Arguably the hardest part of losing weight is not diet or exercise, but staying motivated. When you are struggling along to lose weight and not seeing the results that you want it can be tempting to throw in the towel and fall back into bad habits.
That’s why it is so important to find your own personal weight loss motivation. When you discover how to stay motivated to lose weight everything else sort of falls into place and you will start seeing the results you want and reaching your goals in no time. Let’s take a look at some ways you can stay motivated and on track with your weight loss efforts and get the body you have been wanting.
Weight loss motivation is very personal – what works for someone else to stay motivated may not work for you. The key is to find what keeps you motivated and use those triggers to keep yourself on track. Here are some suggestions and examples of what keeps other people motivated that you may be able to use for yourself. As you read through these ideas look for the ones that ring true to you then try them and see if they work to help with your motivation level.
1. Write Down the Reasons You want to Lose Weight
Everyone wants to lose weight for different reasons. Some people are hoping to lose weight for their health, others for their appearance and still others so they can participate in activities and do more in their lives. Take out a piece of paper and write down all the reasons that you can think of that you want to lose weight.
Do you want to wear a smaller size? Look great in a bathing suit? Feel comfortable in your own skin? Or perhaps you want to prevent weight related medical problems down the road like diabetes or hypertension. Maybe you want to ride horses, play with your kids, or do other fun activities that you haven’t been able to do comfortably at your current weight. It might be that you want to set a good example for your kids by showing them that diet, exercise and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are important.
Write down anything that comes to mind about why you are hoping to lose weight. Be sure to write from a positive perspective. For example, rather than writing “I don’t want to be fat”, write “I want to be thin and healthy”. When you have finished your list tack it up in a prominent place where you will see it and read it each day like on your refrigerator, next to your computer or by your bed. When you read each item on your list visualize how great you are going to feel when you accomplish those goals. Anytime you are feeling down about your weight loss efforts or ready to give up read through your list again to remember all the reasons that you are doing this.
2. Take Before and After Pictures
When I was losing weight one of the things I found most motivational was to take before and after pictures as well as to take my measurements. Sometimes the numbers on the scale don’t budge but you can be losing inches off your body – especially if you are exercising and building muscle.
Take your measurements around your hips, waist, thighs, arms and anywhere else you want and record them so you have a comparison of where you started. At the same time take a few photos of yourself in a bathing suit from the front, side and back. As you are working on losing weight when you start feeling frustrated take your measurements again or take a new set of photos to compare to the old to see how far you have really come.
3. Reward Yourself
There’s nothing quite like retail therapy to stay motivated! Try treating yourself to something new each week you stay on track with your weight loss goals. It doesn’t have to be anything big or fancy – maybe a new belt, new shoes, a new DVD or anything that is fun for you. Knowing that you get a prize for being good all week can be a great motivator to keep working.
Most importantly, be forgiving of yourself. If you slip up and have a bad day realize that everyone does and that it is OK. Just promise yourself you will do better tomorrow and stick with it for the long haul.
Have you been yo-yo dieting for years and aren’t getting the results you want? Did you know most diets can actually slow down your metabolism and make it harder to lose weight?
