According to research, nearly 50% of people attempt to lose weight at least once every single year.

Losing weight is hard. People often struggle with their weight for the majority of their lives. No matter what diet or exercise routine they follow, they always end up in the same place, looking for the next fad diet.

So what’s the difference that makes the difference? What’s the secret to achieving permanent weight loss?

Well, it’s staying motivated. Being unable to stay motivated during your weight loss journey will see to it that you lose your self-control and end up falling off the wagon. But how do you figure out how to stay motivated?

But don’t worry, we’ve got your back. If you keep reading, you’ll discover 6 incredibly simple tips to stay motivated when your diet becomes tough. You won’t want to miss these!

1. Set Achievable Milestones

Sometimes, setting long-term goals can have a negative effect on your weight loss. If the goal seems too big in your mind, it can often become demoralizing to you and feel unobtainable.

A more effective goal-setting plan is to set smaller, more achievable goals that go alongside your long-term goals. Having short-term goals will give you the opportunity to experience consistent achievement, and motivated you one step closer to your long-term goal.

So for example, your long-term goal may be to get down to 130lb. However, you should set short-term goals of 1-2lb per week. These goals are short and super obtainable. And every week that you reach these goals will keep you inspired and wanting to do more!

2. Reward Yourself

One of the most popular ways to stay motivated on your weight loss journey is to reward yourself when you achieve your short-term goals. You can reward yourself with sweet treats in moderation. However, you can reward yourself in many different ways aside from food.

Here’s a list of ways to reward yourself:

• Getting a manicure or pedicure

• Have a massage

• Taking a long bath

• Taking the day off

• Buying something new like clothes or shoes

• Going to watch a movie

It’s really important to take the time to reward yourself. You are working really hard to lose weight and it’s not an easy journey. Rewarding yourself will keep you motivated and act as a positive reinforcement to the changes you are making in your life.

3. Beware of Stress Eating

It is in our DNA to begin reaching for food when we are overwhelmed and stress in life. Comfort eating is one of the biggest contributors to obesity. So handling your stress while dieting is absolutely critical for your success.

Eliminating stress completely from your life is almost impossible but there are ways that you can subdue it so that it doesn’t affect your weight loss. For example, things like yoga and meditation are usually great vehicles for reducing stress and increasing self-control.

You can also try reciting positive body affirmations every day when you look into the mirror. If you can remove the negative image you have of your body, you will relieve so much stress and tension away from your weight loss journey.

The more you practice self-control strategies, the easier it will get for you to avoid stress in your life, and the less likely you will go hunting in the fridge to feel better.

4. Walk

A lot of people don’t feel comfortable going to the gym. This is especially the case if you feel self-conscious about the way you look. However, the good news is, you don’t need to join a gym in order to start shedding pounds.

In fact, one of the healthiest ways to exercise is actually walking. Walking is a fantastic form of cardio because it elevates your heart rate, gets your blood pumping, and burns calories without having an aggressive effect on your hunger levels.

For example, if you go to the gym for 30 minutes to lift weights and do cardio, your body is going to be searching for food in order to replenish itself. Whereas, walking is very low impact and therefore allows you to burn fat without increasing your appetite.

5. Create a Motivational Vision Board

Many people ask us, “how do you stay motivated?” And one of the first things we always tell them is to create a motivation vision board. Having a visual representation of the body you want to have at the end of your weight loss journey can create powerful motivation and drive inside of you.

It’s very easy to get tempted by food. It’s all around you at all times. But being able to look at your board and remind yourself why you are on this journey will keep you from temptation.

6. Find a Weight Loss Buddy

If you have a friend or a family member who is on a similar weight loss journey as yours, buddy up with them! Having a friend by your side to keep you accountable will dramatically increase your chances of success.

Studies have found that people who exercise with a friend are more likely to stay motivated and on track with their weight loss goals.

There will be mornings where you don’t want to wake up and go for a walk or go to the gym, and there will be times where the temptation to eat fast food and chocolate becomes too much. But that’s where having a weight loss buddy becomes vital! They will hold you accountable, keep you on track, and also be there to celebrate your wins with you!

Stay Motivated and Get the Body You Want!

With these steps, you’ll be sure to stay motivated along your weight loss journey. By keeping yourself motivated through rough patches, you’ll be able to see consistent and permanent weight loss so you can start living life to the fullest! 

Schedule your free consultation with Dr. Nicole here! (586) 566-5005. We have an entire network of experts who specialize in eliminating belly fat, and motivation to stay positive.