There’s no doubt that the hardest part of losing weight is staying motivated. Weight loss isn’t something that happens overnight – you need to stick at it if you want to see results. Most people know how to lose weight so the main reason everyone isn’t slim and healthy is that it’s difficult to keep up a weight loss regime for a long period of time. Here are some tips for staying motivated whilst losing weight.
- The first thing you need to do is work out why lose weight in the first place. Is it because you want to be generally healthier? Are you worried about the way you look? Is it because there’s an important wedding coming up? Everyone is different and you need to decide why losing weight is important to you personally before working out how to increase your motivation.
- The next tip is to work out some long, medium and short term goals. Your long term goal should be the final amount of weight you want to lose. This can be as much as you want as long as you understand it’ll take time to get there. The medium and short term goals should provide you with targets to aim towards in an attempt to reach your final target. Setting smaller targets is a great way of increasing your motivation because it allows you to measure your progress.
- Another great way to stay motivated is to have a weight loss partner. If you know someone who wants to lose weight then you can keep each other company while exercising, keep track of what the other is eating and provide support for each other. If you know you have to answer to someone other than yourself it can make a big difference.
- Entering a sporting event such as a fun run or bike race will keep you on track when exercising and provide something to work towards. It can be hard to keep exercising on a daily basis if there is no end goal. Just be careful not to aim too high to begin with.
- Many people find that keeping a journal of their weight loss efforts can help them to stay motivated. The useful thing about a diary is that if you’re having a bad day you can look back and see how much progress you’ve made. Sometimes it can be difficult to gauge progress through memory alone and a diary solves this problem. You don’t have to write in it every day unless you want to. If you would like to make the most out of a diary then you could even attach photos every few weeks to see the changes in your body shape. There’s nothing more motivational than knowing you’re going to have to see yourself naked on a regular basis!
- Also, most people find it easier to get motivated to exercise in the morning. After a long days work nothing seems more appealing than lying down on the sofa watching TV for a few hours. If you never want to exercise after work then try to get up a bit earlier to do a 20 minute cardiovascular workout.
- Try to do something every day. Even if it’s only a few press-ups you should keep your momentum going by exercising each and every day.
Ultimately, success and failure when it comes to weight loss depends on your motivation. If you can find a way to keep motivated over a long period of time then you’re well on your way to losing as much weight as you want.
You can read 10 more great weight loss motivation tips here.
I wanna loose a weight but recently had surgery to my hip and cant really walk for too long i am dieting but the weight loss is very slow , somedays are hard and some days fly by.
Is there anything i can do to speed up the weight loss.
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I am fat and i have dont have motovation or energy to loose weight i have alot of health issues that will arise if i dont take control of this situation i am an emotional eater and i love food it makse me happy i dont know what to do. if pushed to hard i pull back not sure what to do
Motivation is the number one key to weight loss in my opinion, because without it you will most likely fail in your weight loss efforts. The main key is to find your own personal motivation.
This is something that is not as hard as you may think. You motivation could be from just about anything.
* Look better in your clothes
* Attract the opposite sex!
* Better overall health
* Increase your self confidence
* Have much more energy to play with your kids
You will have to look deep within yourself. When you do this you will find your true motivation and you will be well on your way to reach your weight loss goals.
In my opinion the big challenge is not usually getting started with a weight loss plan, but keeping going after the initial novelty has worn off.
This sounds like the position that Sav’s is in.
Here is a simple 4-step plan you can use to motivate yourself in the long run:
1. Develop a picture in your head of EXACTLY how life is going to be when you’ve reached your goal. Not just how you’ll look, but how you feel and how your life has changed for the better.
2. Spend the last minutes before you go to sleep at night and the first few minutes when you wake up picturing and imagining that you’re there already.
3. Make this “mental movie” into a shield that you bring back in your mind every time you feel like you’re being tempted and make it very clear to yourself that your actions in that moment – to succumb to temptation or to remain true to your vision of the future – will take your life off on a different path.
4. EVERY SINGLE TIME you make the “right” decision and stick to your long term goal, congratulate yourself – see and feel yourself having grown stronger and closer to your vision for yourself than you were before. Stand tall, feel proud and move on with your life.
When you get into the habit of taking the road that leads to your ideal vision of yourself, you are building a stronger you with greater power to decide the destiny of your own life.
Little by little, day by day the right choices will become the natural response!
I know because I’ve been through it myself.
There’s more information on motivation on my website: http://www.weight-coach.org
Hope that helps!
William John
Highly informative it can really help us a lot especially about losing abdominal fat. i will surely visit this blog again!
