"Emotion, Motivation, and
Weight Loss Success"
[NOTE -This is another installment in the
"client dialogues" series of articles wherein Dr. Frank B. Smoot,
weight loss success coach, responds to a real question from a
real person, but without using their real name.]
By Dr. Frank B. Smoot, MA, DD
A reader writes:
I am a member of GHF (Global-Fitness.com) and am in the process of reading your seven weeks to lifetime weight loss success. I want to start by telling you that I think it's wonderful. I have tried numerous times over the past year to lose weight, unsuccessfully. Now I know that it's due to the fact that I was unconsciously sabotaging my efforts. This time is very different, and I thank you, and praise God for your help.
I am only 3 days into the manual, but my question is regarding getting "emotionally involved" with my vision. I'm not quite sure how to implement this. Could you shed a little more light on this aspect? Thank you in advance, and again for sharing your knowledge.
Erica C.
Hi Erica,
Sure, I'm delighted to help. And thank you so much for your kind words about the manual.
It's a major breakthrough that you now understand that the root cause of your weight problem really has nothing to do with food, or diet, or even exercise, but with what's going on between your ears. I often feel like the guy standing out in the wilderness, crying out the truth!
Anyway, yes, you really do need to get emotionally involved with your success. You begin by identifying both goals you can get emotional about reaching, and by identifying emotional reasons (motivations) for reaching them. Otherwise it's just an intellectual exercise that will get you nowhere. Emotion is the "rocket fuel" that really makes things happen.
Any goal worthy of the name has two emotional components. First, there's going to be a really good reason (motivation) why the status quo is unacceptable. Then there's going to be a really good reason (motivation) why reaching the goal is so desirable. Ideally, you'll have several goals that motivate you, and all will have an identifiable emotional component that makes you want to move away from the status quo and toward the desired goal/condition.
Then, when it comes time for your visualizations and affirmations, you need to be emotionally invested in these as well. You need to feel substantial attachment to your vision , and to express substantial emotion when you speak your affirmations.
It's really kind of a long explanation via email, but I hope it's a tiny bit clearer now. You may not be aware that you're entitled to a free 30-minute "sample" coaching session, where I could cover a lot of ground in a short time. Just let me know if you'd like to set that up one day.
Yours in total health,
