Simple Things You Can Do to Stay Motivated on a Weight Loss Journey
Losing weight is undeniably a challenging task.
Common weight loss challenges you may encounter include hitting a plateau where you stop losing weight after a certain period, emotional eating due to stress, and a lack of motivation because you don't see your desired results immediately. All of these may lead you to give up on your weight loss goals.
However, that doesn't mean shedding some pounds is impossible.
There are a few simple things you can do to stay motivated on a weight loss journey—and, eventually, reach your goals:
Allow yourself to eat what you want
Limited and repetitive meals that don't satiate your hunger can impact your nutrient intake and overall health. More importantly, following a restrictive diet simply isn't motivating. That's why a good weight loss program uses advanced nutrition science to consider food label data like added sugars, unsaturated fat, and fiber when formulating meal plans—so their participants have more freedom to personalize their diets while eating healthier food. In doing so, they can eat more of what they want without compromising their efforts.
Similarly, you can allow yourself to eat various foods according to your liking—as long as they contain various nutrients consumed in moderation. For example, you can enjoy a slice of chocolate cake if it follows a balanced meal of whole grains, leafy greens, and lean proteins. By eating what you want alongside more nutritious foods, you can stay motivated on your weight loss journey.
Pick exercises that you find enjoyable
Another thing that can demotivate you is the fact that you need to exercise to successfully lose weight. Though some people genuinely enjoy working out, that's not the case for everyone. You may find some routines, like running or HIIT, boring after some time. You might not even have time to fit a lengthy workout into your schedule. Finding exercises you enjoy—and that fit into your lifestyle—can thus be key to keeping you motivated.
You can try fun exercises, such as jumping rope to the beat of your favorite songs or bouncing on a trampoline like a kid. You can also join workout classes or try different workout routines online until you find an activity you like. If you don't have the time, simply incorporating more movement into your daily tasks can help. Take the stairs when you can and walk or bike to places if they're close enough to where you're coming from.
Track your progress
Weight loss doesn't happen overnight but over the course of a few weeks or months. As such, it can be hard to notice if you're making a dent or not. This is why, when you don't see any noticeable changes in the mirror, you may feel demotivated to continue your journey.
Avoid this by keeping track of your weight loss progress through a journal or app. For example, you can weigh yourself regularly to find out how much weight you've lost. Recording progress doesn't have to be solely about weight, either. You can also record your weightlifting or running progress to see your improvements. Seeing proof of how far you've come can drive you to work harder toward your weight loss goals.
Reward yourself for reaching your weight loss goals
After seeing your progress, why not reward yourself for your hard work? Rewards reinforce positive behaviors, pushing you to continue your weight loss journey. Some rewards for working out you can try include getting a massage or a fancy new water bottle.
You can also think of the rewards you can get while working out. For example, if you want to motivate yourself to work out at the end of the day, one "reward" you'll get is to see the sunset at the end of your jogging route.
Conclusion
Staying motivated on a weight loss journey is definitely a challenge. Still, it's very possible to do so with these simple things. For more insights on how you can drive your motivation in different aspects of life, keep browsing our website.
