We all lead busy lives and juggling our daily responsibilities alone can be daunting, let alone adding a weight loss regime into the mix. So how do you stay motivated to lose weight? Perhaps the biggest thing is your own inner weight loss motivation. This will see you through the toughest times. So how can you maintain this inner motivation? Well here are some tips to help keep your motivation on track.
- Keep your eye on the prize. Truly understand yourself and why you are doing this and what you want out of it. When you feel your motivation start to waiver, remind yourself about what you set out to achieve.
- Set yourself some clear goals and write them down. Your goals need to be realistic and measurable and have a time frame attached. Make sure you understand what is achievable. Generally a responsible long term weekly weight loss is between 1 and 2 pounds a week. Whilst people often lose more than this is in the initial couple of weeks, responsible weight loss should stabilise to about this level. Your doctor should advise on the level of loss that is appropriate for you.
- Make sure you write your goals and leave them in a visible location to remind yourself what they are.
- Take small steps, particularly if you have a lot of weight to lose. Break it down into smaller goals and reward yourself when you reach a goal. Do not reward yourself with food. If you want to lose 20kgs, then maybe set four smaller goals of 5kgs and each time you hit a 5kg goal, buy yourself a new top or treat yourself to a massage or a movie or a trip to the beach for the day.
- Write is all down! This is the key to inner motivation. Not only write down your goals but write down your progress. Set up a spreadsheet or use a ready made website tool to track your weight loss, your measurements, your food intake and your exercise. Create charts so you can visually see your weight loss and also track the patterns of your weight loss. People losing weight over a long period of time will often notice regular weekly cycles of weight loss, plateaus and even small gains over a month or two. If you track this and can see the pattern, it helps you understand your own body and maintain motivation.
- Don’t obsess. Only weigh or measure yourself once a week. Don’t be tempted to do this daily. Daily fluctuations in weight will test your motivation.
- Remind yourself you are making a long term lifestyle change and avoid fads which are not sustainable.
- Be kind to yourself. What you are trying to do is difficult, particularly if you lead a busy life. Be as supportive to yourself as you would be to a close friend.
