You’ve decided to lose weight.
You’ve trawled the internet for weight loss tips, from exercise programmes to diet advice and you feel motivated to get started. Off to the supermarket to get cupboards stocked with sensible, yet tasty food options. Swing by the sports shop for the fresh comfy runners and “hey presto!”, you’ve made the all important first step towards starting a healthier, happier life.
It is important to be prepared mentally and physically to achieve weight loss goals. And we all have what it takes to succeed. However, FEAR is the emotion that can stop people in their tracks. Fear of failure and believe it or not, even fear of success, can cause us to abandon our efforts because of the pain we associate with these outcomes.
Fear of Failure Is The Number One Weight Loss Hurdle
This is a mental block which is common. It’s easier to stop trying when things are difficult, rather than keep going and risk experiencing disappointment. Dr Larocque, Motivation’s founder uses the example of athletes who injure themselves, either on purpose or subconsciously as fear of failure has traumatized them to the point of not wanting to compete for fear of losing. They are no happier for burying their heads in the sand avoiding reality. The same fear of failure can happen when reaching for your weight loss goals. Perceived failures in the past or poor self-image can make giving look like an attractive option. This escape route gives fleeting relief, but will lead to more unhappiness and despair unless you separate mistakes from failures. Accept that you are human and will make mistakes, but use these mistakes to learn, develop and grow. If you allow it, fear will make you freeze and regress back into your comfort zone. If you face it with courage and understand where it’s coming from you can overcome it and keep going. “Success is easy once you can obtain it, because then, and only then do you stop wasting energy on fears of failing,” says Dr. Larocque.
Fear of Success
This sounds like a strange idea but even the most determined people can suffer from it without realizing. As I’ve said before, everything we do is based on our self-image or how we see ourselves. This is shaped by our parenting, education, past experiences, and the society that we live in. For example, if a child falls into water at a young age, they may develop a fear of swimming lessons when they’re older. If a parent neglects a child’s needs or verbally puts them down, they can grow up under performing and not believing they deserve to do well. Some clients fear weight loss success because they fear they mightn’t be as much fun if they’re slim, or get attention for their body instead of their mind.
Weight Loss Advice from Motivation
Motivation encourage people to stop under-estimating what they are capable of. We encourage them to realise their full potential and the multiple benefits they stand to gain by achieving their weight loss goals. They must understand that our parents and peers can programme us well or they can programme us poorly, but as adults we can think for ourselves and reprogramme ourselves positively. Then we can eradicate irrational fears and look forward to enjoying the weight loss we want and deserve.
Read part 2 of this blog Fear of Failure Is The Number One Weight Loss Hurdle here.
