Get Motivated – Stay Motivated

Weight loss is a difficult undertaking.  In fact most people who lose weight have tried several times or more to lose weight without success.  One of the main reasons that people fail at losing weight is that they lack the motivation they need to get started and to keep going.  Weight loss can be a long journey.  Along the way you may encounter many bumps in the road – many of which may cause you to lose motivation.

Get Motivated
The first step towards real weight is to get motivated.  Your initial motivation may set the tone and success of your ultimate weight loss.  Don’t begin to lose weight until you have a plan in mind.  Determine what your weight loss goals are and then figure out what you need to do to accomplish them.  Try to be optimistic but not overly so.  Those who try to lose too much weight too quickly will certainly fail and won’t want to try again.

Commit to Your Own Goals
Ultimately you need to lose weight for you and not for others.  If you are trying to lose weight simply because you think it’s what you should do your heart may not be in it.  When you’re not committed to your goals you’re not going to attain them.  Your motivation needs to come from within and not from others.  You must want to lose weight.  When you want something badly enough you’ll be more likely to accomplish it.

Break Goals Down
Rather than having one major weight loss goal break it down into smaller goals.  These smaller goals are much more manageable and therefore more easily attained.  For example if you want to lose a total of 30 pounds break that down into weekly goals that you can reach.  That may mean weekly goals of 2 pounds per week.  As you reach your weekly goals you’ll be more motivated to keep going to reach the rest of your goals.

Stay Motivated
Weight loss involves many emotions.  Throughout the course of a diet you’ll go through weeks where you find it easy to lose weight and weeks where it may seem impossible.  It’s no problem to stay motivated when you’re losing the weight that you want.  However when you are finding it difficult to reach your weight loss goals it can be difficult to stay motivated.

Keep your eye on the prize.  The ultimate goal is your ultimate motivation.  Remember why you’re doing this and refocus your attention on what you want to happen.
Re-energize.  If you seem to get off track take some time to reflect on your progress and regroup.  Evaluate what you’ve done right and find ways that you can change what you’re doing to facilitate better weight loss.
Take some time off.  Most people who are on a diet think that if they take a day off they have failed.  Allow yourself a day or two to rethink your diet and create a new game plan.  Don’t beat yourself up if you need a day off.

Why We Gain Weight

If you are struggling with weight gain you’re not alone.  Millions of people are overweight and many want to correct their problem and lose weight.  In order to lose weight you’ll need to find a good diet and exercise plan.  You’ll also need to be ready to lose weight.  Many people lose weight only to quickly put the weight back on again once the diet is over.

What causes people to become overweight?  The answer is complex and may differ from person to person.  What we do know is that weight gain may be caused by physical reasons, psychological reasons or both.  The best way to get on track for losing weight is to find out why you have gained weight in the first place.

Start by a visit to the doctor.  The doctor can perform many tests to find out if there are any underlying medical conditions that may be contributing to your weight gain.  Often a medical problem can unknowingly cause us to gain weight.  Sometimes the weight gain happens so slowly that we don’t notice it until we are very overweight.  Once you’ve become overweight it can be difficult to slim back down.

Some people are predisposed to weight gain.  Certain body types are more prone to gaining weight than others.  Some weight gain is genetic and may run in families.  It helps to know that if you are predisposed to gaining weight you may need to work harder to maintain your weight.

Weight gain may often be psychological.  People often equate food with comfort and may use food as a way to comfort themselves.  This often occurs without knowing it and may be a pattern that was started in your youth.  Find out if you are an emotional eater by keeping a food diary.  Keep track not only what you eat and when you eat but also what you’re feeling when you eat it.  This can help in determining why you eat the foods you do.

Many people reach for a snack when they are depressed or lonely or when they are stressed.  These patterns form over many years and most people don’t recognize that they have them.  Keeping a food diary will help you find these patterns so you can change them.   When food is tied to emotional happiness the result can often be obesity.

Emotional issues may be best dealt with by talking to a therapist or counselor.  He or she can work with you to get to the root of your problems so that you can make positive changes in your life.  If you don’t deal with the underlying issues you’ll simply be masking the problem which is bound to recur again later on.

Losing weight takes hard work and determination.  It’s not unusual for people to try various diets before finding one that works for them.  The best diets are those that offer balanced eating in moderate portions coupled with a daily exercise program.  Together diet and exercise will help you to reduce your weight while providing a lifestyle change that will help you maintain your new weight.