One of the hardest parts of any weight loss program is staying motivated throughout it. Recent studies have shown that being able to maintain your motivation whilst trying to lose weight is is absolutely critical to success in losing weight. In fact some studies have suggested that it is the essential success factor. If you are like me it is a lot easier to say that you will stay motivated than to actually do it. There are always setbacks and bad days during the course of any diet. Learning how to deal with those will help you tackle the tough times, when you can feel your motivation slipping away, head on. So what are the best ways to stay motivated during your weight loss program?
One of the first good ways to maintain your level of motivation throughout the long months of a weight loss program is to create a strong plan before you ever begin your weight loss program. A goal setting session as you get started will help you to understand where you are headed when you’re in the middle of your program. Your goals should not only be the basic things like “I plan to lose five pounds,” they should also be far more specific. For example, make sure you plan includes the number of minutes you intend to exercise each week as well as what you will do to achieve each goal. If your biggest goal is a number of pounds, outline the things you will do to reach that goal, look at the problems that might crop up as you attempt to meet that goal, and think about how you will face those problems as they come up.
The second good way to help bolster your motivation during your weight loss program is to change your method of thinking. Staying motivated means becoming an optimist, even if it is not in your normal nature. Studies show that what you think truly changes the way you do things. For example, if you are depressed, all of your actions will reflect that. You will not be as productive at any of your tasks as a direct result of your depressive thoughts. If you want to stay with your weight loss program, think positive thoughts. Think about how much good you are doing for your body as you exercise each day. When you eat healthier foods, imagine your heart thanking you. You will derive some great motivation just by thinking happy thoughts.
The third way to stay motivated as you fight to meet your weight loss goals is to vary your routines. Your mind is quite likely to get bored if your weight loss program never varies. If you have to eat the same foods all of the time, or if you are required to stick with the same exercise program on a regular basis, you may find yourself completely uninterested in what you are doing. As a result, you are far more likely to leave the program for something that keeps you interested in whether that means going back to your fast food habits or finding a new favorite television show while you should be exercising. The best way to prevent this is to start a different exercise program that you might enjoy every few months. Moreover, to keep from being bored with your diet, buy some new healthy living cookbooks or search internet recipe sites for dishes to make that fit in with your weight loss program. This can help to keep you within your calorie limits without boring you.
Making a list of the positive aspects of your life from lost weight will also help you to stay motivated during your diet. What about your life will change when you’ve lost the weight? Will you be able to drop a prescription because you’ve become healthier? Will you have a better self-image because you can finally fit into that dress you’ve been admiring? Whatever will change about your life, list it. Post the list where you can see it on a regular basis. Remind yourself of the great benefits related to your weight loss, and you will feel better about your program.
The final way to stay motivated while you are trying to lose weight is to offer yourself a rewards program. People need rewards in all aspects of life. For example, we go to work so we can get a reward – a paycheck. If we get that reward, we get other rewards – homes, cars, clothes, and entertainment. This rewards style motivational program should carry over to your diet. If you meet your exercise goal all week, buy that new album you’ve been reading reviews of. If you stay within your calorie limits, go see a movie on Saturday afternoon (just be sure to take some dried fruit or some other healthy snack). Little rewards along the way will help keep you motivated.
Keeping your level of motivation high during your next diet will help you to lose the weight.
