Motivation...where art thou? Top 5 motivational tips!

     Keeping up your motivation while on the weight loss roller coaster is probably one of the most important things that you need if you want to succeed. When you've been at it awhile and you're not seeing big numbers on the scale, it can be really hard to stick with it and not just give up. I mean, why keep depriving yourself of that delicious pizza when it's not seeming to paying off? Here's the thing, you don't always recognize the change in yourself right away. It takes time. It took more than a week to put the weight on and it'll take more than that to take the weight off. Be patient. As long as you don't give up, and stick with a good weight loss plan, you WILL reach your goal! I know it's hard especially if you have more than 10-15lbs to lose, because we tend to look at the end game. How far we have to go. It starts to seem impossible so we get down and give up. Don't do it! Keep going! 

    I have put together my top 5 motivational tips that will hopefully help you to not give up on your weight loss journey!

1. Never Put Food on a No-No List. What happens when we do that is, we start acting like a little kid. We want what we "can't have". If you put all sweets on a no-no list...guess what you'll start wanting? That's right SWEETS! You'll end up going off the deep end and eat everything in sight! SO instead of completely eliminating it out of your diet, just limit how much you have! You want a a candy bar? Then have half or a third of that candy bar, and save the rest for another day. Because the truth is, a few bites of a candy bar isn't going to tip the scale, but having the candy bar, and chips, and pop, and fast food WILL! Allow yourself those small indulgences so you won't feel deprived and can stick with the plan. 

2. Get a Buddy! One of the most helpful things to me has been to have a weight loss buddy who is with me 100% of the way. My cousin and I are on this journey together to lose 100 lbs! We have almost hit our 50 lb goal and I can honestly say that I couldn't have done any of it without her! So pick somebody who is committed to losing weight like you are. If you pick your husband who doesn't want or need to lose weight, while they may try to be supportive, they will never truly understand the struggles you are going through. Make sure you choose someone who is as committed as you are and doesn't get their feelings hurt easily. Because there will be times when you have to tell one another to put the cookie down and get back on track!

3. Get/Make a Weight Loss Journal! When first started out, the most important thing I did was make a weight loss journal. You need to be tracking what you eat and drink, and also what your starting weight is and how much you currently weigh. It is an integral part of the journey, especially at the beginning! Here is a link to the one that I personally used.

Click the link for the food journal http://www.cdn.creative-calendars.com/uploads/2014/08/food-journal.pdf

4. Reward yourself! This is probably one of the easiest tips to stick with! I mean come on who doesn't like a reward? I've set up a reward system that seems to work for me. Every two weeks that I stick to the weight loss plan that I've made, I reward myself with $10. Yours might be a wallet, or workout clothes. You can even just have a jar set up and put a dollar in it every time you lose a pound. Whatever it is, pick something that you don't normally buy and something that is exciting,..besides food! As the saying goes, "Don't reward yourself with food; you're not a dog". I also have a bigger reward when I reach 50 lbs. And when both my cousin I reach 100 lbs lost each, we are going on a cruise to celebrate!

 5. Use Pictures. From week one I started taking pictures of myself in the same clothes 1-2 times a month. At first I didn't see many changes, but now when I look at the before and after pictures...I see a huge difference! I can't stress enough to take those pictures!! You will be so glad in a month or two when you can see where you started and how far you've come! Now I'm about to show my before an after pics and just let me say...it's hard to share this with you. I'm embarrassed of where I was and I've only shared this with a couple of people. I fear anyone who reads this blog secretly laughing and sharing it with friends from my high school. They are talking about it even now..."Oh my gosh! Look at how fat she's gotten!". But in spite of my fear of ridicule and rejection...I'm going to share them in hopes that they may possibly help someone, somewhere. And that you all can see that even though I'm not where I want to be, I'm also not where I used to be and I'm proud of that! 40 lbs down...60 to go!

 

Use these tips, and anything else you find, to motivate yourself to get healthy! Celebrate the small achievements and don't beat yourself up. If, no strike that, when you make a mistake, don't allow yourself to give up and have the mentality that you've failed. Because you haven't unless you stay where you are and give up! Just remember...strive for progress not perfection! Until next time!