Remember Your Why
Developed by Dr. Jessica Yu, Clinical Psychologist
When we talk about sustainable weight loss, the focus is often on eating healthy, getting active, and prescription treatments. But there’s one vital element that’s often overlooked — motivation.
It’s something many of us wrestle with: in fact, research shows that two-thirds of people on a weight management programme struggle to reach their goals because of dips in motivation.
Getting to and maintaining a healthy weight takes focus over time. It is normal to have ups and downs in how motivated you feel along the way.
So, what can help you stay on track when motivation is low?
Remembering Your “Why”
Remembering your “why” is a way of keeping yourself on track. It means reminding yourself of what really matters to you, and what you hope to achieve by getting to and maintaining a healthy weight.
Taking time to reflect on the deeper reasons behind your goals can help you stay motivated, especially at times when you feel like giving up.
It’s based on a CBT technique called Motivational Interviewing (MI). By asking simple but meaningful questions, you can reconnect with your goals from the inside out—helping you keep progress moving forward.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing is a technique that helps us explore the underlying reasons for wanting to make a change. It can support us in clarifying our goals and strengthening our commitment to carry them through.
What it looks like:
Open questioning: Taking time to ask ourselves how and why these changes are important.
Noticing progress: Recognising the efforts we’ve made and the steps we’ve already taken, however small.
Reflection: Bringing these points together to reinforce our reasons for change and keep them in mind.
Tips to Remember Your Why
Motivational Interviewing can help at any stage, whether you are just starting out or have been making changes for a while. It is most useful when motivation feels low, or when keeping up with daily routines starts to feel difficult.
You might find it helpful to use this as a writing exercise, noting down your answers and reflecting on your answers to get deeper insights on why you started this journey in the first place.
Step 1: Open Questioning
If you’re feeling stuck, ask yourself:
Why was reaching a healthier weight important to me when I started?
What makes me want to do something about my weight now?
What matters most in my life, and how does my weight affect that?
How would I like my health and wellbeing to improve?
If I carried on with these changes, what would be different for me?
Example
“I have three young children, and it’s hard to keep up with them. I don’t have the energy to run around, cycle, or play the games they enjoy. That leaves me feeling low. If I keep going, I imagine being more active and energetic with them, joining in their play, and showing them that looking after your health is important.”
Step 2: Noticing Progress
Noticing progress helps us remember our wins when we feel stuck. Here, we can focus on our strengths, efforts, and all the hard work we’ve put into our goals to date. Here are a few prompts to help you get started:
What’s gone well on this journey?
What steps have I taken that I can be proud of?
What successes—big or small—have I had along the way?
Step 3: Reflection
Once you’ve written down your answers, take a moment to bring everything together. Think about:
After reminding myself why I started, what’s driving me now?
How can I build on the progress and strengths I’ve already shown?
Who could I share this with, so I have support and encouragement along the way?
Next Steps
Remembering your why can give you the boost you need to keep going. Reconnecting with your reasons can help you get through the harder days and remind you that long-term change is possible.
Wherever you are on your journey to a healthier weight, take a moment to pause and remind yourself why you started. It can help you stay focused and recommit to your goals.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your GP about the risks and benefits of any treatment.