Weight-loss goals come in different packages. There's a mastery orientation, which is made up of your desire to develop knowledge, skills, and become proficient at what it takes to lose the weight. There's a performance orientation, which consists of your desire to demonstrate competence relative to others. There is also a performance-avoidance orientation, which indicates your desire to avoid appearing incompetent relative to others.
Losing the weight is always a matter of self-improvement--emphasis on self. If you master the process for yourself and lose the weight by developing the knowledge and the skills it takes, you will also be showing your competence relative to others.
When the dieting and weight-loss demands on you are high, it's best to get out the mastery package. Think of your goal then as mastering rather than performing. This will get you further. You'll be able to pull back from disappointment and failure caused by thinking you're not performing up to some set level. Once you master, your performance will improve.
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