
- Genuine satisfaction with current circumstances
- A lack of self-awareness, meaning the problem hasn't yet been consciously identified.
Even when people want to change, sustaining change is notoriously difficult. This isn’t due to a lack of plans - but due to:
- Ambivalence in the contemplation stage (Prochaska & DiClemente’s Transtheoretical Model)
- Conflicted reward systems: immediate gratification vs long-term benefit
- Low intrinsic motivation or emotional engagement
- Poor reframing of effort as meaningful or rewarding
- Lack of social support or identity alignment
- Strength-based change: working with your best traits
- Hope theory (Snyder): visualising a better future and believing you can get there
- Self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan): needing autonomy, competence, and relatedness to sustain motivation
- Cognitive reframing: seeing sacrifice as service to the self, not deprivation
Contemplation & The Power of the 'Why'
- Deep reflection on values: "What do I really want my life and body to feel like?"
- Emotionally charging your 'why': not just “I want to lose fat” but “I want to feel light, powerful, and free in my body.”
- Seeing the cost of inaction: every cookie becomes a vote for tiredness, insecurity, and shame. Every good choice is a vote for strength, clarity, and health.
- Clarify your ‘Why’ and connect it to core values. Anchor motivation in something bigger than aesthetics—freedom, vitality, performance, self-respect.
- Reframe deprivation as self-respect. It's not about what you're giving up; it's about what you're choosing instead—health, freedom, energy.
- Use the power of identity-based habits. Don’t try to lose weight—become the kind of person who eats and trains like an athlete. (James Clear)
- Visualise success and rehearse temptation. Mentally practice making the right choice before you're tested. It builds grit and automaticity.
- Track small wins. Dopamine is released when we see progress—so record workouts, weight trends, mood shifts, waist measurements.
- Lean into discomfort. Feeling hungry or tired is a sign of transformation, not a problem. Discomfort is the price of change.
- Set process goals, not just outcome goals. “Train 4x this week” is more powerful than “lose 4kg.” The former is within your control.
- Curate your environment. Willpower is overrated. Design your life so the cookie trolley never even enters your field of vision.
- Use the ‘2-minute rule’. If you don’t want to train, do 2 minutes. Often, you’ll keep going. Starting is the hardest part.
- Practice gratitude and reflection daily. Gratitude enhances well-being and reduces impulsivity, aiding in better food and life choices.
- Join a community or accountability structure. Behaviour is contagious. Surround yourself with people who have the standards you aspire to. My Strength For Life Group is packed with advice, recipes, training programmes and most importantly other people going through the same journey as you.