Keeping motivated while trying to lose weight is truly challenging. If it's not the TV telling that we need to try a new donut, then it's our friends inviting us out for some calorie-rich alcoholic beverages. How can we stay on top of our diet plan and avoid all these temptations? Well, first off it takes a lot of will power and a strong desire to be a fitter, healthier human being. If you have these traits and maybe the support of a few other people, I'm sure you can reach your goals.
There are a few things that I like to do at certain times of the year when I feel that I've put on a few too many pounds. Strangely enough, these times are often when I'm celebrating a lot... interesting :)
Anyway - Here are 5 things that you may want to consider doing if you're looking for a little weight loss motivation.
1. Track Your Progress
This is goal achievement 101 people! If you don't know what you're going for, you'll never achieve it! I remember being forced to write down my goals in grade school and never really understanding why. I finally did it in my adult life and the results were wonderful. When you write something down, it becomes real. This may be a bit of a scary thought off the bat but it's crucial for your long term success.
For the computer geeks out there, you may want to try a more modern version of this classic motivational technique. I've heard of people setting up Excel spreadsheets to keep track of their "Calorie Counting" type diets. This is a fantastic idea.
2. Reward Yourself When You Pass A Weight Loss Test
One massive advantage of using a spreadsheet to track your weight loss progress is it allows you to see improvement. Now... Another motivational trick you can use to keep yourself on the straight and narrow is through a sort of reward system. When you pass certain milestones, treat yourself to something nice! It could be almost anything (except maybe a gigantic piece of cake). You may want to buy yourself a new book and go spend an afternoon in the park... It's up to you.
When setting goals for yourself, it's important to walk the line between easy and tough. Find a milestone that's challenging but not unreasonable. Most folks I talk to seem to enjoy the "Every 5 Pounds" type of challenge. Everyone is different so find something that works for you.
3. Control Your Emotional Eating Habits
Here's a little tip to keep you from losing ground in your fight to lose weight. Control your emotions. More often than not, emotions control are actions. This is true of many actions that we take in our day to day lives - including eating. Some of us use food to "comfort" us when we're sad. Others (like me!) use a party and happy feelings as and excuse to absolutely stuff their faces. Here's something you can do to cut back on these habits. Make it your personal challenge to not "Eat With Your Heart".
Next time you catch yourself over-eating, try to figure out what triggered it. This will prepare you better for future situations of a similar nature. Catch the emotion next time! You own that feeling... so choose not to give into it with an extra large bag of potato chips. :)
4. Prove Your Peers Wrong!
This sounds a tad evil and maybe it is... We all have friends and coworkers trying to kill our diet plans. They'll say stuff like... "Oh, come on, super-size that meal" - or "You've been on diets before and they haven't worked before. You should just give up!".
Don't give in to the peer pressure. Use they're tempting little comments as motivation. If you want to go really far with this, you could even write down what they say on a notepad. Maybe turn it into some kind of wallpaper for your PC. After a few short weeks, your friends will be used to your new habits and the comments will stop.
5. Keep Your Eye On The Prize
Another neat little motivational tip is to keep the big picture in your head. Take a few moments throughout the day to consider the reasons why you're dieting. Is it because you want to be more attractive? Well then, think about the day when you'llbe the looker amongst your friends. Is it because you want to be fit and healthy? If so, take some time out of your day to imagine a time when you'll be running a marathon or hiking up a tough mountain trail.
This little tip has saved many would be dieters on many occasions. You're doing this for reason. Keep that reason on the forefront at all times!
Hopefully these tips will help you find a bit more weight loss motivation. See below for some helpful resources that have helped me. Remember, you're not alone! Cheers!
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