by If You have ever found yourself wanting to lose weight, but having trouble getting motivated, do not despair! There are plenty of ways to improve your motivation and find the drive to achieve your weight loss goals, whether it is cutting Calories from diet or adding more exercise to your routine. Here are ten tips that can help you get motivated and stay motivated as you work toward reaching out your goal weight.
#1 Start Small To Get Motivated
Just because you want to lose weight does not mean you need to overhaul your entire lifestyle and habits at once. Instead, you can attempt setting goals for yourself, one by one, week by week or month by month. Eventually, these small steps will add up and before you know it, you will have a whole list of accomplishments under your belt.
#2 Cut Out Sugar From Your Diet
When you cut sugar from your diet, you also cut out some of that unnecessary weight from your body. Cutting out liquid Calories is one thing that helps many people to lose weight. It is an easy way to track what you are consuming and if you tend to overindulge when you drink sweetened beverages and alcohol. By eliminating them will help to keep off unwanted pounds, making sure there are no additional Calories from added sugars sneaking into your diet. Further, drinking soda and sugary juices are not healthy here as well, therefore, these should be consumed in limited amounts or omitted entirely.
#3 Set Short Term Goals
The American College of Sport Medicine and other health experts recommend aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week. You might think that you are exercising that much already, but if it is mostly in bouts of 20 minutes or less you are not giving your body enough time to reach a fat burning rate. Ideally, you aim for three 20-minute periods of exercise every week, by breaking up into three 5-minute sessions or 10-minute ones. By doing so, this will help you to stay motivated and reach your weight loss goals more quickly than setting one long period of activity each day.
#4 Focus On What You Will Do Instead Of What You Will Not
When people are trying to lose weight, they often think about everything which they will no longer be able to eat. It is a waste of time and energy, as it only leaves us feeling deprived and unhappy. Instead, focus on all of the healthy things that you are going to have. For example, do not say no when your friend invites you out for ice cream; say yes and order a small scoop with a big glass of water. You are making room for some indulgence while still making smart choices. If friends invite you out for drinks instead of dinner, order wine or water with your meal and never feel like there is something wrong with ordering either one.
#5 Focus On One Weight Loss Goal At A Time
When you are first starting out, it will be very had to find motivation and get yourself moving as you think. The good news is that there are tons of different ways you can make your progress towards goals. The other piece of good news is that no matter how small an accomplishment, it will still lead to your ultimate success and that little accomplishments build up into big ones over a time. However, when you are trying to reach a goal in just a few months as most people do, focus on one thing at a time. This helps to keep you motivated in each installment, we will focus on three major tips for how you can lose weight safely and quickly by focusing on one thing at a time: self-care, diet and exercise.
#6 Break Your Big Goal Into Little Pieces
Often, we get overwhelmed by how big our goal is that we feel paralyzed, stuck or unmotivated. This does not mean your goal is not worth pursuing, it means you have to break it down into smaller pieces in order to achieve success. For example, if you want to lose weight and get fit, but know there is no way you can run three miles every day. Do not worry, start with a walk around your neighborhood or walk at lunch with co-worker rather than sitting at your desk. Over time and with consistent effort, those small pieces will lead to a healthier lifestyle and better body image for yourself.
#7 Cut Back On Coffee
If you are a coffee drinker, it may be time to cut back or cut out. A great cup of coffee provides a quick burst of energy that wears off in an hour or so. If you want to maintain your heightened sense of alertness without all those pesky Calories, try out drinking green tea. It is naturally packed with caffeine and has about one third fewer Calories than black tea. Not only will you curb your appetite if you give up your daily latte, but also lower Calorie intake overall. Brew yourself a large pot at home and drink a mug over ice when you are on the go or use low Calorie sweeteners instead of heavy creamer and whole milk.
#8 Do Not Keep Yourself Guessing
A lot of what holds people back from starting a weight loss journey is not knowing how long it will take. It is hard to lose weight when you do not know where you stand and even harder if you can not see yourself where you want to be. There are a number of calculators that can provide some guidance here, but it is also important not to get too caught up in these things. The reality is that weight loss should be more of a marathon than a sprint anyway. When you focus is on short term success, your expectations can become unhealthily high and difficult to reach.
#9 Connect With Others In Similar Situations Online And Offline
One of favorite ways to stay motivated is by connecting with other who are working on weight loss. There are a ton of online communities where you can talk about your progress and even support one another. A great resource for finding these communities is social media or websites. Also, if you have friends who are trying to lose weight or get healthy, find out if they would be willing to work out together. Accountability partners make achieving goals much easier.
#10 Start With Baby Step If Necessary
Are you completely stumped on how to get motivated and lose weight? If so, start with baby steps. Break up your weight loss plan into smaller goals that are much easier to tackle without fleeing overwhelmed. You may even find it helpful to schedule mini rewards along your way, going out coffee after dropping pound, or getting manicure when you have lost five pounds. At first, these rewards may not seem like much, but they will keep your spirit high and energy levels high as well. And remember, nothing happens overnight.
Read more here
