Weight Loss Motivation

weight-loss-motivation

These simple weight loss motivation tips will help you to get started and stay on track. If you are here at this website, then you already are motivated to lose weight.

But staying motivated can sometimes be very difficult. Remember, losing weight does not happen overnight. Depending on how much weight you have to lose, your journey can span several months. So it's only natural to find yourself getting discouraged now and again.



Set a Goal

The first step for weight loss motivation is to create a goal. You need to know where you are headed before you can get excited and motivated to get there. Goals are a great way to keep us on track. You have to know where you want to go in order to get there.

With weight loss you should make a big goal, getting to your ideal weight. Also make smaller goals to help keep you motivated along the way.

Your small goals do not always have to be in terms of weight lost. You could use clothing size or body fat percentage for your smaller goals.

Just make your goal realistic. For instance, if you need to lose 50 pounds, don’t expect to do this in just a few months. There is no bigger enemy to motivation than an unrealistic goal.

Start your own weight loss journal to keep track of what you eat, when you exercise and your thoughts for the day. Look back on your journal to make adjustments to your meal plan, exercise plan or your goals.

Find a Diet Buddy

diet buddy

Support is a great weight loss motivation technique. Surrounding yourself with people you care about and who care about you will help you to stay motivated.

Tell your family and friends about wanting to lose weight. They will be your best weight loss motivation.

Make sure your group is supportive and not drill instructors. You want their support not their disappointment.

If you and your significant other are dieting together, then read this article on weight loss for men versus women first.

Read this article as well on the different types of support groups you can find online and offline.

Reward Yourself Along the Way

This third weight loss motivation tip is my favorite as I get to treat myself to new things. It's amazing how this keeps me going.

Take a look at your small goals and each time you reach one of those goals, reward yourself. Don’t necessarily do this with food, but rather something fun.

Go to the movies or a night out with your friends. Give yourself a present and buy something new. It can be clothes, shoes, something for your desk or anything that you want. Celebrate in your success. I use this weight loss motivation each time I reach one of my mini goals.

Don't Feel Guilty

guilt eating

Staying on track is difficult especially when the unexpected happens. So don’t feel guilty if you had a piece of cake at the wedding reception.

If you had to grab a greasy cheeseburger for lunch because you forgot to pack your healthy meal, don't beat yourself up.

Things happen. Just forget about it, move on and get back on track with your weight loss motivation. Just don’t let these little slips become a habit.

List Reasons for Wanting to Lose Weight

Another great weight loss motivation is a check list of why you want to lose those extra pounds. Write these reasons down and refer to it when you feel yourself losing motivation.

The reasons can be as simple as fitting into that special dress. Or perhaps you want to be able to zip up those favorite pair of jeans. It doesn't have to be about clothes. Your reasons could be health related.

Whatever your reasons are, write them down.  Then when you feel a lack of weight loss motivation, re-read your notes and refresh your memory as to why you want to lose weight.

Use your printable weight loss journal to jot down new reasons for losing weight as you think of them.

Track Your Progress

Track your progress to keep your weight loss motivation going. You can use a simple piece of paper for tracking daily, weekly and even monthly. If you want to get a bit fancier in your tracking, try this calorie intake chart. You can record foods, calories and track your exercises. It also has a weight tracker complete with charts so you can easily see your progress.

Seeing your success written down is a great motivator. If you start to see your progress headed in the wrong direction, adjust your routine.

Add some more exercise or take a look at how many calories you are consuming.  As you exercise and lose weight, your calorie intake for weight loss is changing.  Make sure you are adjusting accordingly.



Thrive From Other's Success Stories

Reading about other people’s weight loss success is another great weight loss motivation tool. There are literally thousands of people who were in your same situation and lost the weight.

losing weight

Read about their stories to get your weight loss motivation. These stories may even have some great tips to help you get you to your goal weight. Keep in mind each person's success and how they got there may be different than yours.

Because we are all different, your weight loss methods to get to your success may vary from others.

Check out this article on ways you can burn fat quick.

Here's one story sent to me that I wanted to share. Jill lost 100 lbs and competed in a beauty pageant. Read her story below.

How Jill Lost the Weight

I logged my food, ate six small meals a day and had no refined sugar. Finding out I had Type 2 diabetes helped me have a paradigm shift in the way I think, and I did a lifestyle change versus a diet.

Four days a week, cardio mixed with weight training was my exercise routine. In January, I had a personal trainer sponsor Rebecca Carington training sessions to get ready for the Mrs. Idaho pageant.

It was wonderful to learn from a trainer, she really cared about me and saw the potential I could reach and I did. I did the Mrs. Idaho pageant after losing a total of 100 pounds, and I made the top six out of 16 amazing woman.

I am now a motivational speaker to motivate others to lose weight and get healthy. I am a diabetes advocate. It brings me great joy to share my story with others -- and in doing so, I inspire them to "get up and get moving!"

Visit my web site www.getupandgetmoving.net to get motivated today.

Throw Away The Fat Clothes



As you lose the weight and go down in clothing size, celebrate by giving away those big clothes. This is a great way to stay motivated to keep the weight off.

After all, who wants to spend a bunch of money buying clothes in a bigger size? So give them away, burn them or cut them up.

Whatever you do, get them out of your closet so you will not have clothes that will fit if you gain weight. Motivate yourself to keep it off.

Don't Fall Into The Diet Trap

losing weight

Many people are looking for ways to lose weight quick.  Although this can be a great motivator, quick weight loss programs are generally not recommended. A slow weight loss is what most experts say is the best way to lose weight.

Why? With a weight loss program that takes it slow and steady, you are learning and changing as you go.

So by the time you get to the maintenance portion of the program, you’ve already thrown out the bad habits and replaced them with the good.

Look for solid weight loss programs that teach lifestyle habits and not just quick weight loss. While the quick loss helps with weight loss motivation, it may not be the healthiest options for you.

Do It For Yourself

This last weight loss motivation tip is all about you and ensuring you are doing this for yourself. Make sure you want to lose weight and you’re not doing it for someone else.

You have to be happy with yourself before you can be happy with anyone else. Of course if there is a medical reason, then you really should try to lose the weight, even if you are not sure you want to.

To be really, truly motivated for anything, you have to really want it. So do it for yourself, your health and your soul.

Here are some tips for women only on losing weight. Also check out this article on weight loss plateaus.


Additional Articles

Exercise Motivation
Adding exercise to your diet plan will help you reach your goals sooner. If you need a little motivation to start moving, then check out these exercise motivation tips.

Weight Loss Myths
There is an overload of information on the subject of weight loss. It's confusing and hard to filter out the nonsense. Read this article to learn more about the myths and understand what is fact and what is fiction when it comes to dieting.

Weight Loss Workouts
These example workouts will help you get active and lose weight. You can use the beginner's level if you are just starting out. Try the next levels as you get used to these workout routines.