You’ve made a big decision about your health and weight. This is going to be the time you lose those extra pounds you’ve been trying to shed, and keep them off. Your weight loss goals likely include eating healthy and staying active through regular exercise routines at-home or at the gym. Help yourself stick with your weight lose plan by coming up with ways to stay motivated as you try to eat healthier and get more active.
Post Goals Prominently
Post your written weight loss and eating goals in a location where you can see them. Whether it’s near your treadmill or on the refrigerator, they will serve as a constant motivation as you journey to achieve weight loss success. Fitness expert Jillian Michaels advises that written goals help you make an emotional connection to goals and, in turn, serve as motivation.
Find a Friend
Select a fitness buddy. Whether it’s a close friend, family member or your husband, a fitness buddy can serve as constant motivation by working out with you, checking in with you to see what you’ve been eating, or by calling or emailing you just to provide words of encouragement.
Turn Up the Tunes
Turn on some upbeat tunes to help keep you going during those last 15-minutes on the treadmill, or the final round of your circuit training. Create a continuous song list on your MP3 player that you can listen to from warm-up to cooldown.
Go Shopping
Buy a dress or jeans you love in a the size you want to wear after you reach your goal weight. Hang the outfit proudly in your closet to serve as a reminder of what you’re working toward.
Have a Routine
Stick to a routine. Eat your meals and snacks around the same time every day to maintain your hunger levels. Create a workout routine that fits your schedule and stick with it weekly. Breaking your routine can wreak havoc on your weight loss plans, causing you to lose motivation.
Log it
Keep track of your daily diet and exercise by keeping a fitness log. “Ladies’ Home Journal” suggests that monitoring your activity can help you be successful in your weight loss efforts. Purchase a blank notebook from an office supply store, or keep your log online using websites, such as FitDay and My Fitness Journal.
Track Changes
Weigh yourself at the end of each week. Step on the scale, and take your measurements to track changes in your body. The number can keep you motivated and give you concrete proof that your weight loss plan is making positive changes to your body.
