More of us have experienced the fatty roller coaster ride than we care to admit. You know: the endless weight fluctuations and broken promises - that this time (yes, this time) will be the LAST TIME that we let ourselves go.
We convince ourselves that we can stay on track FOR GOOD. We pump ourselves up - as we should, because weight-loss success starts with MOTIVATION. When you lose that empowerment, your journey becomes the same disappointing roller coaster all over again. Because we all need a little help keeping positive perspective, here are some tips: 7 ways to stay motivated while you lose weight - so that you'll reach your long-term goals once and for all!
Be accountable to others. Join an online community to find support and encouragement. You will find that being part of a group of people who share your goals and your obstacles will push you to accomplish weight loss success. Sign up for Phitter, the free micro-blogging site created by Kirstie Alley, for health, weight-loss, diet, and fitness talk - plus genuine encouragement and inspiration - among real people. If you're on the Organic Liaison weight loss program, link up with a Chubby Buddy to tackle diet and exercise as a duo!
Be accountable to yourself. Use a daily food journal to keep track of how many calories you eat. We all know how easy it is to let one day go untracked. The problem is that a day can turn into a week, then into a month, and so on until you're right back where you started. Prevent this by keeping track each and EVERY day. If you're an Organic Liaison member, your daily journal has a built-in calorie calculator - tracking your progress has never been easier. Learn more about how keeping a journal helps you lose weight.
Change your perception of exercise. The hardest challenge is to change your PERCEPTION of exercise so that it is no long something you have fit into your schedule, but something that is INTEGRAL to your daily life. Exercise is just like breathing, eating, and making a living - it's necessary for a balanced life, essential to both your physical and mental well-being. Staying active is important for your long-term health and deserves to be made a priority! If you can't always MOVE around for 1 hour at a time, break up your routine into 15 minute segments throughout the day.
Make exercise enjoyable. If your exercise routine is getting boring, spice it up! It isn't written anywhere in some weight loss manual that exercise has to be boring to be effective. Try changing up the workout routine by lifting weights, biking instead of running, or trying something entirely new - like salsa dancing.
Enjoy your food. You don't have to eat the same foods every day to lose weight! Eat what you like - just make healthy substitutions. With Organic Liaison, you have access to a great Organic Recipes database where you'll find new recipes for healthy versions of your favorite foods. Allowing yourself to eat your favorite foods and STILL lose weight will make your weight loss journey MUCH more fulfilling. It's like having the best of both worlds. There's no price to pay as long as you plan ahead and adjust your calories as necessary.
Picture it. A picture is worth a thousand "Eeks!" Put up pictures of yourself in the car, on bathroom mirrors and on the refrigerator. If you don't like how you look in your pictures, use those images to fuel your journey. Keep track of your progress with pictures so that you can be proud of each and every step towards reaching and staying at your goal weight. Also, just picturing where you WANT to be and how you WANT to look will motivate you to persevere. If you have a vision of what you're working towards, you are more likely to go for it and take the steps to get there. Our fun Body Morphing Tool lets you upload a current picture yourself, then visually morph it to show a hot new you at your ideal weight. Print out the photo, and inspire yourself to achieve that goal! Eventually, like our members, you'll have a great before/after photo comparison to be proud of!
Reflect. Sometimes the simplest motivational tool is self-reflection. Falling off the weight loss bandwagon can happen in a split second and yet forever alter our progress. If you feel yourself slipping, ask yourself why and take the time to truly reflect on the circumstances. Be honest and empower yourself to find answers that will motivate you. Remember that your weight loss journey is about the transformation of mind, body, and spirit. Addressing all these things will help you stay motivated!
Deborah is the Health Director for Organic Liaison, has been a Registered Dietitian for over 16 years, counseling clients on nutrition and fitness, and is the author of 200 Superfoods That Will Save Your Life published by McGraw-Hill, Inc. Her mission is to educate Organic Liaison members to achieve optimal wellness through balanced eating and exercise. For more on Deborah - click here.