Hi my name is Amber Harris and im 13 yr. old and im been tring to lose weight ever since i was 11 yr. old. My mother told me not to worry about it because as i get older it will eventually fall off. But i dont wanna wait that long and iI been trying and everytime i look at something to help me lose weight it never works. I just dont know what to do to lose it but i need something good, and quick so I can look great and feel good about myself.
Amber,
You have to find motivation for yourself to be able to loose weight. Do you have any sports that you would like to participate in. I think this would be great for you because you will be around others that are active.
This would be a great influence on you! Just make sure you find a sport that you really like and you will be fine.
hi my name is Barbara, I’m 46 yrs old and a i weight 304lbs. i am 5.4. i am a grandma and mother. i have been struggling with my weight for years. i thought about surgery and i decided that is the coward way out. i like challenges and i am very competitive but i can’t seems to get started on this last trip. i say last trip because in the past i decided to lose and i did well, i lost 45 pounds in 4or 5 months but i crashed so hard one day. it rained and my motivation was gone. i have not been able to be really committed again to losing weight. i make excuses and i bomb out even before i get started.
i don’t like the way i look, my physical body is dissolving right before me. i am married to the most wonderful man in the world and he loves me but he does not get why i feel like i do. it is not about him anymore or my children or grands. i want a long life, i want to look and feel good when i look at myself in the mirror. I want to look sexy in clothes. what is your word of encouragement for someone who wants this so bad but can’t seem to grasp that one thing that is her huh! moment.
I don’t know!!!!! do you.
Barbara,
I know how it is to need to loose weight because I myself have lost over 85 pounds and have been able to keep it off for over 8 years now. It wasn’t easy, but I think my turning point was when I went to the doctor and he told me to loose weight or you could possibly have a heart attack if you don’t. That was plenty of motivation for me!
I think that the best thing to do is to take it one day at a time. Don’t punish yourself if you have a bad day, because we all have those. If you eat something that’s not good for you, just do better the next day. You do have to exercise to loose weight, but is mainly about what you are putting in your body. Barbara, think about it you have all the motivation in the world and that is your family. They want you to be healthy!
Hey everyone, in currently 16 years old and has struggled with my weight ever since i could remember..like most people i want results fast and now, and often quit out of no motivation. im not really hevy or obese but considered overweight. every day i would tell myself tht id start eating healthhy and working out the next day, but months would pass and i still be in the same condition..i hated my body and wanted to be able to wear anything i liked without people thinking that i shouldnt be wearing that. i want to feel comfortable and have a nice body. well its currently july and i told myself i was going to do this for sure and stick to it because in the end it will pay off.
Everyday ive been working out and eating right, take a rest day every once and a while. ive been using hiphop abs and billy blanks boot camp. and i have got to say that hips hop abs is really a blast!! its so much fun and it really makes u want to work out! its amazing and not extremely hard or intense. although i suggest to play your own music while workingout to give you that ultimate motivation because the music is really cheasy but it has an okay beat.
billy blanks is the ultimate workout..can get really intense and not as fun as hips hop abs but sure does give you the results u really wanna see. you can feel the burn and just feel your body strenghtening. overall feeling after the videos are just amazing and inspirational. i would definietly recomend.
My shirts feel looser and pants/shorts too. i really feel good.
now for what keeps me motivated is my music that keeps me pumped and going, at times when i want to stop and give up i think that this wont last forever and ill never get my dream body if i quit. i hang up pictures that inspire me..like for an example..the beach (thinking about wearing a bikini there someday), old pictures that i look gross in so that i wont have to look like that again..pictures of my favorite celebrities or movie posters inspire me to keep going, also to impress people when they see me.
Theres also unexpected events that may come up that you wanna look good for. i keep those in mind.
well sorry guys for the long post, but i just felt like sharing my story for those who want to read.
tips: drink lots and lots of water..i cut out soda and i feel much for energetic and better. its important to stay hydrated.
Also starving or not eating as much as you need to can really hurt you even if you dont think so..especially when working out. its dangerous and you cant function well if you dont have your proper nutrition. trust me..ive done that.. the first few days seem harmless but by the 4th day or 5th..your completely drained and weak.
