Maintaining the motivation to lose weight is often the most difficult part of the weight loss process. Most people have no problem signing up for a new diet or workout program and getting all fired up at the beginning. It’s actually sticking with long term goals over a period of months and years that trips most people up. If you’re sick of losing and gaining weight again and again, here are some sure-fire tips to maintain your motivation to lose weight.
Check Your Numbers
The motivation to lose weight is not just about looking and feeling better. It’s also about knowing you are healthier inside! One way to stay motivated is to visit your doctor and have blood work drawn just before you start your weight loss journey. You can go back at regular intervals to see changes in your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and other important numbers.
If you have been diagnosed with diabetes or another health problem, just going off of your medications and knowing you have eliminated the health risk can be great motivation.
Give Yourself Credit
You can maintain the motivation to lose weight by tracking your compliance with goals on a daily basis. What you be doing is giving yourself credit for all your hard work, whether it be a sticker in a notebook or a checkbook in your daily planner. If you are handy on the computer you can even create a chart that you update daily.
Team Up
If you can team up with a friend or family member who will hold you accountable, you could both reach your goals much faster and push through the hard times. It’s harder to miss a workout when you know someone is waiting on you at the front doors of the gym.
You may even want to create friendly competition or set a prize that only one of you can win at regular intervals. If you have a competitive spirit this can be a great way to maintain the motivation to lose weight over a longer period of time.
Make a Date
Alternatively, you can maintain your motivation to lose weight by competing against yourself. Sign up for a 5K (even if you have to walk it) every few months and challenge yourself to improve your time.
Rewards
Setting rewards to be enjoyed at regular intervals will help you keep your eyes on the prize. One big reward when you hit your goal weight won’t work since it is so far off, but smaller rewards set every 5 or 10 pounds will deliver that motivation to lose weight.
Deeper Reasoning
It’s easy to say you want to lose 50 pounds so you look hot in your bikini, but what are the deeper reasons you want to lose weight? Take some time to write down a very detailed list that includes all of the reasons you want and need to lose the weight. Post it in your home or keep it in your purse so you can read through it when you start to lose motivation.
Now, take some time to turn this around on yourself. List out everything you can think of that could happen in your future if you don’t do what you need to do to lose weight. Which list do you want to be living in the next 5 years. Think of your own personality quirks to come up with more unique ways to establish the motivation to lose weight!