Many people are motivated to lose weight just for the sake of being ‘skinny’ or due to other vanity-related concerns. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having such motives for weight loss. However, the vanity-motivated drive is oftentimes problematic because it can result in one taking extreme measures to lose weight that may be unhealthy and even toxic to the body. Furthermore, if your dieting and/or exercise habits are driven by vanity what will keep you motivated to continue these behaviors once your desired weight loss is achieved?

I encourage you to explicitly define a real motivation for losing weight and put it in writing. This is an essential first step for achieving weight loss success in the long-term. When establishing your motivation, focus on the reason(s) you want to lose weight in the first place. Identify your expected benefits and create a ‘big picture’ for yourself. Doing this will help you stay on course throughout your journey and keep you motivated as you experience setbacks along the way.