Push vs Pull Goal: Know the Difference for Weight Loss Success

We all know to be successful at anything, you need to set goals for yourself. And achieving successful weight loss and actually keeping it off is no different. But there are different types of goals - we here at BodySlims call them Push and Pull goals. In this blog, we’re going to explain the difference and how, with the guidance of BodySlims, you can achieve your weight loss transformation dreams…  

What is a Push Goal?

First, let’s explain a push goal. Push goals are results that you strive towards but can’t ever quite make it. It is a target that doesn’t really excite you, so you're constantly going to have to push to get there, but you never do. Basically, these types of goals are like trying to push an elephant; it’s too hard, so in the end, they can be extremely demotivating and you give up altogether.

You should be excited about the goal you set for yourself, and it should spur you into action every single day. That is where push goals differ from pull goals…

What is a Pull Goal?

Now, a pull goal is entirely different to a push goal. As mentioned, a goal should create action. It has to be strong enough to motivate you and be something you strive towards, getting you up and out of bed in the morning. It’s something that should keep you up at night; that’s how excited you should feel when you think about it. And, a pull goal should be so exciting that you nearly feel your stomach have butterflies; if it's not, you don't have it right. 

Finding Your Pull Goal

Within the BodySlims programme, we discuss the three different parts of the personality, the ego, the superego and the id, and how each of them plays a role in achieving weight loss. For now, we’re just going to focus on two parts of the personality that make it difficult for most people to find their pull goal - the superego and the id. 

Fixing the Superego

In the context of weight loss, a person's superego becomes damaged when they’ve tried everything to lose weight and failed, constantly giving themselves their word, breaking it and leaving them with no belief. What these people then do is they tend to make their dreams very moderate, such as being 17 stone and aiming to get to 16 stone. That’s not a goal; it’s an idea, a good one, but not the culmination of their journey. It’s not exciting - getting to 10 stone, for instance, is exciting. 

Finding Pleasure with the Id

Now, other weight loss programmes disregard the second part of the personality - the id, the principle where we move away from pain and towards pleasure. Think about it: if you got to 10 stone from 17, how would you feel? You’d feel amazing, right? You wouldn't feel anywhere near as great if you only got to 16.

 So, with this in mind, it’s much harder to get from 17 to 16 stone - the good idea, the push goal - in a mental capacity because the id will see pain getting there. The pain it sees is eating healthier or not going out on the weekends because there is little to no reward; it will be driving against you. But if the id sees the end result as incredibly pleasurable, like you looking spectacular in a bikini on holidays, we will do far more to get there because it’s not just a good idea. 

How Knowing the Difference Between a Push and Pull Goal Will Make You Succeed

Entering Your Peak State with Your Pull Goal

So, when we choose to make your end result, your pull goal, incredibly pleasurable, we bring the id onside with the superego. And when we align all three parts of the personality that are usually at war with each other, we can enter our peak state.  The peak state is where we are entirely driven towards a singular goal. To put this in context, the fastest way people reach a peak state is by going to their doctor and being told they have just three months to live. After the shock, your next question will probably be, “Is there anything I can do?” Whatever the doctor says next, you will do at 100% with a concentration and determination you’ve never felt before. Now, imagine they said, “the only thing that could save you is to lose 20lbs in the next 10 weeks”, would you do it? Well, of course you would, in fact, you’d probably lose a lot more just to be sure!

But this is desperation over inspiration. You have to fix your damaged superego by being inspired, defining your pleasure and daring to dream. If you do this, you will be motivated, stimulated and excited, making getting your end result so much easier, all because you’re changing the chemicals in your brain. Let’s put it this way: You’re not a morning person, but the early morning airport trek ahead of your long-awaited holiday has you jumping out of bed, doesn’t it? This is because your brain is creating those feel-good chemicals to get you to your end result.

Have a Plan, Starting with the End Result in Mind

On top of this, to succeed, you have to start with the end goal in mind; you've got to have the belief and know where you're going to go so you can work it back and pull yourself towards it day by day. 

