While driving in to work the other day, I listened to an interesting radio piece regarding weight loss motivation. As a chiropractor, I am often asked about weight loss and readily give advice on both weight loss and exercise. Therefore, studies in motivation are very, very interesting, as getting people to follow
through is, by far, the biggest hurdle to overcome.
The study discussed the popular idea that posting a picture of someone skinny on your fridge or elsewhere in your home will act as motivation to lose weight. For example, posting a picture of a model in the dress you desire to fit into should help you stay on track. The researchers wanted to know if this was a helpful tool for motivation. To test it, they divided women into 2 groups and gave them food journals. The one set received a food journal with a neutral object on the cover and pages (a tape measure). The second group had a skinny model on the cover and pages.
Guess what happened? The group with the tape measure lost weight, while the group with the model lost no weight and even gained a small amount of weight! This may or may not be a surprise to you, but it is interesting and worth considering when you are trying to motivate yourself to exercise or lose weight.
My advice? Think about what motivates you. Why do you want something? What do you hope to gain? Those are the pictures you should put up. Do you want to be able to ride a bicycle with your kids? Post a picture of a bicycle. Want to go hiking somewhere beautiful? Post that. After all, it is not about what you look like. It is about how you feel and what you can do. Remind yourself every day that you are working toward something attainable. Know that it takes time. Celebrate your little victories and write them down. When you are feeling discouraged, look at the note that says “I walked up 2 flights of stairs without breaking a sweat” or “I finished my exercise class and did not get sore!” Don’t measure life by your pants size. Measure it by your activities. Enjoy the ride!
