Reading that fact you probably just did one of two things. You either (a) felt very excited and you're about to start shopping for spring/summer clothes OR (b) you cringed a bit thinking about the fact that you have lost motivation in your diet and exercise routine and you want more time between now and the first time you slip into your swimsuit! So, which group do you fall into?!
Two years ago I was not only IN group "b" but I was Captain of the ship!! Last year and this year, however, I am proudly Commander of category "a" and have the wind in my sails to ensure I maintain that position for the rest of my life!
Here are some tips to help you stay motivated to lose the weight:
- Set short term goals - Don't set out with the goal in mind to lose 100 pounds! Obviously that process, if done in a healthy manner, is going to take you some time. Instead perhaps set the goal to lose 10 pounds. This goal will be easily attained by proper diet and exercise and meeting the goal will push you to set your next goal and keep working!
- Don't eliminate foods - Eliminating your favorite foods or food groups will just make you crave them more. Allow yourself to still enjoy whatever it is that you desire but make sure you moderate how much and how frequently you enjoy it. For example, I love York peppermint patties so once a month I will enjoy one. I don't have it once a day or that will counteract my work!
- Buy yourself workout clothes - Maybe one of your first rewards for attaining a goal could be some new workout clothes or shoes?! Don't continue schlepping into the gym in your old, raggedy, over sized sweat pants and sweat shirt. New clothes that fit you better and show you how much you have accomplished already will just push you to work harder. You can't see any of the work you have done in clothes that are a couple sizes to big!
- Find motivational posters, pictures and quotes - I have mentioned this before, if you find pictures of people that you admire and want your body to look similar to their build then keep those pictures visible to you especially at vulnerable locations like the refrigerator, kitchen cabinets, a desk drawer at work, etc. Find motivational quotes that inspire you or ignite your flame. We are all different so different things will work for each of us. The Internet is FULL of these kinds of motivation and should be used for such!
- Don't just look at the scale - In the past 3 months or so, the scale is giving me the exact same number BUT I have seen drastic changes to my body, definition and tone. When you workout you will gain muscle mass which weighs more than fat. This said, you may not see the scale go down, it may stay exactly the same or it may even go up but don't stress that! (Unless you haven't been eating good and not working out!) If you are maintaining a healthy, balanced diet and you are working out then focus on your physical changes and not so much what the # on the scale reads!
- Change your workouts - I don't know too many people who sincerely want to go into the gym, day in and day out, and get on the same elliptical machine and stare at the same wall and listen to the same music! I would rather eat glue than do that! You have to change up your workouts! Do the stair stepper, the treadmill, the elliptical, the bike, go for a run, run up and down stairs at different locations outside or go find a trail to walk, run or bike! As long as your body is in motion you're one step ahead of where you would be laying on the couch. It doesn't always require you to be in the gym lifting weights!
- QUIT with the negative!! - DON'T look at yourself in the mirror and only think about the additional things that you want to change!!! DON'T DO IT!! Look at yourself and be positive about the changes you have already made!! I can promise you that the fitness models that are in the magazines and appear to us to have perfect bodies... they very likely look in the mirror and see things they want to change too! There is inevitably always room for improvement in one area or another but focus on the inches you've lost or the # of pant sizes you have gone down!
- Steer clear of bad influences - Whatever you find to be negative or taking you off course... stay away from it. If you can't take your friends to Carl's ice cream without wanting to eat a gallon of ice cream - don't go there. If you can't walk down the candy isle of the store without stocking up - don't go there. If you can't go into a restaurant and order something healthy - don't go there (unless you are having a "cheat" meal). If you can't go to the local watering hole and have water instead of a beer - don't go there! Get it?! Okay... good.
- Write a list of pros and cons - If you start feeling unmotivated, write a list of pros and cons to staying on track, eating healthy and losing weight. Once you're done with the list and there is NOTHING in the "cons" section well, I would hope you would be motivated to move your butt!
- Find your theme song - Just like Rocky had "Eye of the Tiger" and I have Miranda Lambert's song "Kerosene" (hahahahaha - whatever... it works for me!) you should find your own theme song. A song that you can play anytime, anywhere that gets you moving!!!
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