Well thanks for reading..if anyone actually took the time to ready my long post..sorry again for that.
but i hope for those who r trying to lose weight as well reach their goals and never back down!
put it this way..it wont be forever..youll love the end results..and you dont have to completely cut out your favorite foods, but eat in porportions and stay on track. and when you get your desired body then you can always eat what you want (as long as you still make effort to eat healthy foods too) you just have to workout to maintain your new fit weight =)!
well thanks again and hope i at least helped some of you out there
-Amber =)
Amber,
Congrats on your weight loss! Most people struggle with what they are really suppose to eat. That’s the main question that seems to pop up so much. Try to stay away from a lot of processed foods because they are just loaded with empty calories.
The hardest thing to do is just to get started! The most critical points are your first five days.
http://www.wanttobehealthy.info/2010/02/5-day-fat-burning-diet.html
i am 19years old and i want loss weight i am not so fat only my tummy come out what can i do plz tell me fast
i am 14 years old, and I weiigh 129….I know that ppl may say that i’m skinny….on the inside I believe them…but on the outside…i dont…i rly want to lose some weight but it is really hard to keep your mind off of food wen yew get really hungry…so i try my best to keep my mind off of food as much as possible…so i usually go hang out with my friends which is really helpful but wen i get home i always end up eating…i eat healthy some times but when i try to get up in the morning to exercise…ii dont have the motivation to get up and do what im supposed to do…so if i dont get up in the morning to do what im supposed to do…i punish myself by not eating for half the day then go exercise…that did help meh a little bit but its not helping anymore…but if yew have any tips…plz tell me !!!
Great information. I have found that sometimes people lack motivation because they are stressed or depressed. #5 Keeping a Journal would help to add how the person is feeling and what is driving them to eat or what has kept them from not eating.
I’m 21, 240lbs and 5’6.
This is my problem, the motivation. I was pretty active in high school and college, but I started computer gaming in college and a lot of stress hit halfway thru the year when my father died so I resorted to holing myself in my room and playing my game. Soon, that’s all I would do (since I got laid off from my job I didn’t have a reason to really go out). From the time I started college (two years ago) to now, I’ve gained 50 lbs.
I recently decided that I want to join the Air Force and go to school to be a pediatric nurse, but my recruiter told me I need to get down to at least 165 lbs.
So I’ve been trying to cut down on my food and drinks (which I’ve done very well at, I only drink water now, with milk occasionally) but I’m having trouble getting motivation to exercise. My boyfriend is trying to help me and promise me with gifts after I lost the weight and to work out with me, but it’s still really hard to break the lazy habit after two years.
Hi, I am a 28 year old female. I have struggled with my weight since I was a child and my parents forced me into a diet. To the girl who’s parents are making you diet…I know you are young, but do things for yourself. Do it for your health, your energy at school, but never for your parents.
I weighed about 140 when I graduated from high school ( not big but not small either). I gained up to 265 and then one day something just snapped. I became a candidate for pre-diabetes. I had enough of breathing hard going up stairs, and never being able to shop where someone my age wants to shop.
I cut out breads, fruits, and salad dressing. I turned my head against soft drinks, sweet tea, and any dessert. I also stopped eating cheese and peanut butter, and it cut my fat intake in half.
I started walking only thirty minutes per day. ANYONE CAN DO THIS. Even if it is slow, and only walking around your own home. The pounds started falling off. I am not making this up, it can happen!! I got down to around 150 lbs and for 5’9″ I looked pretty hot.
I have been through some stressful events in the past few years and have gained around 20 pounds back. Sure, it makes me feel bad about myself sometimes, and I do turn to pizza and beer if I am having a rough day…but it is time to stop blaming stress and family issus for your weight.
Everything you put into your mouth is YOUR choice. It is no one elses. Today is the day to stop blaming your weight on anything other than self- choice. Do you think a deceased person would want you to sit at home and eat yourself into misery? Celebrate this person by feeling great about yourself. Celebrate every single time you make a good decision about what to eat.
I hope this helps someone.
I don’t know how I got here(46, 6’0, 280lbs). What I do know is that I was a skinny kid from a small country town. My father died when I was 12, My mother when I was 16, and then it started. I would eat to comfort myself. Whenever pressured or stressed I would eat and eat and eat. It calmed me. By the time I was 17 I weighed 300lbs.
The red cross visited my school and I received a free health screening. I weighed 315 and had a BP of 162/109. I had no Idea what those numbers meant but by look on the volunteers face I knew they weren’t good. She Immediately contacted my Aunt and told her that something had to be done.
My brothers started me on an exercise program, which back then consisted of Dexatrim, Salads and running in sweat suits.
Over the course of six months I lost 50 lbs and by the time I graduated I weighed 220lbs.
I joined the military and continued to exercise and loose weight.
For the next 10 years I would maintain a weight of 190 to 200lbs.
