Losing weight can be tricky. Whether it’s putting together a healthy weight loss plan or mustering up the motivation to stick to it, finding the right mindset and applying it to your weight loss journey is crucial for making some progress and shedding some fat. While it’s encouraging to see other people’s results, not seeing immediate changes in your body can quickly bring you down and cause you to lose your motivation.
However, the truth is that everyone’s weight loss journey is different. What works for one may not work for the other due to vast differences in body composition, metabolism, lifestyle, environmental factors, and other things that can help you burn fat. Still, motivation is half the battle, and cheering yourself on is essential to becoming a better, healthier you.
Here are five tips to help you motivate yourself to lose weight:
1. Find Your Why
When you have difficulty gathering the motivation to stick to your weight loss plan, it helps to go back to basics and remind yourself of the reasons you’ve begun this journey in the first place. Write them down and read through them every day to remember why you should follow your plan instead of straying from it. Your reasons could be medical, such as preventing diabetes or other medical conditions or simply for personal improvement, which will do wonders for your confidence. Although most people start losing weight according to their doctor’s suggestions, you’ll find more sustainable results when your motivation comes from within.
2. Set Realistic Expectations
Most people want results right away, which is why they tend to fall victim to diet products that promise easy weight loss. However, the healthy way to lose weight is to shed 1 to 2 pounds a week and follow a medical weight loss plan. It’s important to set realistic expectations in your weight loss journey to ensure you recognize your achievements and prevent yourself from getting discouraged.
3. Establish SMART Goals
A mistake that many make when trying to lose weight is to focus only on outcome goals or goals that they want to achieve at the end of the journey. This goal is usually a final target weight. However, that often leads to frustration, so it is more recommended to set SMART or specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based goals. These include goals like walking briskly for 30 minutes five days a week, drinking only one soda a week, or eating five servings of vegetables every week. Creating these goals and sticking to them will help you maintain the drive to lose weight, increasing your chances of success.
4. Choose a Plan That You Can Follow in the Long-Term
Another way to improve your chances of losing weight sustainably is to pick a plan that matches your lifestyle. The key to losing weight is to reduce your calorie intake, but going back and forth on dieting will backfire and make you gain more weight in the future. Instead, avoid diets that force you to cut out certain foods altogether, as an “all or nothing” mindset will make it more challenging to lose weight.
Instead, consider reducing portion sizes, reducing your intake of fried food and desserts, and incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your meals. You’ll have an easier time losing weight while feeling happy and motivated.
5. Give Yourself Credit
Weight loss journeys can be long, but regardless of how far you are into it, be sure to celebrate your successes. Recognizing the hard work you’ve put into burning fat and getting closer to a healthier weight will help you stay motivated, primarily when you accomplish a goal. Rewarding yourself like going on a trip or buying yourself something nice is also a great way to make more progress, helping you stay on track.
Conclusion
It can be tempting to stray from your weight loss plan when you feel frustrated about your progress. However, these tips will help you celebrate your victories, be more aware of the healthier habits you’ve established, and give you the motivation you need to proceed with your journey and maintain a more fit lifestyle.
Weigh to Wellness is a weight loss clinic in Birmingham, AL, run by board-certified medical professionals with over 25 years of experience in weight management. We utilize a 4 phase approach that ensures the best results for our patients. Contact us today for a consultation to find out how we can help you!