I lost 9lbs in September. And I didn't do it with meal replacements, living on juices or popping pills. And for the first time in my life, I also didn't do it with Weight Watchers or any other slimming group. This is the second of three posts on how I did it (post one talked about the incredible online fitness instructor I've discovered).
When it comes to dieting, I always think that there is one tool that you simply can't do it without. You could have a personal trainer, your own low-cal chef, daily weigh-ins and a home gym...but none of it would get you the results you want without this other tool. All the trappings money can buy wouldn't stop you sneaking off to gorge on chocolate when no one was looking, they wouldn't give you the spark to push yourself ever harder physically, and they wont give you the momentum to make a permanent change to your life.
This tool is the fuel of any successful attempt to lose weight, get fit and live healthily. Motivation!
Everyone has their own motivations. I know I have a few different ones like getting back into my smaller clothes which are all packed away in my loft, or improving my long term health so I can be one of those incredible old people who still do all their own stunts. But like anyone on a long journey, I get tired. My motivation to slip into my size tens isn't so strong now that I've dropped a couple of sizes already, and now that I don't feel as obvious as a whale when walking down the high street the desire for change is less of a burn and more just a tingle. Of course, the knock-on from this droop in motivation is that my progress had ground to a halt. Actually, it had been reversing a little...some pounds had crept back on. Not cool.
Looking for inspiration, I came across Cassey Ho and her Blogilates site. In the run up to the launch of her #Sweatember workout calendar, Cassey was also promoting something called a Diet Bet that she would be running alongside it. Diet Bet sells itself as "social dieting", but basically people can create games (which is what Cassey did) and participants join and basically pay to bet a set amount on themselves to lose 4% of their weight in the 28 day duration of the game. If you manage to lose it, you share the money in the pot with everyone else who hits the target too. In the Blogilates game there was $119,600 in the pot!
Now, I'm not a gambler. But I worked out what 4% of my weight would be and decided that it wasn't an impossible amount to lose in four weeks. That made the odds a lot better, and with my motivation failing me in every other form I decided to see if this could give me the kick I needed.And what a powerful motivator money turned out to be! Not so much the chance of winning money, but the idea that if I didn't lose the weight I would instead lose the money I had bet on myself. I'm really watching the pennies right now, so there was no way I was going to let that cash get flushed down the drain simply because I couldn't say no to cake! Weighing in each week kept me focused, and I was really pleased with my progress. In the end, I smashed my 4% target by losing nearly 6% instead, which meant not only did I win my initial bet back but I also won nearly the same amount over again.
To me though, the money is secondary. The real prize is being ale to say that I lost in a month more than I had gained in the months previous, and that I am now on the verge of being back at a healthy weight. That means I am just 8lbs away from the goal weight I’ve had in my sights since Mini Milk was born last September. Money can't buy that sort of prize, and the motivation keeps on giving once the game is over because my passion for weight loss has been reignited. I would definately recommend getting involved in a Diet Bet to anyone who is struggling with motivation. Even if you don't win, you're bound to lose at least some of that 4% and any step towards your goal is surely worth at least a $25 bet! I know I'll be taking part in another one soon, possibly in November, just to keep my efforts up...it would be amazing to be at my goal weight for Christmas!
What motivates you on a weight loss mission? I'm always looking for tips, so feel free to share!
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