Psyche Yourself to Success - 3 Tips For Staying Motivated While Losing Weight

Losing weight isn't an easy thing to do - everyone would be thin if it were. Achieving your desired weight takes time, dedication, and most importantly, motivation. Here are three simple tips for staying motivated, staying the course, and losing that weight! Don't Push Yourself Too Hard Too Soon

Your health is the number reason to lose weight, but on that note, trying to do too much too soon can hurt your weight loss efforts more than help them. Make sure that you don't try to do more than your doctor recommends, or more than your body tells you it can take. Of course, a certain amount of pain goes hand-in-hand with rigorous exercise, but if you feel more than just "the burn," take a time out and make sure you're not doing anything that might risk injury. As motivated as you may be to achieve that slim, toned body, an injury can set you back days, weeks, or more.

Aside from the health risks, taking on too many dramatic lifestyle changes at once can lead to stress, and too much stress caused by your weight loss program can lead to failure. Instead of making too many major changes all at once, divide them up into a succession of smaller changes that you can implement over time.


Broadcast Your Intent to Lose Weight

Innumerable scientific studies have shown, and continue to show, that peer support is a key factor when it comes to successfully losing weight. Telling your friends and family about your plans to slim down has a number of advantages. First and foremost, they'll be there to give you support when you need it. Everyone, at some point or another, finds themselves wondering if all the hard work and discomfort of weight loss is worth it, and that's when everyone could use a friend or family member to keep them upbeat, motivated, and focused on their goals.

In addition, your announcement may even be met with offers to "buddy up" and lose weight as a team. Even better than having a support group is having a partner - not only will they help to keep you motivated through encouragement, obligation, and even friendly competition, but you may also find that motivating and encouraging someone else emboldens your own drive and enthusiasm.


Take Before and After Photos of Yourself

Sometimes it can be difficult to see the progress you make towards your weight-loss goals. Looking at yourself in the mirror every morning can blind you to the month-to-month changes in your appearance that, when compared side-by-side, can show significant, and motivating, progress. While it may seem simple, or even vain, there's absolutely nothing more motivating than actually seeing the change you've worked so hard to achieve.

Try to keep your before-and-after photos as similar as possible - you're not trying to win any awards and no one but you need to see them, all you need from these images is to see the progress you make from month to month. Each month, take one photo from the front and one from the side; wear the same clothes, use the same (plain white, if possible) background, even take them at the same time of day (or in the same position within the room) so that the lighting doesn't change from one to the next.

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