Here’s another example: the person who thought about building the Eiffel Tower didn’t just come up with the brilliant idea and it suddenly appeared overnight. No, they had to plan, source an architect, gather all the materials, find every type of engineer, and organise every other tiny detail. They may have failed in the past at other projects, but they healed their superego and id personalities, rejected any limiting beliefs, set a goal with pleasure at the forefront and pulled themselves towards greatness. The plan was the base, they set how high their goal was going to be, started from the bottom, and worked their way towards it each and every day.

This is how you will succeed in your weight loss goals: setting a pull goal instead of a push goal.

How Gerard, BodySlims Weight Whisperer, Discovered His Pull Goal

“When I was young, my dad passed away, and that was an awful feeling.  So, when my kids were young, I was determined to be there until they were 18. That meant I had to do certain things and behave in a certain way because I didn’t want them to suffer the pain that I felt. I know other people have much worse pains than me, but that's my point of reference. My son's older, and my daughter's younger. When my daughter turned 18, I had reached my goal, but things had changed, and my own beliefs about myself changed. So I immediately enhanced my goal, and I said, ‘I'm going to give my daughter away on for wedding day,’ that's now my overarching goal. Why? Well, I'm her dad; it's my job. I know if I wasn't around, my son would step in and do a better job than I ever could, but I know it's my job. “

How does it work? 

“I'll tell you how this goal works for me. On the days I don’t feel like going out for my walk, I think it looks a bit grey outside, and I’m saying to myself, ‘Ah, I’ll get out tomorrow.’ If I ever get any of these thoughts, I bring up an image straight away, and it's the image of my daughter on her wedding day. It is an image of her done up in her makeup and in her white dress, with tears streaming down her face because I’m not there. I find that this image changes the chemicals in my body, and I nearly kick the door off the hinges to get out on my walk! I get a surge of adrenaline because I will not allow that image to come true. I will fight to make sure she doesn’t experience that pain. That's what motivates me; that’s my million dollars; it drives me.” 

4 Times Pull Goals Drove Weight Loss Success

Now remember, the purpose of your goal is to cause action; there’s no point in having a wish that you know you can’t make happen. Here are just some of our countless success stories of people who found their own pull goals and made them happen:

Robbie Shortall and Walking His Daughter Down the Aisle

“For me, doing something about my weight before it bit me hard and being around to walk [my daughter] down the aisle in the future was one of the biggest reasons for me wanting to lose the weight in the first place. It's probably why the seminars where Ger talks about his own daughter as his ‘why’ and the illness express are my favourites as they hit so close to home.” ~ Robbie 

Karen Armstrong and Being Classed as a ‘Normal’ Weight

 “My FIRST dare to dream goal of 138lbs with a BMI of 25. I am now medically classed as a "normal" weight. I'm 14lbs lighter than I was on my wedding day - 21 years ago this year. I've reset my final goal for 5lbs lower, taking me to 133lbs and a BMI of 23, nicely in the middle of the recommended 18-25 range. For me to be classed as "normal" weight is important.” ~ Karen

Wendy Ward and Stopping Drinking Alcohol

“To say it has changed my life is an understatement. I am 54 years old I feel 20 years younger, over the past 10 weeks, I have not only lost 26 lbs, but I managed to stop drinking alcohol, which was so huge for me, and also learned to control the comfort eating. I have so much energy and a new lease of life. Bodyslims gives you so much more than weight loss.” ~ Wendy

Anne Gallagher and Taking Her Favourite Shirt Out of the Black Bag

“.. [here’s] a picture which shows me at the start of the programme in a shirt I had put in a black bag as it didn’t fit (clearly) and me today with my trophies representing my 2 stone loss over 10 weeks. I truly loved every minute and had too many ‘lightbulb’ moments to count. I think my smile says it all!!” ~ Anne

Discover Your Pull Goal and Your Own ‘Why’ with BodySlims! 

We know taking a chance on yourself can be frightening. But you know that old saying, feel the fear and do it anyway? You've got to have your breakthrough moment and rid yourself of those limiting beliefs that you can’t do it. Because you can, you can find the goal that’s going to pull you to change your life for the better.  

Right now is your opportunity to make a decision to get to a hundred percent. You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up for our programme; the result you want is waiting for you!