce your motivation is in order, the next step is to set up habits that are conducive to weight loss. Here, things are not as simple either. There are two things you need to keep in mind when selecting your weight loss habits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Idiosyncratic Habits<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe habits you are more likely to stick to are influenced by your genetic make-up, predispositions, and natural talents. To ensure success, you must adopt the habits that fit your natural personality, not the ones that friends, family, or society deem best. For example, your friend lost weight by working out at a gym. But you hate crowds, so taking daily walks or hiking works better for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Difficulty Level<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe habits or behaviors you select should be of manageable difficulty<\/em>. In other words, they should be easy enough for you to stick to them in the long term. If the behavior is too difficult, it won\u2019t last, no matter how high your motivation is. This principle can be illustrated with the Action Line graph.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Action Line is a curve marking the threshold at which an action will be performed.<\/p>\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIn this graph, the blue star is a behavior that\u2019s very easy to do and for which you have a moderate level of motivation. It sits far above the action line, so when you\u2019re exposed to the prompt you\u2019ll have no problems doing this behavior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The green star is a behavior that\u2019s much more difficult. Though you have almost as much motivation as for the blue star behavior, the high level of difficulty means that even with a well-designed prompt you won\u2019t get above the Action Line and manage to do the behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When designing your weight loss plan, you need to ask yourself whether the individual actions within your plan (e.g. doing an hour of cardio first thing in the morning) are above the Action Line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If a behavior is currently below the Action Line<\/a>, how can you lift it above the curve? You can target any of M (Motivation), A (Action), or P (Prompt). If motivation isn\u2019t going to change, target A or P.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nMotion Versus Action<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOne sneaky psychological trap many people get into when deciding to embark on a weight loss journey is getting stuck in the planning mode. They research the latest diet trends, seek out the best weight loss apps, or look for gyms with the best equipment. They rationalize planning as their desire to determine the perfect behaviors for change, but a perfect system isn\u2019t what creates results. Repetition is. Notice the difference between the two processes and the end result of each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Reading blogs about weight loss and diet trends generates information about eating healthy.<\/li>
- Eating a salad for lunch three times a week generates a habit of eating more healthy foods.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
You can plan endlessly and never get anywhere. The only way to get results is by beginning the desired behavior, whether it\u2019s perfectly planned or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Final Words<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThere\u2019s more to losing weight than cutting calories. The psychology of weight loss is complicated, but science is paving the way to ever greater understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to learn about the psychology of weight loss, here are a few books that can help you make long-term changes for lasting results: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Hacker\u2019s Diet<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Hacker\u2019s Diet <\/em>was written by John Walker, founder of the software company Autodesk. This is an engineer\u2019s approach to weight loss, described in terms of control systems, feedback loops<\/a>, measurement noise reduction, and practical problem-solving.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTiny Habits<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nHave you ever tried to introduce a new habit (or kick an old one) and flopped? In Tiny Habits<\/em>, Stanford behavioral scientist BJ Fogg diagnoses why you failed and shows you how to succeed next time. The Tiny Habits method<\/a> is judgment-free and science-based, and it has resulted in success for thousands of people around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This story about financial traders on Wall Street can help put the struggle with weight loss into perspective. A novice asks a guru, \u201cHow do you make money in the market?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The guru responds, \u201cIt\u2019s simple: buy low, sell high.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The beginner replies, \u201cHow can I learn to do that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The guru responds, \u201cAh\u2014that takes a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Simple doesn\u2019t mean easy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n How do you lose weight easily? It\u2019s simple. Eat fewer calories<\/a> than you\u2019re burning each day. But simple doesn\u2019t mean easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What weight loss really requires is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is what\u2019s needed in any of life\u2019s hurdles, and this is precisely what losing weight takes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You wouldn\u2019t even attempt weight loss if you didn\u2019t have the motivation to do it. However, the initial motivation will wane quickly once you actually begin your weight loss efforts. This is because motivation comes in waves.<\/strong> It ebbs and flows on large and small timescales. Something that feels like no big deal when you\u2019re surfing the motivation wave can become insurmountable when you\u2019re wallowing in the trough. Motivation can vary:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, competing motivations can pull us in opposite directions. You may want to reduce the sugar in your diet, but you may also really <\/em>want that chocolate chip cookie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, motivation can be opaque<\/strong>: Often we don\u2019t have a clear understanding of our own motivations. This means that unconscious motivations can rise up out of nowhere and sabotage our efforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, as far as the psychology of weight loss is concerned, motivation alone isn\u2019t sufficient to achieve lasting weight loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once your motivation is in order, the next step is to set up habits that are conducive to weight loss. Here, things are not as simple either. There are two things you need to keep in mind when selecting your weight loss habits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The habits you are more likely to stick to are influenced by your genetic make-up, predispositions, and natural talents. To ensure success, you must adopt the habits that fit your natural personality, not the ones that friends, family, or society deem best. For example, your friend lost weight by working out at a gym. But you hate crowds, so taking daily walks or hiking works better for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The habits or behaviors you select should be of manageable difficulty<\/em>. In other words, they should be easy enough for you to stick to them in the long term. If the behavior is too difficult, it won\u2019t last, no matter how high your motivation is. This principle can be illustrated with the Action Line graph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Action Line is a curve marking the threshold at which an action will be performed.<\/p>\n\n\n In this graph, the blue star is a behavior that\u2019s very easy to do and for which you have a moderate level of motivation. It sits far above the action line, so when you\u2019re exposed to the prompt you\u2019ll have no problems doing this behavior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The green star is a behavior that\u2019s much more difficult. Though you have almost as much motivation as for the blue star behavior, the high level of difficulty means that even with a well-designed prompt you won\u2019t get above the Action Line and manage to do the behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When designing your weight loss plan, you need to ask yourself whether the individual actions within your plan (e.g. doing an hour of cardio first thing in the morning) are above the Action Line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If a behavior is currently below the Action Line<\/a>, how can you lift it above the curve? You can target any of M (Motivation), A (Action), or P (Prompt). If motivation isn\u2019t going to change, target A or P.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One sneaky psychological trap many people get into when deciding to embark on a weight loss journey is getting stuck in the planning mode. They research the latest diet trends, seek out the best weight loss apps, or look for gyms with the best equipment. They rationalize planning as their desire to determine the perfect behaviors for change, but a perfect system isn\u2019t what creates results. Repetition is. Notice the difference between the two processes and the end result of each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can plan endlessly and never get anywhere. The only way to get results is by beginning the desired behavior, whether it\u2019s perfectly planned or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s more to losing weight than cutting calories. The psychology of weight loss is complicated, but science is paving the way to ever greater understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to learn about the psychology of weight loss, here are a few books that can help you make long-term changes for lasting results: <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Hacker\u2019s Diet<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Hacker\u2019s Diet <\/em>was written by John Walker, founder of the software company Autodesk. This is an engineer\u2019s approach to weight loss, described in terms of control systems, feedback loops<\/a>, measurement noise reduction, and practical problem-solving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tiny Habits<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Have you ever tried to introduce a new habit (or kick an old one) and flopped? In Tiny Habits<\/em>, Stanford behavioral scientist BJ Fogg diagnoses why you failed and shows you how to succeed next time. The Tiny Habits method<\/a> is judgment-free and science-based, and it has resulted in success for thousands of people around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMotivation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Habit Formation <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Idiosyncratic Habits<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Difficulty Level<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Motion Versus Action<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Final Words<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n