Having an event or date to work toward can be very motivating.

There are a number of occasions where everyone wants to look his or her best; Weddings, birthdays, high school reunion, family functions, work parties and holidays (especially when they’re on romantic islands!).

These events are really motivating as most of the time you will have your picture taken, or will see people you haven’t seen for a while, or maybe even you just want to look better than you did the last time it occurred.

In saying that, making your body healthy, stronger and fitter should be your biggest motivation. Losing weight should not be something you do for someone else, it should be something you do for yourself.

No one has the right to tell you to change your body unless you are putting yourself in a risky and unsound medical position. If you friends and family comment on your weight problems or make you feel self conscious there are a number of ways you can react.

Dealing with negative comments

1. Firstly: You can tell them what they are saying is hurting you and that you are aware of your problem but not sure how to change your situation. You might be surprised at how supporting they are once they realize you are actually interested in doing something to change your state. You also have to acknowledge that you might have said you were going to change a pattern in the past and then not acted, and it might take a little bit of time for them to actually believe that you WILL do it this time. Be Patient.
   
   
2. Secondly: You can take action as a result of their comments and start a new diet plan, but you need to be very aware that you are doing it firstly for yourself and not SOLELY to please your partner, mother, friend etc.
   
   
3. Thirdly: You can opt to do nothing, continue to feel upset when people say things and turn to the cupboard when you might need to feel a little better. Do nothing and keep eating hoping that one day they might just stop or that everyone will not notice you anymore.

Unfortunately as dramatic as I made it sound, the third option happens more often than not.

Many people choose to bottle their feelings up inside and not tell others about their problems, fears and goals, in the hope that no one will notice they are not actually achieving what they set out to do.

This is a really self-destructive path and will NOT automatically correct its alignment with age or experience.

As you grow older, you do not always grow wiser. In fact, sometimes different experiences, feelings and problems encountered in the past lead people to resist change or new ideas because they have built a barrier around themselves to prevent more things from going wrong. This means they can automatically reject things they desire because they are letting their past dictate their future.