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Want to lose weight? What do you really mean?

Saying you want to lose weight is all well and good, but you need to know your real motivation for wanting to lose fat to stack the odds of success in your favour, says New Body Plan editorial director Joe Warner

I’m guessing that you’re reading this post because you’d like to make a change to your life.

Right? Great, I thought so. And good news: you’ve come to the right place.

It may be that you want to lose weight from around your middle. You might want to add some muscle for a strong and athletic physique. Or maybe you just want to get a little bit fitter, healthier and happier so you can look and feel better in your own skin.

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You see, “change” means something different to everyone. Your vision of change will be different to mine, or to your friends, family and colleagues.

And that’s why in order for you to turn your personal hope into a reality, you need to know exactly what “your change” is, and what it means to you.

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Abstract ambition
Let me explain. Most people would like to “lose some weight”. You’ve almost certainly said it at some point, which is likely why you signed up to New Body Plan in the first place. I certainly know that I’ve said it. But when we say “I want to lose some weight”, what does it mean – really?

After all, there’s very few professions where your weight genuinely matters. All I can think of is astronaut, jockey or boxer. Otherwise it’s just a number on a set of bathroom scales (and a number that’s not very useful when wanting to get leaner: there are far better ways to track your progress if you want to lose fat faster).

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Feel-good factors
So when we say we want to lose weight, we’re not actually saying we want to lose weight. We are saying we want to feel or do things that we currently don’t feel or can’t do.

In reality, we are saying one or some of the following:

“I want to feel more confident”
“I want to be fitter for my kids” 
“I want to feel more attractive”
“I want to look fit and healthy”
“I want to feel happier”
“I want my clothes to fit better”

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Reframe your fitness!
My point is this: if we only ever say “I want to lose weight” then the chances are we won’t succeed. The key to all successful fat-loss efforts is to know exactly why you want to lose some weight.

It doesn’t have to be a single reason; it can be a combination of related or unrelated factors. The only thing they need to have in common is that they are positive motivating forces.

So instead of thinking: “I don’t want to feel fat”, tell yourself, “I want to feel healthier”.
Identifying your real reason you want to lose weight, then reframing it in a positive way, will give you the focus and motivation you need to take the small and smart steps that will move you closer to achieving your goal.

So today, when you get five minutes, sit down with a piece of paper and write down the real reason you want to change your life for the better. I’m not exaggerating when I say that finding the time to do this simple exercise will be the single-biggest factor behind you finally achieving your health and fitness goals so you can start living the life you want, and deserve.

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Helping hand
If you’re struggling to identify your real reasons for wanting to get back in shape, then I want to do everything I can to help. Simply drop me a line at coach@newbodyplan.co.uk and we’ll put our heads together to come up with a plan of action to get you to where you want to be!

To find your perfect transformation plan, take the New Body quiz!
Take the New Body quiz!

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