True Secret to Weight Loss? Discipline

The weight-loss industry will never go south.

From prepared, calorie-counted meal services, pill of the month, book of the week, surgeries, magic diet of the year, talk therapies — all the way to fat-is-beautiful cults — this is a perpetual machine.

Recently, a caller wanted advice on motivation.

The 5-foot-8 woman is in her 30s and weighs 220 pounds.

She recently gained 40 pounds after losing some weight — only to put it all back on.

She wanted to know what tip I had for maintaining motivation to eat properly.

Motivation is the reason we have for behaving in a particular way, a willingness to do something. Most folks think motivation is some power that propels them into doing the right thing.

Nope.

The reason to lose weight is always there: looking good, feeling better, and staying healthy. Well, those reasons can live well outside effort and commitment.

Reasons don’t have power.

Neither does willingness: inclination, wish, desire, eagerness.

It doesn’t have power, either.

I don’t really ever deal with motivation because it is an unstable point of view.

I have an active physical life (hiking, weightlifting,sailboat racing, pickleball), and it is absolutely not true that I am always motivated for the physicality or other activities that I enjoy, as well as work.

If I or anyone else relied solely on motivation, many things would never get done.

Unless motivation comes from a threat of divorce, firing, or physical or financial devastation, motivation is not what I believe people should count on.

I do the things I have commitments to do whether or not I feel like doing them.

That means I have to wrestle against ennui or any other contrary state of mind and make the decision to act in spite of feeling said state.

We call this behavior discipline.

To discipline oneself to do something in a controlled and habitual way takes training.

I don’t hear self-help types talking about that sort of training.

In fact, years ago a psychiatrist had a weight-loss clinic and when I saw his TV ad, I was stunned. It depicted a woman flying toward a refrigerator with the voiceover: "It’s not your fault."

And that is the key to the weight-loss industry: taking responsibility away from people, and adding in their money-making enterprise of surgeries, pills, supplements, etc.

Most of this results in temporary changes. Why?

Because the industry makes people reliant on their product or service — instead of people training themselves into a habit, as well as learning how to navigate through unhealthy desires.

Discipline.

As for this woman caller? When she was in high school, she played soccer and loved it.

I asked her why she stopped; her reasons were that she didn’t look attractive and it was hard to find a team or club.

I told her she was correct on number one, but that would be temporary, as she played soccer with some regularity; she was incorrect (silly excuse) on number two.

There is no "tip" or external force that consistently puts us in a hypnotic-like state of unwavering willingness to do something which is uncomfortable.

None.

So, start with making your bed every day as soon as your feet touch the floor.

Every day.

Discipline, not motivation.

Dr. Laura (Laura Schlessinger) is a well-known radio personality and best-selling author. She appears regularly on many television shows and in many publications. Listen to Dr. Laura on SiriusXM Channel 111, Mon.–Sat. 2–6pm ET, Sun. 5–9pm ET.​ Read Dr. Laura's Reports — More Here.

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