One of the loftiest and toughest personal goals you can set for yourself is to lose weight. Whether you’re just looking to lose 10lbs or you’ve got a much bigger and more ambitious weight loss goal, the process is far from easy. Not only are you not going to reach your goal overnight; you have to be willing to put in the work for the long-run.
In general, people tend to lose those first few pounds relatively easily, but after that, it gets a lot tougher. When you’re not seeing that fast and constant movement on the scale, it can start to feel frustrating and cause you to want to give up. So, how can you find a way to stay motivated and keep up with your weight loss goals? We’ve got five sure-fire ways that are bound to help keep you focused.
Don’t Punish Yourself for Taking a Day Off Once in a While
If you’re on a particularly harsh diet plan and have been going out the gym pretty consistently, it’s normal to feel burnt out. In that case, rather than feel guilty for taking a day or two off your exercise plan, take that step away and allow yourself to just relax. Experts say that one to three days off from your plan can help to get you re-focused and motivated, as it’s like hitting a reset button.
Make Use of Motivational Quotes and Pictures
For many people, motivational quotes and pictures can prove to be incredibly powerful and helpful. They can be a great way to start the day, help you get through a tough workout, or even help you to wind down at the end of the day. As for which ones motivate you, that’s really personal preference. The Examined Existence website has a great selection of motivation pictures complete with quotes that can certainly do the trick.
Find a Workout Buddy
Are you the type that often ends up skipping your workout? If so, it may be that accountability is the problem. The only person you have to be accountable to is yourself, so there’s not much pressure on you. If you can find a workout buddy, then suddenly your actions will be accountable to someone else. When you skip and cancel workouts, you’re going to need to explain why to your workout buddy, which may act as motivation enough to keep up with the exercise.
Reward Yourself Along the Way
Rather than focusing just on the end goal that you have, why not set milestones along the way and reward yourself for reaching them. Rewards can include something you buy for yourself, an activity you do, a spa treatment, whatever keeps you motivated to reach these various milestones.
Keep a Positive Outlook
One of the quickest and most effective ways to torpedo your weight loss goals is to not believe in yourself and think about it in negative terms. Much of a person’s weight loss success is about their mindset. If you believe you can do it, you tell yourself you can do it, and you stay positive, then you are much more likely to succeed.
Weight loss is never a simple or fast road, so finding ways to stay motivated can help you to remain on track and hit your goals.
Sources
https://www.shape.com/weight-loss/tips-plans/22-ways-stay-motivated-lose-weight
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/weight-loss-motivation-tips#section9