Stay motivated for weight loss
Congratulations you’ve decided to get off the sofa and into your trainers to lose those extra pounds that have crept on over the last couple of years. You’ve probably spent hours researching the best personal trainers, classes and gyms, bought the latest fashionable Lycra number, agonized over the water bottle that best represents you as a person and spent a small fortune on the trainers that ‘work’ with your feet – your motivation is high………..but it won’t last!
Motivation is easy to come by but hard to keep. Type motivation into YouTube and I guarantee you’ll find at least one video that will get you fired up immediately. But what about tomorrow and the next day and the next? When you’re ½ a stone in and that last seven pounds won’t seem to go away, you need a plan in place to keep yourself going.
So, how can you bolster your motivation and make sure it stays on course? There are a few simple tricks that can help you retain your desire to achieve even when the going gets tough. Try these things to help yourself stay on track:
- Don’t work out alone – When you work out alone, it’s all too easy to quit in the last 10 minutes. It’s also a whole lot easier to skip a day here and there. You need a way to hold yourself accountable to overcome those dips in motivation that are very likely to occur. Instead of going it alone, workout with a friend. Keep up with personal training sessions. Join a group exercise class. Just do something that involves another human being that can help hold your feet to the fire if and when the urge to quit strikes.
- Keep a diary – The journey to get into better shape can be long and arduous. It is often fraught with ups and downs, too. Write down everything that happens in a diary. Record your successes and lament about your struggles. Releasing your doubts can help you gain focus. Recording your successes might give you the strength to draw on when you need it the most.
- Set goals – Saying you want to lose 100 pounds is great, but it’s a pretty big number to shoot for. While it’s a great idea to have an end goal, try setting smaller ones along the way. Use milestone goals to help keep yourself going. Give yourself rewards when you attain these milestones, too. Little things like a massage or a new piece of clothing for losing 10 pounds can motivate you to keep reaching for your goals.
Motivation is fleeting and needs to be nurtured if you’re to work through all the ups and downs and achieve your goals. Use the tips above and you’ll be much more likely to stick to your new healthier (and happier I hope) lifestyle, good luck!
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