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5 Ways to Stay Motivated When Losing Weight
Chelle
It's easy to be motivated for one day, or even one week
when starting a diet. The challenging part for many is staying
motivated for several weeks and months to come to continue
losing weight until you reach the weight level you wish to
maintain. Healthy weight loss usually takes a several months
to achieve, but the rewards with losing weight in a safe and
healthy manner are much higher than what you would experience
in a fad diet or "get skinny quick" weight loss program.
Here are 5 Ways to Stay Motivated When Losing Weight:
1. Set Specific, Reachable Goals: Many people when desiring
to lose weight come up with a general weight loss goal, or
one that will take too long to reach. Good diet goals are
small and reachable, since the more goals you reach, the more
likely you will be motivated to set and reach others. For
example, instead of saying "I want to lose 50 pounds" you
might start off with smaller goals such as "I will avoid any
added sugar this week" or "I will exercise three times a week
this week." By setting small goals, losing weight does not
seem nearly as overwhelming.
2. Give Yourself a Reward: Rewarding yourself for reaching
your goals can give you an extra incentive to stick to your
diet and exercise plan. The rewards do not have to be elaborate
to be effective. You can decide if you wish to do something
daily, weekly, or monthly and what goals you should be rewarded
for. Make sure you also define the reward before you reach
your goal - having something specific to look forward to increases
your likelihood of sticking to the plan.
3. Enlist Support: Having friends or family members
who are supportive and willing to exercise and eat healthy
with you can be a great way to stay motivated when losing
weight. There are also many blogs and online communities where
you can find others to cheer you on to stay motivated.
4. Replace Negative Thoughts With Positive Ones: It
is easy to think negatively when losing weight. Instead of
thinking "I can't eat that chocolate cake", replace it with
"I can eat a delicious spinach salad for dinner tonight!"
By thinking positively little by little instead of negatively,
you will find that you have a much brighter outlook on life.
5. Practice Stress Relief: Stress and the challenges
of every day life can often affect us negatively and distract
us from reaching our weight loss goals. Learning ways to cope
with stress, such as meditation or deep breathing exercises
can help you eliminate anything that will squash your motivation
to lose weight.
Losing weight does not have to be overwhelming or a burden.
Exercising regularly and learning to eat healthy foods can
actually be a lot of fun! When you find the right sources
of motivation to lose weight, you find yourself staying motivated
and being happy with any small achievements you make. Tracking
your progress and your goals will help you stay focused and
enjoy your new healthy lifestyle much more!
Losing weight can be overwhelming to many at first, but by
following the tips to stay motivated in this article, you
will find it is actually a lot easier than you may think!
Chelle is the author of LoseFree.com,
a website dedicated to helping others lose weight for free.
Our free
printable exercise log can help you track your progress
and reward yourself for sticking to your diet and exercise
goals.
Article Source:
http://www.positivearticles.com
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