You know the reasons why you should lose weight, but how can you stay motivated once you start your new healthy lifestyle?

Sign a Contract with Yourself

I know it sounds silly but there’s something about writing it down on paper: “I promise myself that I will exercise 30 minutes a day. I will eat more fruits, veggies, and whole grains. I will limit the fat and sugar that I eat. I will stop drinking soda every day. I will reach a healthy goal weight. Etc.” It just makes you feel like, this time, it’s going to be different. This time, you’re serious.

Join a Support Group

You can join my online support group, Chubby Buddies at Yahoo Groupss, or find another one, either online or in person. It’s nice to know that other people out there are going through this fat struggle too. You can get tips from them, whine to them, brag to them, and give them support too. It makes you feel needed and loved.

Keep a Journal

When I’m lacking motivation, reading through old journal entries can often remind me how far I’ve come and give me the confidence to keep going.

Focus on Little Goals

I want to lose 100 lbs. is hardly a little goal. Instead, focus on losing just 1 lb. If I lose 1 lb. I’ve succeeded. Likewise, focus on exercising for just 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc. rather than running a marathon. It’s the little goals that make the real difference.

Take Before and After Photos

Photos are amazing. I make sure to take lots of photos of my and my family, and I look at them daily. It’s nice to see a photo and remember back to when I had a triple chin and know that I don’t have one now. It’s also nice to take those front-view and side-view photos in my underwear. The first ones motivated me just out of pure shame. Seeing my progress, though, has helped me realize how much better I look today and how much better I’ll look tomorrow.

Read Your Labels

When I’m drooling over my favorite junk food at the grocery store, motivation is often just one glance away. I read the label. Most of the time, the number of calories, fat grams, or sugar grams is enough to put me into shock, and suddenly, I’m not so hungry for it anymore.

Lie to Yourself

I know you weren’t an athletic person last year or yesterday or even 10 minutes ago, but right now, at this moment, you can become an athletic person. Just lie to yourself. Say it out loud, “I’m an athletic person.” Now, let’s think about this. What do athletic people do? What are their lifestyles like? Now it’s time to live the lie. Start acting like an athletic person. Lie to yourself every morning, “I’m athletic. I’m athletic.” Then get up and start your workout and your new athletic lifestyle. Eventually, you’ll start to believe it, and you can brag to others about your athletic life.

Tell People

Tell your family. Tell your friends. Start a website, and tell total strangers. It’s amazing how publicity can be motivating. There’s something about knowing that people are expecting you to drop a few pounds that makes you want to reach that goal.

Reward Yourself with New Clothes

For me, the reward comes with the loss of every 10 lbs. Lose 10 lbs., buy something to wear. You don’t have to buy a new wardrobe. Just buy an outfit or two. Clothing is not just a reward. It’s highly motivating to see the size on the tag. Every time you drop a size, you can beam with pride. When you finally move from the fat sizes section to the regular sizes section, you can throw a party. (Don’t forget to buy some new shoes too.)

Reward Yourself with Food

Surely this must be a mistake! Actually, you can reward yourself with food by learning how to cook healthy, delicious, gourmet food rather than gorging on unhealthy foods that taste good but not great. For dinner, skip your favorite fast food place, and head to your kitchen with some fresh quality ingredients and a good cookbook. Fix yourself an amazing meal, something special, and don’t forget the dessert. You’ll never want to reward yourself with junk food again.

Avoid People Who Discourage You

If you can avoid them, do it. If you can’t, at least talk to them about how their attitudes are affecting your progress. Be honest. It can be tough, especially when Grandma is making you feel guilty about not eating a pound of her homemade cookies, but be firm. Just standing up to such people will give you a new sense of confidence that you can use to keep you on track to meet your goals.

Weigh Yourself at Least Weekly

I actually do this every day. Getting on that scale and seeing the numbers jump up or down is a quick way to remind myself to stay on track. I highly recommend getting a digital scale, so you can see the fraction of a pound you’re gaining or losing daily.

Measure Yourself Monthly

I keep a log of my measurements, and every month (or sometimes every other month) I measure myself (e.g. neck, upper arms, forearms, wrists, chest, waist, hips, thighs, calves, etc.). It’s certainly nice to see my log of number progressively getting smaller.

Make Plans to See Your Old Friends in 1 Year

Set a date 1 year from now. Call your old friends and tell them when you’re going to visit them. Make plans. Now you have a deadline. Now you have a reason to lose weight and look good. Impress them.

Promise Yourself Something BIG

You know how you have that list of things you wish you could do… someday. Well, guess what! When you reach your goal weight, you get to do one of those things. Pick one: travel to another country, go on a cruise, get cosmetic surgery, or buy something you’ve always wanted. Of course, you’ll need to save up some money to do this as well (unless you feel comfortable with putting it on credit), but it’s worth it. You get healthy, you look good, and you get to cross something off of your dream to-do list.