The answer to this question probably differs somewhat from person to person depending on individual issues and lifestyle. But certain things will surely apply to most.
1. Desire.
You truly have to want to change. And you have to want it for yourself, not because your spouse wants you to or your best friend is doing it. And your reason to lose weight (or make any lifestyle change) should not be for some short term goal like a June wedding or bathing suit season. Peer pressure or people pleasing are poor long term motivators. Sure support is nice but unnecessary if you’re serious, motivated, and a self starter. If you’re relying on others to pat you on the back all the time or you rely on others support to stay motivated you’ll probably fail.
2. Clearly Defined Goals.
Experts point out that the more precise your goals the more likely you are to get results. Loosely defined and generalized goals like “I want to lose weight” or “I want to get in shape” are so general they are nearly worthless. More precise goals like “Lose a pound a week” or “Do two total body resistance workouts a week and three aerobics workouts a week” give you tight guidelines that are much more likely to lead to results.
3. Responsibility.
If you do not take responsibility for your poor lifestyle choices you likely will not change or adopt new healthy choices to replace the poor ones. Blaming genetics, heredity, an unhappy life situation, a physical condition or health issue, your momma’s cooking, or your poppa’s drinking doesn’t get you anywhere. Although they may be reasons you choose to eat poorly and vegetate on the couch, you are still the one in charge of your choices. Ultimately nobody makes them for you. Before you cram a donut in your mouth because your boss yelled at you, or sit on the sofa all night because a Biggest Loser rerun marathon is on, stop and realize you can make a healthier choice.
4. Focus.
Once you decide that you want to change, have defined what you want to change and how, and taken responsibility for how you got there in the first place, you can focus on the path ahead. No goal is met without focus. Here’s where life’s challenges and daily aggravations will pop up and try to derail you. It’s easy to skip a workout when it’s raining or you’re feeling under the weather. You’ll still want to grab a bite at the drive-thru when you’re in a hurry. These things are going to happen too. Every one occasionally has a lazy day or cheats. But if you lose focus on your goals and do not refocus on your goals after a cheat meal or a day off from the gym your loss of focus will snowball into outright failure. Stay focused even when you have had a bad day or week. Keep your eyes on the prize.
5. Consistency.
This is closely tied to focus. The difference is that while focus is mostly mental, consistency is physical. Your healthy choices in food and activity will have to be more frequent than your poor choices. You will have to act in a consistent fashion to succeed. People fail because they are not consistent at doing the things that will get them to their goals. Consistency leads to success. Inconsistency means you're wasting your time.
6. Flexibility.
One of the main reasons people fail at weight loss and fitness goals is inflexibility and perfectionism. “I have to be perfect or else.” While consistency is necessary to reach your goals, perfection and inflexibility will derail you. Expect pitfalls and twists on your road to your goals. Roll with the punches. Get up off the floor when you fall. Don’t give up because of a bad day of eating junk or a week of missed gym dates. You didn’t “blow it” because you "weren’t perfect" and now you're doomed to failure. NOBODY IS PERFECT. We all are imperfect humans. You do not have to be perfect to be successful. Just resolve to do better, refocus and try harder to be consistent. Quitters who insist on perfection or near perfection never achieve success. Imperfect people who keep getting up off the floor and trying are ultimately successful.
7. Drive.
You can put all the above components together but without drive you will eventually fail. What drives you to pursue your goals will be an individual matter but finding a purpose that ignites your desire and keeps it burning is essential. Without the drive to keep on pursuing a goal your enthusiasm with peter out, you’ll lose focus, not be consistent, and fail.
8. Permanent Lifestyle Change.
This is probably the most important key to success. If you implement the best nutrition plan and fitness routine ever but you can’t live with it forever your goals are doomed from the start. You have to live your way to your goals. Your lifestyle has to fit your goals and your goals must fit your lifestyle. If you cannot get these two to dovetail forget about it. Because the way you live creates your future. Donuts on the couch today equals a fat and unfit body tomorrow. Hit the gym and eat clean today and you’ll be fitter and healthier tomorrow.
Links
Become a Self Starter
Powerful(ly) Written Goals In 7 Simple Steps
SMART Goal Setting
Take Responsibility For Weight and Eating Habits
The Simple Secret to Achieving Your Goals: Focus
Consistency Is Key In Fitness
Fat is a psychological issue: Embarking on a diet can be dangerous. Paradoxically, the chronic stress induced by the struggle for control can make dieters more prone to overeating
Are you Driven to Succeed?
Behavioral Steps Towards Permanent Weight Loss and Lifestyle Change: Insight to Action
