Why We Lose Motivation And What To Do About It!
posted on: June 25, 2018. posted in: Weight loss, Fitness
We've had a question sent to us privately...
"Morning- I’ve been following for a while but went to sign up this morning and start KB again this week. I have just sat down to look at planning weeks meals and gathered all the books. So, I’m 44 haven’t done WW since 2004 for my wedding and know what’s good for me but in the last 4 years I have gone through:
Fat loss Bootcamp
Fat loss at local KB group
Joe wicks
Trinity including mindset
Yoga
Then stopped!! Everything!
I felt fab, felt happy but stopped - all this food prep and training before anyone else woke up I started to begrudge the family having a lie in! Now, with gallbladder removed in Jan I am back to square one!
I thought why is Rebel fit different? Could you help? Why am I good at getting results then stopping!"
Hello and welcome to Rebelfit 😊
Weight and bodyshape change is basically a battle between two very different parts of your brain.
We've got the part of your brain that wants you to get lean, burn lots of calories and help you achieve that slimmer, leaner physique.
And we've got the part of your brain that wants you to gain weight, store lots of calories and keep you safe from any potential famines.
For simplicity let's call them...
LEAN BRAIN vs FAT BRAIN
Now all your attempts at getting fitter and leaner are when Lean Brain is in charge, helping you find that motivation to start that diet or join that fatloss bootcamp or take on that Rebelfit mission.
And all those things that cause you to lose fitness and gain weight are when Fat Brain is in charge, causing you to lose motivation, binge and hang out on the sofa.
So at any given time...
In any given individual...
Lean Brain or Fat Brain is in charge.
And dieters know this all too well.
Lean Brain might be in charge for a few weeks, or a few months, when the diet is going really well, and you're consistently doing your workouts, and you see and feel your body getting leaner.
WHOOPEEE!!! 😁
Then suddenly Fat Brain takes over, you're face down in the ice cream and you can't find the motivation to get out of bed let alone take on a high intensity workout!
WTF!!! 😭
Well it turns out that Lean Brain, something called "cognitive control", can only work for so long before it needs to take a rest and recharge.
And guess what happens when Lean Brain takes a rest?
Fat Brain rocks up and says...
"Yeah baby!!! Lean Brain is off duty!! Let's crack open the Häagen Dazs and spend the week in bed!! F**k you fat loss bootcamp / Joe Wicks / Liam from Rebelfit!!!"
Lean Brain has a little rest, comes back on duty and shouts...
"What the f**k have you done woman!! You've just gained a stone in a week while I wasn't looking!! Why?!!!" 🙈
And the battle continues.
__________
When we're looking at a lean person, we're looking at someone whose Lean Brain is in control most of the time.
When we're looking at an obese person, we're looking at someone whose Fat Brain is in control most of the time.
The question is...
Why?
Why is the lean person's Lean Brain in control most of the time, whilst the obese person's Fat Brain is in control most of the time.
The answer is complex.
But the short version?
Lean people have learned how to make their Lean Brain really big, really strong and really powerful, whilst also making their Fat Brain really cool, really calm and really quiet.
You can't get rid of Fat Brain.
She's there for keeps!
But you can learn how to suppress her so that your Lean Brain can take the lead, giving you longer, stronger bouts of willpower, preventing that STOP/START, "on it / off it" pattern you've found yourself in.
A simple way to do this is to allow Fat Brain to run the show every once in a while.
It might be one day a week.
It might be one week a month.
It might be one month a year.
Or more, or less.
But trying to keep Fat Brain quiet forever ain't going to happen, so you need to learn how to be cool, calm and relaxed when she fights for control of your behaviour.
Like now!
Don't stress that you're taking a rest.
Embrace the rest as part of the process.
Because the more you stress, the more you fire up your Fat Brain and fire up this battle, leading to starve / binge behaviour that promotes weight gain long term.
Relax. Recharge. Then refocus.
Liam
p.s. This is a fascinating subject! And something we'll spend lots of time discussing and learning on our next mission! Summer Strip launches in 6 days! Book your place today!
