9 TIPS ON HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

9 Tips on how to get motivated to lose weight

Losing weight is a daunting task as anyone who’s ever had to do it can confirm. The reason is that effective weight loss means changing your eating habits permanently, and these are developed early on in life, which makes it very hard to get rid of them. But don’t despair because we’ve got a few tricks to help you stay on the right track, so here are nine tips on how to get motivated to lose weight:

1. Don’t obsess

Sometimes you start off very motivated, determined to go one size lower in a matter of a month. This is difficult and at some point your motivation will get shaky. Give yourself a rest, experts suggest, now and again, when you feel it’s becoming too difficult. Remember, you’re not a machine, you’re a human being and it’s only natural that you cannot be constantly motivated to the same degree.

2. Don’t give yourself hard time 

So, you’ve strayed from your strict diet and now you hate yourself for it. That’s one of the surest ways to lose the battle with excessive weight. The first thing to get to terms with, when you decide to shed those kilos, is that it’s a long-term project, it’s not something you can get done within a few weeks. That’s if you want the change to be permanent and avoid all those side effects, such as gaining all your old weight back and more, once you stop your diet. Think long-term. Against this background, succumbing to an ice cream once a week is a very small sin.

3. Think positive

Another tip on how to get motivated to lose weight is to start thinking positively. Yes, we know that’s trite, but that’s because it’s very important. If your primary reason for wanting to lose weight is because you hate the way you look or because someone else – that’s even worse – thinks you look bad and pressures you into getting thinner, you’ll get nowhere, because slimming will be a stressful affair. Instead, look at things from a positive perspective. You have a great body and you want it to be a healthy body as well.

4. Plan

Planning your steps is another great tip on how to get motivated to lose weight. It’s always easier to have a scheme to follow in such long-term endeavours, rather than trying to play it by ear, mixing diets and exercise regimen, and so on. So, plan your meals for the whole week, plan your gym visits and stick to the plan. That said, remember – one slip is not the end of the world, just try to not let these slips get to be too many.

5. Dream big, act small

This means setting yourself small, achievable targets. That’s another benefit of having a meal and exercise plan. Instead of setting your eyes on shedding 5 kilos over a month, set yourself another goal, such as a week without chocolate, if chocolate is your poison of choice. First, you’ll feel great when you achieve it. Second, it will increase your confidence that You Can Do It!

6. Be prepared

We talked about slips from the diet but it bears repeating. Allow yourself an occasional indulgence if the whole weight-loss thing is starting to stress you out and be clear about it from the beginning, that is, be prepared that you will slip. This will help you keep your focus, because you won’t have a nervous breakdown every time you indulge in a forbidden candy. What’s more important is that if you‘re prepared, you’re less likely to lose it and stuff yourself, thinking that once you’ve slipped, you might as well go to the bottom of the hill.

7. Track your success

How to get motivated to lose weight? Track your success. There’s a fine line between tracking your weight loss and starting to get obsessed with it but it’s there, nevertheless. Weigh yourself daily and write down the numbers. Then use them to make a simple chart that will boost your motivation whenever you start feeling weak in the face of temptation. Seeing how far you’ve got will give you the strength to continue. You can accompany this with a photo diary, so you can actually see with your own eyes how well you’re doing.

8. Forget the catwalk models

It’s an advice that you’d give to or get from your best friend – pinning a photo of a super-gorgeous model to the fridge door to boost motivation. In fact, researchers have found that this is counterproductive. The problem is that the photo of the super-gorgeous model creates unrealistic expectations and unrealistic expectations naturally result in failure and thoughts of “Oh, what’s the point, I’ll never look like her.” To avoid such thoughts, stick to our other tips on how to get motivated to lose weight, and if you have to imagine a perfect image, imagine your own perfect image, how you want to look. Now, that’s something realistic.

9. Get a support group

The people who can best understand what you’re going through are the ones who are going through the same thing. It’s like quitting smoking – it’s much easier if you can talk to like-minded people. The internet is full of forums and message boards on all sorts of topics, and weight loss is an evergreen. So, if you don’t have friends that are trying to lose weight at the same time as you, get in touch with people who are. You’ll be able to encourage each other more meaningfully and help each other’s success.

How to get motivated to lose weight? What are your best tips?

Stay happy!

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