The Way Get Started Is To Quit Talking And Begin Doing. — Walt Disney
Although this guide has given you all the information needed to reach ideal, you still have to put in the work to get there.
Organized on this page are some of the techniques scientifically proven to help motivate you towards your ideal body!
The techniques listed first are those that seem to be most effective in motivating people. So, if you're going to implement some of them, try the ones listed first.
Tactic 1: Get some skin in the game
Several studies indicate that by having something to lose, we are more likely to stick with our goals [1, 2, 3]. No sh*t, right? But, it's an important fact about human nature that you should use to your advantage.
For example, what if you were told that if you do not reach the ideal physique in 24 weeks (6 months), you'll have to pay someone you dislike 2000 dollars/euros. All of a sudden, you're going to work much harder to reach the ideal physique.
Following this theme, here are a few ways you can put some skin in the game:
Tactic 2: Create habits loops
Charles Duhigg, in his book The Power of Habit, created the "habit loops" method as a fool-proof method to form healthy habits.
Habit loops are created in three steps:
- The Cue: the trigger for an automatic behavior to start
- The Routine: the behavior itself
- The Reward: what our brain gets out of it
A personal example: When Noam —an alpha-tester— wanted to start writing he linked watching a YouTube video with writing a paragraph. That meant that before every YouTube video (the cue), he would remember to write a paragraph (the routine), and only then continue the video (the reward).
Eventually, Noam associated watching YouTube with his writing goals and felt an urge to write whenever he watched clicked on a video. After seeing it work for his writing goal, he formed a habit loop for eating less, studying, working out, reading, meditation, and so much more. Most of his habits have been formed through this method and it is highly recommended you utilize it as well.
Here are a few ways that you can form habit loops toward getting your ideal physique:
- Every time you enter the kitchen (the cue), check Nutrionix (or your calorie counting app) to see if it's updated for the day (the routine) and then reward yourself with something small like checking social media or eating a snack (the reward).
- Before you go to sleep, put your workout clothes in your bag or in front of your door. When you see them (the cue), head to the gym (the routine), and then reward yourself with watching a favorite TV show or anything else (the reward).
- Put your smart scale in front of your toilet or on the way to the bathroom. When you see the scale (the cue), weigh yourself (the routine), and then reward yourself with your preferred hot beverage (the reward).
- There are tons of over ways, but these are just a few to get you started!
Tactics 3: Other motivation tricks
Besides the two motivation tactics listed above, here are more tactics that a majority of the beta-testers agreed upon. Note that this is one of the few times that not a lot of research will be linked in [brackets], but they've each got enough backing behind them to make it into the published guide.
Make a goal card (highly recommended)
The point of a goal card that you carry around with you is to constantly remind yourself of what you are trying to accomplish. Every time you look at it, you will regain your motivation to reach ideal!
Turn off ads related to food
Just seeing ads of food can cause a hunger response even when we're not hungry [1], so besides avoiding the obvious triggers like cookbooks and YouTube food videos, it can be a good idea to turn off ads related to food.
Watch motivational videos
Many people get a huge boost in motivation from watching or listening to motivational videos and speeches. Included in the guide is a public playlist of some highly motivational videos. You can click here to get the YouTube playlist.
Go to the gym with a friend
A recent study by Nature Communication found that training with a friend can lead to more consistent gym/running sessions and better workouts [1]. Try to double up on the program with a friend to make sure both of you are being held accountable for your goals!
Remember, you don't need to go all out on these! Pick the tactics that you can actually stick to and add more as you need them. More is not always better.