Improving Weight Loss Motivation

This morning marked Week 11 of my goal to lose 30 Pounds in 90 Days. Wow, has it really been eleven weeks since I started this. I can’t believe how quickly the time has flown by. Not only that, but I can’t believe how well I have stuck with my diet and exercise program. It has been some major work, but my clothes are so much looser and I feel so much more confident in my ability to lose weight and stick with it. Whatever the weigh in results are this morning, I’m glad I have been making this effort.

My weight this morning is…

205 lbs

I DID IT! I DID IT! OH MY GOSH, I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! I wasnt expecting to see such a low number of the scale. Holy smokes. I got back on the scale three times because I couldn’t believe the number. I don’t know how I managed it, but I lost eight pounds since my weigh in last week and have now surpassed my goal of losing 30 pounds in three months. As of this morning, I HAVE LOST 32 POUNDS IN 11 WEEKS! 🙂

Joining a group or finding a friend to lose weight with is one of many ways of improving your weight loss motivation.

I’m still on cloud nine after reaching my weight loss goal a week early. Tonight I’m going to sit down and set my next weight loss goal. When losing weight it is very important to set weight goals for yourself. Even if they are small, they keep your eyes on the prize. My weight loss this week has given my motivation a huge boost. Staying motivated when losing weight is something that every dieter battles with. I have learned a few really helpful tricks for keeping myself motivated as I lose and I hope that they will help you too.

Dieting is never easy, but it is even harder if you dive in without really thinking about what you are doing. You may have your eating plan in place, and have thought of ways to get exercise into your life each day or at least a few times each week. That’s great. However, is it enough to keep you motivated day in and day out? People talk about willpower, but there really is no such thing – at least not in the way you think. You can not diet on willpower alone. You have to have some tricks up your sleeve for improving and maintaining your weight loss motivation.

One trick you can use seems simple enough, but many of us overlook it as a useful means of improving weight loss motivation. Instead of thinking about the sixty pounds you want to lose, think about losing the first five. After that five, think about the next five or even ten. Make mini weight loss goals for yourself and you are more likely to stay on track. Celebrate each and every small milestone so you feel you have accomplished something. However, don’t celebrate with food because that defeats the entire purpose of all your efforts. Instead, treat yourself to a new piece of clothing, or a pedicure, or something else that feels special but doesn’t involve eating.

One of the best ways to improve weight loss motivation is to find a friend or a group to join that has similar weight loss interests and goals to yourself. Not only will this friend or group be something you can lean on during difficult times and celebrate your successes with, but it will also keep you accountable to someone other than yourself. If you are the only one on a diet, you can slowly fall off and only answer to yourself without any embarrassment. If someone else is counting on you to diet and exercise with them, or if you have to go and weigh in or be held accountable for your patterns to a group, you are much more likely to stay on track. Plus, the extra support also keeps you on track too. It’s win-win!

Keeping a weight loss journal is another method that many people find helpful for improving their weight loss motivation. A weight loss journal is a very important and special book that gives you the means of documenting your weight loss. This journal should include everything from pictures of yourself as you lose weight, to your daily struggles with losing weight, to inspirational quotes that help to keep you going. A weight loss journal helps to keep you motivated by indicating exactly how far you have come and is one of the most rewarding activities to do when losing weight. I should mention here too, that many internet-savvy dieters are now using blogging as a type of weight loss journaling.

Another good tip for improving weight loss motivation is to clean out your closet. Many of us, and I’m the worst for this, keep clothes in our closets that we have had for eons. I have some jeans in my closet that I wore in high school and all they do is remind me of how much thinner I used to be. Also, many of us who have lost weight probably have a collection of “fat” clothes that we are hesitant to get rid of. My advice, do some spring cleaning and get rid of all the old, skinny clothes and the fat clothes that you don’t wear anymore. If you don’t want to throw them away or donate them, then simply pack them away in storage. This is particularly important for your “fat” clothes that are too big for you now. Don’t give yourself an excuse to grow back into them! Keep only what fits you in your closet. When you go down a couple of sizes, get rid of the old, larger clothing as soon as possible.

Well, I’m off to work, but not before I reward myself for a job well done. I just called my husband and he agrees that a day at the local spa is a perfect reward for reaching my weight loss goal. Perhaps I’ll make an appointment for the weekend and spend the day. I can’t wait. Have a great day everyone!