Then slowley but surely as life obstacle and pressures mounted my weight crept up.
By the age of 35 i was still a respectable 200lbs to 220lbs. I would run every day for 3 to 5 miles.
At forty life took a turn. The Aunt that raised us after my parents died became ill and needed help.
She was also caring for my nephew who was ten at the time. She sat me down and asked me to care for him if something happened to her. I agreed.
She died a short time later. Life became a roller coaster. I went from a single guy to a parent over night.
You would think that someone would loose weight under does conditions but not me. I binged at night after very hectic days and slowly settled into this routine.
My nephew is now 16 and i weigh 280lbs I am on my way to that 315 pounds unless i am able to break this cycle again.
I hope that writing this may help in some small way but I am ready to try anything even surgery.
How did I get here?????How do I stop this???
Thanks for listening.
Hi, I am 47 years of age and I am struggle with my weight. I’ve tried diet pills, starving myself for a few days only to lose a few pounds and gain back double. I cry inside because I feel like I have no control over my life. I know if I can defeat this giant I can do anything. Please Help!
Hi, I am 47 years of age and I am struggle with my weight. I’ve tried diet pills, starving myself for a few days only to lose a few pounds and gain back double. I cry inside because I feel like I have no control over my life. I know if I can defeat this giant I can do anything. Please Help!
Miyaki,
Their are some things you can start doing that will help you lose weight and keep it off. I know it can be very hard to change our diet. Miyaki you have to start by making small changes everyday…don’t put so much pressure on yourself to change things overnight.
You will actually be able to lose the weight by eating more! Make sure that you start your day off with a good breakfast, because this will greatly increase your metabolism. Miyaki try to work on eating smaller portions more often.
This may seem hard at first, but you will get use to it in about 2 to 3 weeks. Start exercising to get your heart rate up…it could be something as simple as walking. Just as long as you remain active.
As a 15 year old, I really, not nessarly want, but need to lose weight i looked up my BMI and its 98%. I assume its not good, but i need to lose weight and the fat on my arms, stomach, back, legs and what ever else, is getting to be annoying. my mom isnt any help and my sister is as skinny as a twig. One of my brothers eats like nothing,but its like pizza, noodles, Crap basicly, he is 12 and is afrade of eating diffrently. so my mom has to buy these things but insted of him eating any of it, my sister and her friends eat it, but when something is out and infront of my face i will eat it. I dont know what to do, it is really getting to me, i have Gym the last block, and i cant even imagine the things i will have to do there but i think i con do them but its the changeing part, i have to change infron of everyone i am just scared. no body is helping and i Bought the AbCircle Pro and it really works but i have just been getting lazy, and i basicly eat what ever i want and i really do need to make a diet plan but I AM TO LAZY. i think what it comes down to is im just being a lazy. with all the new pills i juat want to take those insted. I really need alot of help. but i know to remain active and keep working. hopefully i can do it.
heyy.. i m almost 17 years old.. i m 1.70 and i weigh 62 kilos.. i feel so bad about my body.. 🙁 i ve a big tummy(well not very big but i can t wear tight shirts)
i don t know what to do.. i tried those acai berry pills.. i eat less but i still can
t lose weight.. help me 🙁
motivation is definitely a problem for me when it comes to exercise. I watch what I eat and have for 15 years but yet I keep gaining. Smoking is keeping me from being as active as I could be but I worry about eating more if I was to quit smoking. I’m in a cath 22
Hi, my name is nathan i’m a 22 year old father. Currently i weigh about 230lb. The weight hasn’t become a problem yet but, it is surely on its way there. Being heavy is a major problem in my family. Everyone and i mean everyone on my mothers side of the family is over weight, and its to the point that it has caused major health issues. I have 3 childern and would like to be able to actually have fun and run around with my childern but if i keep gaining weight like I have been that is going to be a thing of the past. I have plenty of motovation I just dont know how to lose it. I would be really thankful if someone could give me ideas on how to go about losing the weight
When trying to lose weight, I think the key motivational factor is to identify one long-term weight loss benefit that is more important than the short-term gratification of overeating or skipping work outs. It might be to stay healthy enough to play with your grandchildren … or to become more attractive to your spouse … or to recapture the figure you had 10 years ago.
The desire to lose wieght has to come for you, not somebody else. So what is it (in terms of fitness) that you want so badly that you’re willing to change your bad habits to get it?
Completely agree. It all starts in your head. You could have the best plan in the world, but without the motivation/support, it’s going to be hard to get going and stay on it. But the best thing to help motivation is momentum. Once that kicks in, it’s game on!
