Are YOU Having Trouble Staying Motivated to lose weight?????

You know the reasons why you should lose weight, but how can you stay motivated once you start your new healthy lifestyle?


*Don't Wait for Motivation

If you wait to get motivated, you'll be waiting for the rest of your life. You have to create motivation, the same way that a drug addict or alcoholic needs to create the motivation to kick the habit. If you do just keep waiting, just like an addict, you may wait until it's too late, when you've hit rock bottom, after you've had your first heart attack, stroke, or diabetic complication (or your last if it's fatal) or can't walk anymore because your bones and muscles can't support your own weight. Don't wait. Don't wait. Don't wait.

Start by getting up and moving. Don't just say, "I'm going to lose weight this time." Really get up and do something about it. The very act of getting up and moving triggers parts of your brain that tell your body, "I'm serious. I'm going to do this. I'm going to get fit." And believe it or not, your body will listen, and you'll officially be on the road to a healthier life.

Make it happen, now! Right now, get up and march in place for 30 seconds. Don't even wait to finish reading this article. Just get up and do it. If you can't march in place, then just stand up, do arm circles, reach for the ceiling, and twist at the waist. If you can't stand up, then sit and do arm circles, reaches, and twists. Just start moving. Before you know it, you might even discover that the 30 seconds of moving just wasn't enough. You might find yourself exercising for a minute, or 2 minutes, or even 10 minutes. And then, all of sudden, you'll realize, you're getting a workout. So get up! Get up! NOW!

*Sign a Contract with Yourself

I know it sounds silly but there's something about writing it down on paper that makes you realize that you deserve to be healthy. You deserve to lose weight. You deserve to have energy and flexibility and strength.

When you write your contract to yourself, be specific. Don't just say, "I promise myself I'll lose weight;" it's too general. Instead say, "I promise myself that I will walk for 15 minutes every morning, even if I'm tired. I will eat one fruit with every meal. I will have 2 veggies with lunch and 2 more with dinner. Whenever I have a choice between eating white bread or whole grain bread, I will choose whole grain. I will not eat or drink anything that has corn syrup or hydrogenated oils in it. I will choose water or tea (with no more than 1 small spoonful of sugar) or diluted juice instead of drinking soda, sugary drinks, sports drinks, high calorie coffee drinks, or milk based drinks."

This time, it's going to be different. This time, you're serious. And you've got a contract with yourself to prove it.

*Chart Your Progress

Charting your progress gives you the opportunity to see how much you've improved over time, how all of those seemingly insignificant little steps have added up to big things. It also makes you stay honest with yourself. You can't say, "Oh I worked out three times last week," when your chart clearly shows that you only worked out once.

Get on that scale, weight yourself, and write it down. Make a graph out of it, so you can see that little line going up and down. Now post it somewhere you'll see it frequently (especially when you eat, like your wallet when you eat out or the refrigerator when you're at home). The more that line goes down, the more satisfaction you'll get.

Also chart your exercise. Give yourself a gold star for every day that you exercise. Write down how long you were able to walk, jog, dance, etc. Write down how many crunches or pushups you did.

Then chart your food. Give yourself a happy face sticker for every day that you drank water with a squeeze of lemon instead of soda at a restaurant or for every time you chose whole grains instead of white bread, white rice, or white pasta.

*Visit Your Doctor

Get a full physical exam. Tell your doctor that you would like to lose weight and you need some motivation. Your doctor will likely check things like your blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, etc. The results are often motivating in themselves, because bad numbers mean that you have a shorter lifespan than healthier individuals (on average). Also, be sure to tell your doctors about any symptoms you have (e.g. snoring, being tired, being out of breath, mood swings, etc.). Your doctor may be able to tell you which symptoms are caused by your excess weight. Your doctor can also help you understand what problems your excess weight will cause for your health and lifestyle in the future. (Note: If you're doctor doesn't seem to take your weight loss goals seriously or doesn't answer your questions about how being overweight will affect you long term, then get a new doctor. Find somebody who understands how important this is.)

*Keep a Journal

I'm definitely a diary keeper, and I'm happy that I am. When I'm lacking motivation, reading through old journal entries can often remind me how far I've come and give me the confidence to keep going. I can see that I've had obstacles before, and I overcame them. I can read about how tired and depressed I felt before a workout and how I energetic and alive I felt afterward.

So get a diary and start writing. It doesn't need to be a fancy book (although sometimes it's nice to have one). You can use a bunch of papers stapled together. You can write it on your computer and print it out. You can start a blog online (lots of blog services are free). Just start writing about your experience.

You can also add photos to your journal. And if you create a digital journal, you can also add video clips.

*Exercise First Thing in the Morning

You can't procrastinate when you've already finished your workout because you did it right after you woke up. This also sets the pace for your day, high energy, and reduces your appetite all day long.

If you can't exercise immediately after you wake up, at least exercise as early as possible in the day. Get it over with, so you won't have to spend the rest of your day thinking "I need to work out" and feeling guilty about it.

*Draw a Picture of Yourself

Don't giggle; I'm serious. This is a psychological exercise that gets lots of different parts of your brain involved in thinking about how you look right now. Try to draw the picture as accurately as you can. Then compare it to a photograph of yourself. Your work of art may make you realize just what you really think about yourself

*Focus on Little Goals

"I want to lose 100 lbs." is hardly a little goal. Instead, focus on losing just 1 lb. If I lose 1 lb. I've succeeded. Likewise, focus on exercising for just 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc. rather than running a marathon. Focus on eating a healthy breakfast or skipping snacks after dinner instead of how many calories you ate during the entire week. It's the little goals that make the real difference. Each step you achieve should be a celebration because it means you are just a little better than you were yesterday.

*Just Do Something

This is closely related to the little goals you set up for yourself. If you ever catch yourself dreading a long workout, just give yourself permission to do 5 minutes or one set of sit-ups. If you just do the minimum, hey, at least you did something, and that's definitely better than not doing anything at all. Chances are, though, you will find yourself doing more than the minimum, and maybe you'll even do the whole workout.

*Work Toward Fitness Goals

Maybe you want to run a marathon, jog a 5k, or just walk a mile. Maybe you want to become a black belt in martial arts. Maybe you want to win a bike race (or at least show off your mountain biking skills to your friends). Such goals can help you lose weight. Focus on the goal (just try to improve a little every week), and by training for it, the exercise and weight loss will follow.

*Avoid People Who Discourage You

If you can avoid them, do it. If you can't, at least talk to them about how their attitudes are affecting your progress. Be honest. It can be tough, especially when Grandma is making you feel guilty about not eating a pound of her homemade cookies, but be firm anyhow. Even if they get angry or start crying, just remind yourself that you are doing the right thing. Give yourself a mantra if you must: "I'm going to be healthy, and I'm not going to let anyone, no matter how much I love them, stop me." Just standing up to such people will give you a new sense of confidence that you can use to keep you on track to meet your goals.

*Promise Yourself Something BIG

You know how you have that list of things you wish you could do... someday. Well, guess what! When you reach your goal weight, you get to do one of those things. Pick one: travel to another country, go on a cruise, get cosmetic surgery, get laser hair removal, redecorate your house, or buy something you've always wanted. Of course, you'll need to save up some money to do this as well, but it's worth it. You get healthy, you look good, and you get to cross something off of your dream to-do list.


Try Some if not all of these things and see how you do... Good Luck to you all on your Weightloss Journey!!!!

~Rachel~