Why do I always lose motivation after a few weeks?

You start a new plan with energy and excitement. The fridge is full of good food, you're organised, and you can already picture the end result. Then, somewhere around week three or four, the excitement wears off. Life gets busy. Progress slows. And the old habits start to creep back in.

If this sounds familiar, you're experiencing something completely normal. Motivation is a feeling, and like all feelings, it comes and goes. Relying on it alone is like setting out to sea and hoping the wind will always be behind you.

Lasting change rarely happens in a single moment. There's usually a letting go of old ways, a long, uncertain middle stretch, and then, eventually, a new normal. That middle part, where the old shore is behind you but the new one isn't yet in sight, is where many people give up, not because they're failing, but because nobody told them this part was coming.

Understanding where you are on that journey can make the difficult stretches feel much less like failure and much more like progress.

A lot of people believe they need to feel completely motivated before they begin, and that if the motivation disappears, the attempt is over. But waiting to feel 100% ready can mean waiting forever, and treating every dip in motivation as a sign to quit means most attempts end early.

People who succeed in the long term aren't necessarily more motivated than anyone else. They tend to have a clearer sense of why the change matters to them, realistic expectations about the difficult patches, and small, manageable steps to follow when motivation runs low.

Big goals can feel overwhelming. When you're looking at the whole distance you need to travel, it's easy to feel that you'll never get there. Breaking change down into small, achievable steps, each one building on the last, makes progress feel possible and keeps you moving even on the hard days. The programme uses a simple, memorable analogy to help with this, and many people find it changes the way they approach their goals altogether.

Picture yourself setting out in a small boat. You start paddling strongly, full of energy, and the familiar shore slowly disappears behind you. But the new shore isn't in sight yet. The water gets choppier, your arms start to tire, and with no landmarks around you, it's easy to feel lost and wonder whether you should turn back.

That's what change feels like for most people. It's in this stretch of open water that most attempts are abandoned, not because people aren't capable, but because nobody prepared them for how it would feel. In Week 2, we explore this journey in detail, and how to keep paddling when you can't see either shore.

It's very common to want to lose weight and, at the same time, feel reluctant to give up the things that make life comfortable. That mixed feeling, sometimes called ambivalence, isn't a sign you're not serious. It's part of being human. Being honest about the benefits and the barriers is far more useful than pretending the barriers aren't there.

Most people joining a weight management programme have tried before. Rather than seeing those attempts as failures, they can be a goldmine of information about what worked, what didn't, and why. The programme helps you look back with curiosity rather than criticism.

"I want to lose two stone" is a goal. But what's underneath it? Perhaps it's having the energy to keep up with your grandchildren, feeling comfortable on holiday, or protecting your health for the years ahead. When change is connected to what genuinely matters to you, your values, it becomes much more resilient to the bad days.

This part of the programme is especially valuable if you recognise yourself in any of these:

• You start with great enthusiasm but tend to stop after a few weeks
• You're not sure you're "ready", but you know you want something to change
• You've tried lots of approaches and feel you've failed at all of them
• Your goals are mostly about a number, rather than what that number would mean for your life
• You find yourself saying "I'll start properly on Monday"

Readiness to change might sound like a soft topic compared with portions or cravings, but it's the foundation the rest of the programme relies on. The practical skills in later weeks work best when they're connected to a clear sense of purpose, and when you understand that the ups and downs along the way are expected rather than a sign you're doing it wrong.

Goals are useful, but they can feel distant and abstract. Values are different. They're the things that matter most to you, such as family, health, independence or adventure, and they're with you every day. When your choices are connected to your values, even small actions feel meaningful, and you don't have to wait until you reach a target weight to feel you're living the life you want.

This values-based approach is drawn from acceptance and commitment therapy, a well-established psychological approach that also underpins the BeChange app. It's one of the reasons the Raiys programme feels different from a traditional diet.

Commitment isn't about promising yourself you'll be perfect. It's about deciding what you're going to do, preparing for the moments when it'll be hard, and choosing to come back to it when you slip. The final session of Week 2 helps you put that commitment into words, so you have something solid to return to in the weeks ahead.

Readiness to Change is one of 12 weekly courses in the Raiys Weight Management Programme. Each course is broken down into short sessions of around five minutes, one for each day of the week, so you can fit them around work, family and everything else. Each session ends with a short reflection, something to think about, and a simple action, something to try that day.

You can work through the programme in order, building each week on the last, or, if readiness to change is the area you most want to work on, you can go straight to it. Either way, the sessions are designed to be used alongside the BeChange app, which helps you put what you learn into practice in everyday life.

In Week 2 of the programme, you'll learn:

• The three stages of change, and why the "middle bit" feels so hard
• How to weigh up the benefits and barriers honestly
• What your previous attempts can teach you
• A simple ladder analogy that makes big changes feel manageable
• How to connect your goals to your values, find your why, and build genuine commitment

What if I'm not sure I'm ready?

That's very common, and it's fine. Week 2 is designed to help you explore your feelings about change honestly, without pressure.

I've failed so many times. Why would this be different?

Previous attempts aren't failures; they're experience. This course helps you use what you've learned, rather than starting from scratch each time.

Do I need to know my 'why' before I start?

No. Many people only have a vague sense of it at the start. The course helps you discover it gradually.

Is this course only for people who have dieted before?

Not at all. Whether you've tried many times before or this is your first real attempt, understanding how change works will help you prepare for the ups and downs ahead and give you the best possible chance of success.

The Raiys Weight Management Programme is a 12-week, clinician-led digital programme designed to be used alongside the BeChange app. Each week focuses on one course, broken into short five-minute daily sessions, each with a reflection and a simple action to take into your day. It's built on current NICE and SIGN guidance and on proven behaviour-change approaches, and it's written to support you, never to judge you.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for personal medical advice. If you have a health condition, take regular medication, are pregnant, or have concerns about your weight or eating, please speak to your GP or healthcare professional before making significant changes. If you have had, or are preparing for, weight loss surgery, please follow the advice of your specialist team.

Dr Laura Coia is a GP Partner in NHS Scotland with over 25 years of clinical experience, and Co-founder and Medical Director of Raiys Digital Health.

Dr Izzy Howat is a Consultant Endocrinologist and NHS Weight Management Specialist, and Weight Management Lead at Raiys Digital Health. She is the author of the Raiys Weight Management Programme.

• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2014). Behaviour change: individual approaches (PH49). London: NICE.
• Miller WR, Rollnick S. Motivational Interviewing; and Prochaska JO, DiClemente CC. Stages of Change (Transtheoretical) model, consistent with NICE PH49.
• Hayes SC, et al. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and values-based behaviour change literature, consistent with the behaviour-change approaches referenced in NICE PH49.
• Bridges W. (1991). Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change. Da Capo Lifelong Books.
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2025). Overweight and obesity management (NG246). London: NICE. (Replaces CG189.)
• Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) (2010). Management of obesity (SIGN 115). Edinburgh: SIGN. (Some recommendations may since have been superseded; read alongside NICE NG246.)
• British Obesity & Metabolic Surgery Society (BOMSS). Clinical guidance for patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Relevant only to readers who have had, or are preparing for, weight loss surgery; this programme is a non-surgical behavioural programme.