I’m 17 yes old and I’m 6ft 260lbs and I workout in school but I’m still over weight I’ve got man boobs and a huge gut and I have been over weight since I was in 2nd grade and I still remember everybody picking on me which just sucks and eventually I guess I just got used to it and didn’t care and turned it into a comedy routine to make friends in school but I’d rather be skinny and lonely then overweight and sad all the time i have tried to lose weight so many times and have usually stuck with it for a few months but never have any results. it starts to feel like I’m destined to be overweight and I’m tired of it and I’m ready to get healthier but everyday I just lose the will power to say no to junk food but hey at least I drink diet coke. I just want to get heAlthy because every male in my family has diabetes except me knock on wood and I don’t want it so Im trying but food is so freaky good in the south And I can’t seem to escape the fact that I’m gonna be this way forever
I am 12 years old and I weigh 300 pounds. They call me bob the slob in school. I decided to enter the schools annual race last week only to fall over at the start line. Everyone had a great laugh at that and I have had to listen to some abuse about it since. Thing is I love going to mcdonalds and I cannot get enough big macs, my mother also likes big macs and she is also overweight and has trouble walking. I want to lose weight but every time I see a ad for big mac I get really hungry. My mother keeps telling me it is only puppy fat and that i will lose it. I want to lose weight now can anyone tell me how to lose weight with out giving up big macs
Loosing weight is not an easy task and sustaining is even tougher. I used to be in obesity stage for years and found a great method to reduce weight, fat and the abdominal fat or the so called “killer fat” that causes diseases such as heart problems, diabetics, high blood pressure as well as high cholestrol.
I am a happy man now and can fit in smaller sizes from top to bottom. The most important is to stay healthier after weight loss.
I’m 41, 5’9″, and I weigh 313 pounds. I’ve fought being heavy most of my life. At 16, I lost a little over 60 pounds and was in the best shape of my life, and managed to make it last for 2 years.
I gradually put weight back on, and at 27, I was up to 340 pounds. Went through a divorce, and subsequently lost 110 pounds (my actual weight loss, not the weight of my ex). But again, gradually put the weight back on. I’ve been over 300 pounds for roughly 2 years, now. In December of last year, received the dreaded info from my doctor that I’m on my way to being a diabetic, assuming I live another 10 years.
So, I began keeping track of what I eat and how much I weigh. Over the last 11 months, I’ve gone through periods of a few weeks in which I do an excellent job of eating right along with moderate activity, but I consistently fall back into my old habits and I gain more weight back.
My highest weight over the last 11 months was 322.5, and I’ve been somewhat successful the last 6 weeks at working my weight down from that point to my current 313. My motivational help? It was a graph of my weight since I began keeping track of it last December. The gradual incline really upset me.
However, I’m afraid I’m going to head back into my old habits. I have been depressed most of my life, and I still fight it today. I’ve never been medicated, because I refuse to take depression medication. Additionally, I’m well aware of why I’m depressed, and realize that my appearance is only part of that equation.
One of my biggest problems is my inactivity. Like Jim Gaffigan, I greatly enjoy not moving!! But this needs to change. My work used to be my exercise. My job required me to walk several miles a day carrying heavy equipment with a lot of bending and lifting. It was outdoors, it was fun, and although I was still heavy, I was a healthy heavy.
At the age of 31, I began working part-time outdoors and part-time indoors due to the extra money. By the age of 35, I was in front of a computer full-time. Since my exercise had come from my job, I never established an exercise routine outside of work. When my job provided the exercise, after work, I would come home from work and live as a couch potato. Problem is, I’ve kept that lifestyle even after obtaining the indoor, sit down job.
So, now, I get very little activity and I eat a lot of pizza. I’m wanting to eat healthier and I’m wanting to exercise, but when I get home from work, I’m physically exhausted. I’ve been going to bed earlier, hoping to force myself up in the morning to exercise, but I’m so tired in the morning, it’s getting harder just to drag myself out of bed.
Oh, I also have apnea, but my claustrophia has killed every attempt at me trying to wear every mask there is. I need motivation, and I need it bad.
Sorry for the novel.
Belive in youself everyone has the ability to become healthy and thin. Set high goals for yourself. When you eat healthy they are achievable. Take an interest in your health and eat the foods that work with your bodies metabolism to achieve the best results. The secret to looking good and feeling great is directly related to what we eat. Your body will thank you by keeping your health at it’s best.
It is never to late to get started eating healthy and to get moving you will live longer and have a better quality of life.
Remember to stay committed