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Finding Your Why: The Reasons We Do This

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The first step to losing weight and getting healthier is not buying a scale, signing up for a gym, or even talking to a doctor about prescription weight loss medication. It’s figuring out the reason why you want to get healthier. 
 
Many people tend to focus on what they need to do to lose weight. But real, lasting change starts with understanding why you want to do it in the first place. Your "why" will be the foundation that keeps you going when motivation fades, plateaus hit, or life just gets in the way.
 
 

Uncovering Your Why? Start Here

A strong "why" is more than just a goal—it connects to your values and is a unique reflection of your own journey. Saying you want to lose weight is one thing, but understanding why that matters to you makes all the difference. A clear and personal "why" turns a vague goal into a meaningful commitment.
 
Some common reasons “why” are: 
 
- Want to be able to keep up with kids
- Lower risk of obesity-related diseases 
- Feel confident in your skin
- Be more mobile and physically active
- Fit into fashionable clothes
- Set a good example for family
 

Transform Your Why Into a Vision 

Defining your “why” is an essential step to a healthy lifestyle, but going even deeper to build a personalized vision and mission. Once you have a top-level reason for losing weight and getting healthier, it’s time to take a step back and ask yourself a few key questions:
 
What will change in your life if you reach your goal? 
Who else benefits when you prioritize your health? 
What has held you back in the past? 
 
We recommend writing your answers down. Read back what you wrote and refine it to get even more specific. Eventually, you will have a clear and emotionally meaningful strategy for weight loss that reflects your past, present, and future.
 
Another method is using “So That I” to further define a high-level reason why. Instead of simply saying, “I want to lose weight because [X],” you add to the sentence with “I want to lose weight because [X]... so that I [Y].” For example, you might go from saying “I want to lose weight to be healthier” to saying “I want to lose weight to be healthier… so I can do more activities with my family.” Or, instead of just “I want to lose weight to feel more confident,” go further with “I want to lose weight to feel more confident… so that I can feel fully present in my own life.”
 
Let us be clear, this is not easy work. But reflecting on your hopes, fears, and dreams can help you find a deeper motivation behind your healthy lifestyle changes. If you choose, working with a healthcare professional or counselor can help create a safe environment for you to explore your reasons for losing weight out loud.
 
 

Make Your Whys Your North Star

Your reason why should be what motivates you even when things seem dark. Think of it as your North Star, something you can always look for and follow to get back on track. 
 
Once you’ve found your why, you can use it as a daily motivator. Here are some ways how:

Keep it visible: Write your why on a sticky note, make it your phone’s lock screen, or journal about it regularly. It’s your mantra, so keep it top of mind.
Filter your choices through it: When making choices about food, exercise, or lifestyle daily, ask yourself: Does this align with my reason why? 
Revisit and revise: Your "why" may evolve on your journey, and that’s okay! The key is keeping it relevant and meaningful to you. Thinking about recent non-scale victories is one way to help shine more light on your present-day whys. 
 
So no matter where you are on your health journey, take a moment to ask yourself: What’s my why? Once you discover it, you have something to keep you company along the way—wherever your goals may take you.
 
 

CON-2319-001 02/25

 
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Important Safety Information
What is CONTRAVE?
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CONTRAVE can cause serious side effects including:

Suicidal thoughts or actions: One of the ingredients in CONTRAVE is bupropion. Bupropion has caused some people to have suicidal thoughts or actions or unusual changes in behavior, whether or not they are taking medicines used to treat depression. Bupropion may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teenagers, and young adults within the first few months of treatment. If you already have depression or other mental illnesses, taking bupropion may cause it to get worse, especially within the first few months of treatment.

CONTRAVE is a prescription weight-loss medicine that may help some adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater (obese), or adults with a BMI of 27 kg/m2 or greater (overweight) with at least one weight-related medical problem such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes, lose weight and keep the weight off.

Important Safety Information
See More
CONTRAVE can cause serious side effects including:
Suicidal thoughts or actions: One of the ingredients in CONTRAVE is bupropion. Bupropion has caused some people to have suicidal thoughts or actions or unusual changes in behavior, whether or not they are taking medicines used to treat depression. Bupropion may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teenagers, and young adults within the first few months of treatment. If you already have depression or other mental illnesses, taking bupropion may cause it to get worse, especially within the first few months of treatment.
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CONTRAVE is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management in adults with an initial body mass index (BMI) of:
Important Safety Information
What is CONTRAVE?
See Less 

CONTRAVE can cause serious side effects including:

Suicidal thoughts or actions: One of the ingredients in CONTRAVE is bupropion. Bupropion has caused some people to have suicidal thoughts or actions or unusual changes in behavior, whether or not they are taking medicines used to treat depression. Bupropion may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teenagers, and young adults within the first few months of treatment. If you already have depression or other mental illnesses, taking bupropion may cause it to get worse, especially within the first few months of treatment.

While taking CONTRAVE, you or your family members should pay close attention to any changes, especially sudden changes, in mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings. This is very important when you start taking CONTRAVE or when your dose changes.

Stop taking CONTRAVE and call a healthcare provider right away if you or your family members notice any of the following symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you: thoughts about suicide or dying; attempts to commit suicide; depression; anxiety; feeling agitated or restless; panic attacks; irritability; aggression, anger, or violence; acting on dangerous impulses; an extreme increase in activity and talking; other unusual changes in behavior or mood; trouble sleeping.

CONTRAVE is not approved for use in children under the age of 18.

Do not take CONTRAVE if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure; have or have had seizures; use other medicines that contain bupropion such as WELLBUTRIN, WELLBUTRIN SR, WELLBUTRIN XL, APLENZIN and ZYBAN; have or have had an eating disorder called anorexia or bulimia; are dependent on opioid pain medicines or use medicines to help stop taking opioids, or are in opiate withdrawal; drink a lot of alcohol and abruptly stop drinking, or use medicines called sedatives (these make you sleepy), benzodiazepines, or anti‐seizure medicines and stop using them all of a sudden; are taking or have taken medicines called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) in the past 14 days; or are allergic to any of the ingredients in CONTRAVE.

Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you have: depression or other mental illnesses; attempted suicide; seizures; head injury; tumor or infection of brain or spine; low blood sugar or low sodium; liver or kidney problems; high blood pressure; heart attack, heart problems, or stroke; eating disorder; drinking a lot of alcohol; prescription medicine or street drug abuse; are 65 or older; diabetes; pregnant or planning to become pregnant; or breastfeeding.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

CONTRAVE may cause serious side effects, including:

  • Seizures. There is a risk of having a seizure when you take CONTRAVE. The risk of seizure is higher in people who take higher doses of CONTRAVE, have certain medical conditions, or take CONTRAVE with certain other medicines. Do not take any other medicines while you are taking CONTRAVE unless your healthcare provider has said it is okay to take them. If you have a seizure while taking CONTRAVE, stop taking CONTRAVE and call your healthcare provider right away.

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    Get emergency medical help right away if you take opioids and you:

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You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

What is CONTRAVE?

CONTRAVE is a prescription weight-loss medicine that may help some adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater (obese), or adults with a BMI of 27 kg/m2 or greater (overweight) with at least one weight-related medical problem such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes, lose weight and keep the weight off.

CONTRAVE should be used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

It is not known if CONTRAVE changes your risk of heart problems or stroke or of death due to heart problems or stroke.

It is not known if CONTRAVE is safe and effective when taken with other prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal weight-loss products.

CONTRAVE is not approved to treat depression or other mental illnesses, or to help people quit smoking (smoking cessation).

Please see Full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide, for CONTRAVE.