Lose Weight Quick By Staying Motivated Along Your Fitness Journey

It's funny how so many of us seem to get revved up and try to lose weight quick right around the new year, or maybe a couple week's before our best friend's wedding...or maybe the dreaded-er-I mean, exciting-high school reunion. These are great motivating factors, don't get me wrong.

But, there is one big problem-these are temporary "fixes" that prompt us to lose weight quick-and many times, put it right back on a short while later. Many times a lot of people also resort to unhealthy methods of dieting to try to lose weight quick which can negatively affect a person both physically and psychologically. This is often the case of the "yo-yo" dieter.

So how can we still take advantage of the "high" and motivational force we feel knowing an exciting event is just around the corner without resorting to unhealthy weight loss tactics? Well, there are a few things you can do.

1. One of the best tips I can offer is first of all, AT LEAST a couple of months bfore the big event, get a health assessment from your doctor and a certified trainer if possible. He or she can give you an idea of where you stand on your fitness journey as far as body fat percentage and what you need to do to reach your goals.

2. Once you have your "fitness figures" in check and have an idea of what is a healthy weight loss goal for a given time period, break up your big goal into "mini weekly goals"-for example, maybe a 1-2 pound of fat loss per week which would be anywhere between 8-16 pounds in two months!) These "mini goals" will keep you motivated until along the way until the big day and will keep you from procrastinating.

3. Choose a sport or activity you love and just enjoy being part of something bigger. Even if it's an individual sport like swimming, just being in the pool with other swimmers will give you a sense of community. Use this as an escape from everyday stress.

It's a funny thing, but we seem to shed pounds quicker when we are not actually thinking about it. It's true. This is analogous to those long workdays. Ever notice when you are really busy time flies? Why? Because it keeps your mind of the clock. When we are enjoying ourselves while doing exercise, time passes by quicker and so do the pounds!

4. Make a countdown calendar and add a "special reward day" at the end of each week of successful exercising. I've always loved Saturday's myself-but you can pick any day of the week that works with your schedule. Pick a day that you take a few hours just for yourself to relax.

Maybe hang out with friends, get to the greens for a game of golf, or maybe just a day at the beach with the family is your "cup of tea". On this day, make sure to continue eating healthy but take a little break from the exercise to unwind and reflect on your progress.

5. Keep your eyes on the prize. This is probably the most important thing to remember. You have a goal, a motivational force helping you keep moving forward. Keep reminders of the big day around to keep going when the "going gets tough". Enjoy the ride, but keep your eyes on the prize.

Now how can we avoid the "downer" we feel after the big event? Well, the whole point of the five tips above was to help you avoid this "downer" altogether.

You see by the end of the two months, you should be feeling a whole lot better inside and out. Hopefully by having found a sport you love-and maybe even making some great new friends while doing so-will give you something to look forward to after that single "big event" is over. Also, realize that everyday is a new opportunity for you to be better-faster-fitter-than you were the day before.

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