Getting Motivated to Lose Weight

Many people start a weight loss program only to lose motivation before they meet their goals. Finding what motivates you is an important part of sticking to a weight loss regime. Whether you want to lose weight for an upcoming event, for your health or to get back in the shape you were when you were younger, there are strategies that will help keep you motivated to lose weight and reach your fitness goals.

Instructions

1

Ask yourself why you want to lose weight. Is it for your health? To finally get into shape? Or do you want to fit into your skinny jeans again? These are the reasons you need to focus on when you put off a workout or reach for an unhealthy food choice. Write down your reasons for losing weight and your final weight loss goal.

2

Set small weight loss goals along with your long term goal. One reason people fall short of their weight-loss goal is that they see their long term goal as unreachable. If your long term goal is to lose 50 lbs. in five months, make smaller short term goals in between. Aim for 2 to 3 lbs. a week. Small achievements are great motivators.

3

Try not to weigh yourself more than once a week. Water retention, time of the month and what you ate an hour ago can change the numbers on the scale. Keep a log of these weekly numbers and after a month or two you will see just how far you've come. Keep this log in a prominent place along with your weight loss goals.

4

Make the time for fitness. One of the most popular excuses for stopping a weight loss program is time. It doesn't take much time to get the health and weight loss benefits from exercise. Make appointments with yourself for daily exercise. Thirty minutes a day is all it takes to get results. Wake up half an hour earlier or do an exercise routine while watching the evening news. The time is there, so write down that half-hour fitness appointment on your daily to-do list.

5

Use visual motivators. Put up a picture of how you will look after you lose the weight, or how you used to look before you gained weight. Even something as simple as hanging a pair of jeans you want to fit into on the outside of your closet will motivate and remind you of your goals.

6

Stop comparing your weight loss results with another person's. Reading about another persons weight loss success can be motivating. But when you beat yourself up for not getting the same results in the same amount of time, it becomes detrimental and leads to backsliding in diet and fitness. Be positive and proud of what you have achieved.

7

Motivate yourself by rewarding yourself. Give yourself a prize for achieving the small and big goals. Buy yourself a new dress or pair of pants when you meet the goal of losing a size. Treat yourself to a movie when you meet that weekly weight loss goal. Every fitness goal reached should be celebrated.

8

Join a weight loss support group. Talking with other people who are on the same weight loss journey as you can help you feel that youre not alone. You can join a weight loss group in your area or use one of the many weight loss support groups online to help keep you motivated to lose weight.