When it comes to fitness goals, where does your ‘why’ come from?

Even when there's a catalyst for change prompting you to make a decision to carry out that change, and even when you're starting to see results, any and all progress you make will be short-lived if the reason you're doing it doesn't come from your heart.

Every change you've ever made to try and improve your health and achieve a healthy weight started with a decision. And each decision came as a result of something that bothered you enough to cause you to want to do something different. Decisions are powerful, or at least they can be when the “what” or the “why” behind them comes from the right place.

When it comes to health, and in particular weight loss, it's important to know why you're doing it. If you ask a person why they've decided to start exercising, lose weight or eat cleaner, they will likely say something like, “I really just need to fit back into my jeans again,” “I've just got to drop 20 pounds before my high school reunion,” or “We're going on a cruise in a few months, so ya know, bathings suits and all.” Well, you get the idea.

No doubt these are the moments that prompt people to get started and begin seeing results. They are not however, typically the moments that will allow them to keep those results.

Even when there's a catalyst for change with something niggling away, prompting you to make a decision to carry out that change, even when you're starting to see results, any and all progress you make will be short-lived if you have a “why” that's short-term, rather than one that addresses the bigger picture.

Simply put, a “why” that's ego-based rather than one that comes from your heart doesn't do much in the long run. Becoming frustrated with your weight and telling yourself you're going to get rid of the extra pounds and fit back into those favourite jeans by Christmas isn't enough. You'll get some results for sure, as long as you make changes. Remember, anyone can lose weight. Ask a dieter. They've done it several times over.

But how you keep it off is the much larger and more important question. And it all comes down to the source of your “why.”

What I've noticed from talking to my clients over the years is most people decide to jump in and start focusing on health and/or weight because of something suddenly became urgent to them, like the examples above. Simply put, their reasons for diving in are based solely on the way they see themselves in the mirror. It's purely ego driven.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying you've got a massive ego if you've ever wanted to look better in a bathing suit. It’s likely most of us wanted that at one time or another. Rather, it’s that those reasons come from a superficial place.

(People making them) are only seeing the short-term. And when that short-term ends, without something long-term to back it up and lead you to continue on, it's very easy to let all those good habits you just started living with, fall by the wayside.

To have success, true success where you can achieve your health and weight goals and keep them for life, your, “why-am-I-doing-this?” must come from the heart. Hearing, “I saw my mom yo-yo diet for years and I don't want to live like that. I want my kids to have a healthy relationship with food,” “My dad is just not healthy and I'm scared of what might happen to him. I can't put my family through that,” or “I never want to feel too old to travel and explore how and where I want. I've only got one body and I need to take care of it.” It's powerful because it comes from the heart.

That ego "why" that got you started, that's OK. I'm all for whatever motivates you to get started on your health journey. It's all good. But thinking it's enough, without going deeper and really asking yourself, “Why am I doing this?” is a huge mistake.

Having an approach to follow that focuses on health and not dieting definitely helps steer you in the right direction. But the clincher— the thing that seals the deal and will allow you to achieve your goals and keep all those great results you worked so hard for—is a “why” that comes from your heart.

If you're ready to stop dieting, find your why and get results you can keep for life, book a free assessment call with Tania and join the 8 Weeks is All it Takes group on Facebook.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.