10 Ways to Stay Motivated to Lose Weight ...

One of the best ways to stay motivated to lose weight is to rethink the way you think about weight loss. Don’t turn it into an all or nothing situation where you have to lose a certain amount of weight or the attempt was a failure. Everyone can benefit from living a healthy lifestyle and when you focus on eating healthier and getting moving to do your body good, it doesn’t feel like such a daunting task anymore.

I’m so guilty of setting unrealistic goals for myself; looking back, I pretty much set myself up for failure! Make sure you set reasonable goals for yourself during your weight loss journey. You know yourself, so if you hate salads, you’re not going to make it a goal to eat salads every day because it won’t happen. The same goes for wanting to lose too much weight too fast, set a sensible goal like 2 pounds per week and you’ll see success!

Cute workout clothes can be great weight loss motivation! Working out in drab sweats and faded, baggy T-shirts is easy but there’s nothing like wearing some cute, color coordinated workout gear that’ll help you get motivated to work out and feel good while you do it. Whenever I wear form-fitting workout clothes, it pushes me to work out harder. You don’t have to drop tons of money on high end workout gear, check out stores like Target and Forever 21 for some affordable and stylish options!

To me, any victory is a significant victory when it comes to healthy eating and weight loss! These days, it’s so easy to choose processed food in lieu of a home-cooked meal and we jam pack our days with so many chores, it can get tricky fitting in a workout. Don’t forget to celebrate small victories and treat yourself to something nice like a massage or pedicure. Not only do you deserve it, you can look forward to your next reward and it shows you’re another step closer to your goal!

Another subtle and easy way to motivate weight loss is to change your plates. I’m sure you’ve heard about the trick to use smaller plates so you eat less but there’s more to it. According to color expert and author Elizabeth Harper, the color blue has been known to suppress your appetite, whereas the color red makes you hungry. If you can, try using blue plates when you eat and you might find that you need less food to get full!

Another easy way to get weight loss motivation is through social media! There are lots of apps that can help track workouts and meals and you can invite friends to keep track of each other’s goals. You can also post your progress or workouts on Facebook or blog about your weight loss journey, and it’ll not only help you stay accountable but it can help others get motivation, too!

Some people find that looking at photos of super skinny models help motivate them to lose weight but it might not be such a great idea. A study in the Netherlands studied two groups of women who wanted to lose weight: one group had a food journal with photos of skinny models on the cover and the other group had just a neutral logo. The second group lost weight while the first group gained weight. The researchers felt that the image of the models discouraged the dieters by creating unrealistic standards. There’s nothing wrong with getting inspiration from others but remember that everyone’s body is different and you want to achieve a healthy weight for you.

Want to hear a really odd weight loss motivation trick? I’m not 100% sure how effective it is but if you believe in the powers of Feng Shui, this might be a super easy way to get motivated! According to Feng Shui expert Donna Stellhorn, writing down a goal on a piece of paper, placing it under your pillow and literally sleeping on it can help you incorporate that energy and help you manifest it quicker!

Another way to get quick weight loss motivation is to think about your goals. Whenever you feel like blowing off workouts or think eating unhealthy won’t make any difference, ask yourself how your decision will help or impact your health 3 months down the line. While skipping a few workouts or indulging in treats every now and then won’t undo all of your hard work, blowing off all of your new weight loss habits now will mean starting over.

In order to stay motivated to lose weight I have to stress the importance of not being too hard on yourself. Clinical psychologist Joshua Klapow suggests that whenever your motivation for weight loss gets low, don’t be too hard on yourself, it’s natural. He states that motivation has a natural rhythm and if your motivation gets low, it might be time to give yourself a break for a day or two but it’s okay.

We all get weight loss motivation from different places, so what works for some might not work for others and that’s perfectly fine! I hope you find some of these tips on staying motivated for weight loss helpful. How do you stay motivated to lose weight and be healthy?