How to Stay Motivated on Your Weight Loss Journey
Losing motivation on their weight-loss journey is completely normal and an inevitable part of the process.
Start small by setting some goals that feel manageable to you, such as cutting out dessert after dinner or fitting exercise into your schedule two times each week.
1. Set Goals
Lack of motivation is an understandable response when embarking on any challenging new journey – like losing weight. Finding and keeping motivation throughout is key for your journey’s success.
Set goals to stay motivated on your weight loss journey. Make sure your goals are realistic and attainable so as to not become discouraged when they aren’t met; don’t aim for losing 20 pounds in one month as this may become overwhelming, so instead try setting more attainable targets such as one pound a week.
Instead of setting outcome goals (such as reaching your desired weight goal), set both outcome and process goals ( such as exercising four times each week). According to research, those who focus more on process (i.e. how they will reach their goal) tend to be more successful long term than those who just focus on outcomes (like reaching it).
Once you achieve a goal, be sure to celebrate! Reward yourself with non-food items like an evening out with friends, movie ticket, spa day or supplies for a hobby you love. Furthermore, creating a vision board or dream board that motivates can serve as visual reminders when times become tough.
Joining an exercise class or group can also help keep you on the right path by creating camaraderie with other members who share similar goals, while making working out more fun! Furthermore, having someone or some people holding you accountable is often essential in staying on track with your fitness routines.
2. Celebrate Successes
Once you achieve a milestone on your weight loss journey, it is essential to celebrate. Doing so will not only keep you motivated but will also reinforce healthy behaviors and motivate you to continue this important work!
Celebrate non-scale victories along the way as well, such as feeling more energetic or sleeping better or increased self-confidence. By acknowledging these non-scale achievements, it will serve to remind yourself why you began weight loss journey in the first place.
Many people struggle to find motivation when it comes to losing weight. Establishing your core motivators – such as improving health markers or being there for your kids – will keep you on the path toward weight loss. Once you have identified them, write them down and post them where you can see them every day for maximum impact.
One great way to recognize your achievements is by rewarding yourself – this could range from buying yourself new workout gear or scheduling a massage, all the way through to buying yourself something nice just for yourself! Just remember not to reward yourself with food as this could thwart your efforts!
Never lose sight of the fact that weight loss journeys will entail both ups and downs. Don’t let setbacks get you down; view them as learning opportunities to refine your strategies and stay on track. Working with an accountability partner may also help keep you accountable without making you feel guilty or negative about yourself – just ensure they provide support without making you feel bad about yourself.
3. Stay Accountable
Accountability to yourself and your goals increases the odds that they’ll stick. Setting daily or weekly goals, tracking progress using an app, or working with a coach/trainer who holds you to your program can all help keep yourself accountable to meeting them.
Stay accountable by finding an understanding friend or joining a support group. Accountability is essential for weight loss success, and studies have proven the increased chances of success when having someone hold you accountable.
Support systems can help keep motivation levels high by reminding you of why you’re doing what you’re doing, especially on days when it would be tempting to give into cravings or find excuses not to exercise. Furthermore, having an accountability partner provides another perspective when your own thoughts become negative and threaten your motivation.
Staying accountable means making public commitments to yourself and other people regarding the goals you have set for yourself, such as via social media or checking in daily with someone to discuss healthy eating and workout routines. Utilizing technology can also be effective, such as fitness apps or challenges between friends to see who reaches milestones first.
Celebrate each success as it comes, and keep track of your progress so that you can see just how far you’ve come. This helps prevent getting discouraged if weight doesn’t shift as quickly as desired; non-scale victories like reaching an exercise goal or cutting out one unhealthy food should also be acknowledged and celebrated.
4. Keep Track of Your Progress
As soon as you start making healthier decisions, it’s essential that you keep track of your progress. Doing so can serve as motivation to remain consistent with diet and fitness routines while pushing yourself even harder when working out. Tracking weight loss progress can be done through various means such as writing out goals in a journal or using apps such as My Fitness Pal to monitor food consumption and fitness activity levels; additionally having an accountability partner or joining online support groups may prove useful.
No matter the method of tracking your progress, it’s essential that it works for you. Consider what will motivate and excite you the most and find ways to incorporate that into daily life – for instance if seeing results on the scale or clothing is something you appreciate, consider documenting these changes by taking pictures at the start of your journey and periodically thereafter, say every few weeks.
Celebrate all your successes – no matter how small they may seem; even small milestones like fitting into jeans you couldn’t when you began weight loss are worth celebrating! Additionally, create a vision or dream board so that when times of discouragement arises you have something concrete to look back upon for inspiration; pictures of people who inspire you or activities you hope to try once healthier may help remind yourself why this journey matters so much. When feeling discouraged take a look at this board and remember why you started.
5. Be Patient
At the core of every weight-loss journey is motivation – yet keeping to it can often prove challenging. Even after starting strong, roadblocks may thwart efforts – this is completely natural so make sure to remain patient during your journey!
One effective strategy for staying motivated is finding something enjoyable about your diet or workout routine that truly inspires you. Doing this will make sticking to your goals much simpler – even when motivation drops off – like when fitting into clothes that fit better or feeling good about themselves is driving weight loss; but these kinds of motivation may quickly fade if replaced by other external forces.
Staying motivated requires surrounding yourself with positive influences and supportive individuals. Telling family and friends of your goals or even hiring a weight loss buddy may help. Working out together or shopping together makes staying on track much simpler, while having healthy meals prepared makes maintaining good eating habits much simpler.
Staying patient during your weight loss journey is important; every body is different and weight loss may take various amounts of time for everyone. Be sure to focus on the process itself and celebrate any successes along the way; also avoid comparing yourself with others, which could lead to feelings of inadequacy or discouragement if results don’t come quickly enough for you.
