Is Your Diet Destroying Your Drive?

Trying to lose weight typically sounds exciting at first. There’s often a rush of enthusiasm when embarking on a new self-change experience.

Dieting researchers Janet Polivy and Peter Herman coined the term false hope syndrome 25 years ago; there is no actual syndrome, but it describes the euphoria of optimism and overconfidence that breeds inflated expectations of success. They noted that in the dieting space, this is typically followed by experiencing the misery of defeat.

While it may seem like setting a weight-related goal is just the kickstart you need, consider how doing so may actually destroy your motivation in the long run. Motivation is a finicky beast. It’s often fleeting—here today, gone tomorrow. Motivation researchers found that there are different types of motivation, which sit on a spectrum with extrinsic motivation at one end and intrinsic motivation at the other.

Extrinsic motivation kicks into high gear when you are trying to make a change to reach a certain weight goal, to meet a certain health recommendation, or outdo your friends on social media. Extrinsic motivation is often the driving force when you are trying to make a change because you feel like you “should,” “ought to,” or like to win. Often, you’re doing that behavior to keep your doctor happy or to avoid feelings of guilt or failure.

On the other end of the motivation spectrum is intrinsic motivation. You’re engaging with the behavior because it’s enjoyable, satisfying, or makes you feel good physically or emotionally. Your motivation is coming from within.

You add fruits and vegetables to your plate, not because you are trying to lose weight, but because you like the way they brighten up your plate, the way they taste, or the way you feel right after you eat them. You add physical activity and have regular sleep habits because you have more energy, can focus better during the day, and are less depressed, anxious, or cranky.

Researchers have found that people primarily motivated by intrinsic forms of motivation are more likely to initiate and maintain a behavior change. I’m going to say it again for the people in the back: when you make changes because those changes make you feel good, are enjoyable, and satisfying, you are more likely to stick with them.

Here’s the thing: dieting isn’t usually all that enjoyable. There’s often a “muscling through the misery” vibe, or the belief that you can just “willpower” through patterns that are boring, painful, or uncomfortable. There’s a “cutting out of favorite foods” pattern, and then trying to cope with feelings of hunger and deprivation.

Consider letting go of the weight or appearance piece and looking for other reasons to make positive health-supporting changes. What are the self-care patterns that give you good energy, bring you joy, and are satisfying? What are the changes that would improve your overall quality of life, even if you don’t lose weight?

Diet culture can destroy motivation. Tracking calories consumed and burned, counting macros, worrying about the scale, and body fat percentages are all clues that extrinsic motivation may be the primary driving force. These patterns may have ignited your New Year’s resolution journey, but unless you can switch your focus to the intrinsic benefits, the new change may be fleeting. Notice how the change feels. Ask yourself this question:

If I am consistent with this new behavior, and my body doesn’t change in the ways I want it to, but I:

• Enjoy the change or activity
• Feel like the change or activity is improving my emotional or mental health
• Notice that the change or activity makes me feel good physically

Will I stick with it? If the answer is yes, then you may have found a forever habit worth keeping.

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