8 Tips to Enhance Motivation in Weight Loss
Losing weight requires time and patience. This is worth repeating; there are no shortcuts or magic pills. If you need to lose a few pounds, it will take several weeks, if not months. Significant weight loss goals require several months or even years, and losing weight is a goal but not the only one to focus on full time. Getting healthy, eating right, and exercising every day should be your primary focus. The weight will go if the overall goal is to get and stay fit.
Keeping your motivation high will make it easier to weather those tough days when your weight loss goal seems out of reach.
Use these tips to maintain your motivation and shed those pounds:
1. Place your favorite inspirational quotes on your mirror or refrigerator. A quick pick-me-up can save the day when your motivation is waning, and it can also be an effective way to start your day.
· Tape a few quotes to the bathroom mirror, and doing the same on the refrigerator door can prevent a dietary lapse.
· Read them every day and every night. Weight loss is a journey from where you are now to where you want to be, and it will take time, energy, and commitment.
2. Keep track of your progress. Keeping track of your progress is motivating and smart. How will you know if your diet and exercise plan is effective if you’re not taking regular measurements?
· There are many ways to track your progress. Find and use the one that motivates you the most. There are free phone apps or paid subscriptions that are easy to use, but good old paper works.
· Google printable templates for weight loss or exercise logs, print and maintain. What you measure, you can manage.
3. Use weight-loss jars as a visual reminder. Keeping written records of your weight loss is an effective exercise, but sometimes it’s difficult to appreciate a 2-pound loss in the mirror.
· Fill a glass jar with decorative stones or marbles. Each one is equivalent to a pound you wish to lose. Move your marker from the full jar to an empty one as you lose weight. It’s exciting to watch the contents of one jar shrink as the other increases.
· Itsy has printable templates of Weight Loss Jars – or make your own.
4. Hire a personal trainer. Getting to the gym regularly isn’t easy, and most of us are skillful at coming up with reasons why it makes sense to stay home. Knowing that your personal trainer expects you at the gym significantly increases your incentive to show up.
· A good personal trainer will also track your progress and hold you accountable. They will also set a plan to follow, and as you progress, they can adjust the plan as needed to ensure your success.
· Phone a friend; if they are also expecting you to show up and hold you accountable, you will succeed!
5. Find a workout or weight loss buddy. Losing weight can be a lonely process, and considering the obesity rates in first-world countries, there are plenty of others in the same situation. Find a buddy with whom you can communicate regularly. Ideally, you can also find someone to join you for workouts.
6. Purchase new workout gear. Some new workout clothes and shoes can inspire activity. If your workouts are lagging, a new outfit might be the motivation you need.
· If you are planning a workout in the morning, lay your workout clothes out the night before, so all you need to do is get up and get dressed. Once dressed in workout clothes, it is easier to work out and not a cop-out.
· If you are planning to work out after work, pack your bag the night before and put it in your car or by your door so you do not forget your clothes and use that as an excuse for why you cannot work out.
7. List your reasons for losing weight. After a few weeks of dieting, it’s typical to lose track of your original motivation. Make a list of all the reasons you want to lose weight. No reason is too small or petty, as long as it’s true.
· Do you want to look better? Enhance your health? Fit into your old jeans? Write it down and review your list regularly.
· Do you have a vacation, reunion, wedding, or special event you strive to look your best at? Keep imagining your best self, showing up, and showing off all your hard work.
· Is there an outfit you are dying to wear but have never dared? Sleeveless dress, shorts, bikini, or lingerie? Find a picture of the outfit you most want to wear and look at it daily.
8. Provide small rewards along the way. It could be a bad idea to wait until you’ve reached your final goal. Begin with small plans to get started. Dieting becomes more challenging after a while, so give yourself larger rewards.
Keeping your motivation high is an essential part of reaching any weight-loss goal. Losing weight is slow, and progress can be difficult to see at times. Motivation is personal, and what works for others might require a little tweaking to be effective for you. Try a few different motivational ideas and stick to those that speak to you. If you make minor adjustments daily, you will reach your goal. Adding a new good habit like drinking more water while deleting a bad habit like drinking soda will, over time, help you reach your goal. Here are a few things to consider: Adding more vegetables while deleting sugary snacks and adding an hour of sleep while deleting an hour of screen time.
Stay focused on all the significant progress you’re making and continue looking forward. A small amount of attention and motivation will keep your spirits and expectations high each day.
