Top tips for maintaining motivation.

marty_smith

There might be a thread on this somewhere, but i thought i would share some of what have been successful for me so far this year. I started one week into January and 10 weeks later i have lost a stone and a half, had MANY cheat days and almost lost my way. I stopped believing i was happy with what i had achieved when in actual fact I probably wasn’t even half way there, and im still not.

BUT ANYWAY, i feel like i am on a roll at the moment so this is what’s working for me.

1. Find an enjoyable sport/exercise, and do it every Monday night. For me i started football 7/8 aside in a random group Monday nights, so no matter how bad my weekend was calorie wise i still had something to focus on Monday night to make me feel like I dont need to give up.

2. Join a class/club on Tuesday night. Now thats two nights in a row you don’t give up at the beginning of the week! You start the week on a roll and You can spend all day knowing your plan for exercise that day is pencilled in.

For me i joined a running club after losing motivation to go out by myself jogging on the same route. If it got past 5pm I probably wasn’t running that day. Joining the running club (mixed abilities from beginner to experienced) really made it more of a social event and helped maintain motivation.

3. Easier said than done, but i joined a gym on top of this as my best friend goes daily so he has helped me get started. I recommend leaning on a friend who is in great shape for advice and support when starting out. Lifting weights helps sculpture your body whilst you lose fat.

4. Eat under maintenance mon-fri. Binge on Saturday lunch/even and maintain sunday before starting again Monday. This gets all your cravings out of the way. I routinely eat +1500 calories over my daily deficit goal every saturday.

5. Keep exercising. Burning a minimum 300 calories a day will help massively and log everything you eat. The more you work out the fitter you get and the easier it all becomes.


Sorry if some of this seems Unrealistic but i have gone from being obese to in not too bad shape with the barest of love handles left after many years of trying and giving up. Post any tips you guys have too.

cherys

This is a brilliant idea for a thread.
I've only been doing this for five weeks, but I have lost 1lb a week and it has been so easy. Due to a foot injury I can't really attack the fitness (yet!) as much as you suggest though I love your ideas.
My motivational tips are:

• Really 'reward' yourself for every tiny achievement. Mentally, say to yourself, 'Good job' every time you have a glass of water instead of an unhealthy snack or come in on or just under your calories, every time you choose a healthy option, every time you work out etc.
• It's easy to lose motivation if the end goal is a long long way away, so make loads of mini milestones on the way and really celebrate them, even if only in your mind.
• If you have used food as a comfort or reward in the past, make sure you have a great stock of healthy replacements to food. Good ideas include great bath products, grooming/beauty products, books, music, trips out etc.
• Make tiny changes. Lots of them. Swap high calorie drinks for low calorie ones. Meet friends for a walk not a coffee. Get into the habit of doing squats while you clean your teeth or jacks while the kettle boils etc.
• Don't ever eat foods you hate because you think you should. (Unless you are a veg refuser, in which case - re-educate your palate if you can). Just make a massive list of foods you love that are also really healthy and eat those.
• Find healthy treats. I LOVE berries. A bowl of blueberries, raspberries or strawberries makes me not miss the pastries everyone else is having for breakfast.
• Really do log everything, especially on days when you go over. It stops you abandoning the project. See those days as experiments: did you feel better after that blow out? If so, factor one in occasionally, if not, stick to the foods that make you feel energised and happy after you've eaten them.
• Last one: do it YOUR way. Some people become evangelistic about keto or a certain diet plan. If that works, great, if not, try something else. You know your body best.