Six Tips For Successfully Motivating Weight Loss

By Leslie Ball


If you're like most people who have tried to shed extra body fat, you've no doubt experienced the frustration that can accompany that effort. Getting your body into better shape is certainly no easy task. In fact, millions of people each year start diet and exercise regimens only to abandon the struggle after only a few weeks or months. The key to avoiding that failure is to understand a few basic tips for motivating weight loss success.

The most critical advice is to set realistic expectations. Chances are that it took you months or even years of poor decisions to get out of shape. Knowing that, why would you think you could get back into shape in just a few weeks? Set more modest and attainable goals. For most people, the goal should be to lose one or two pounds per week.

Another key is to incorporate your favorite foods into any dietary plan. If you try to deprive yourself of those things, you will fail. It is the rare person who has the willpower to see his favorites and refuse them day after day. Recognize that it is the amount you eat that makes you fat, not the food itself. With that in mind, treat yourself on occasion.

Count the calories and track them in a journal. This is absolutely essential. You'll never really know how your strategy is working if you don't track it as you go. Keep a log of your meals, the calories consumed, and any exercise you engage in. That will provide you with important data to use in your efforts, while also offering additional motivation to inspire you to persevere.

Accentuate the positive, while avoiding negatives. It is tempting to be down on yourself over your fat, but that accomplishes nothing. Many dieters who constantly criticize themselves simply give up and resume bad habits. Remain focused, think about how good you'll look and feel when the process is done, and surround yourself with others who will focus on those same things.

There is nothing like preparing your own food to teach you about proper nutrition. By doing so, you will learn to create new and healthy meals, gain control over the ingredients used in your meals, and regulate not only what you eat but how much you eat. The entire process can be extremely motivational, and can help to keep you focused on the task at hand.

Finally, never allow failure to get the best of you. Almost every dieter fails at least once in his or her efforts to get back into shape. Many simply give up and return to their old habits, gaining even more extra pounds and confirming their worst fears about themselves. When you fail and find yourself cheating on your dietary plan or skipping exercise, pick yourself up and start again.

Losing those extra pounds can be a struggle of epic proportions. By following these six motivational tips, however, you can ensure that you remain motivated to see the struggle through to a successful conclusion. The end result will be more than worth the effort you make.




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