Top tips for staying on track
If you have ever tried to lose weight, you will know how difficult it can be to stay motivated. After a few weeks, the sugar you have given up, or the exercise routine you have embraced can begin to take its toll, and motivating yourself can feel like a chore.
If you feel up to the challenge but it is willpower you seek, then worry no more. Check out our five top tips for staying motivated in the current climate.
Don’t search for perfection
Whether you want to lose weight by working out or by altering your diet, it pays not to be a perfectionist.
Unsurprisingly, scrolling through finely honed beach bodies on your Instagram feed isn’t going to make you feel any better. Instead, work out what is right for you, and don’t be afraid to tweak your approach if you feel like you are doing too much.
You needn’t feel bad if you succumb to a few squares of chocolate. Portion control, rather than prohibition, will be your greatest ally when it comes to motivating yourself to keep the weight off.
Surround yourself with health
Ever wondered how fitness gurus get up at the crack of dawn to do an intense workout? They surround themselves with health!
Whether this means laying your clothes out the night before an early workout, or leaving fruit and vegetables out in place of chocolate and sweets, taking away temptation will help you stay determined.
Stay off the scales
Weight loss stories are often stifled as soon as scales come into the picture. This is because weighing scales don’t always give a true representation of your weight loss, especially if you are upping your exercise and gaining extra muscle.
It's also true that, if you're leading a healthy lifestyle and not going on a crash diet, then it will take a while before the results start showing. In fact, a study from the University of Toronto found that it takes around six to eight kilograms of weight loss before the benefits become noticeable on the average person.
Start with sleep
If you are struggling to gather motivation to lose weight, then you might have to start looking beyond the scales. This might mean cutting out smoking, reducing your alcohol intake and getting the right amount of sleep.
Experts recommend sleeping between six and eight hours every day, and adopting a regular sleeping routine so your body knows when to go into deep sleep. Better quality sleep will help reduce cravings for foods high in sugar and fat, which will help with not only eating better, but also getting motivated to work out. Eating the right foods before bed time will help with your sleep.
Motivate yourself little and often
An aspirational goal set in the future may motivate you at first, but this can sometimes be disheartening when you don’t see immediate results.
Instead, set yourself incremental goals, which you can augment depending on your progress. Rather than unrealistically trying to lose weight too quickly by cutting out all sugar, try gradual reductions to lose weight more slowly. Realistic, manageable goals are the way to go when keeping motivated and losing weight.
Summary
Staying motivated, especially when we're all going through such an unprecedented time can be difficult. The key is to be patient, it can sometimes take a while before your results are reflected in the mirror, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t notice changes right away. You'll be able to stay motivated and reach whatever goal is right for you.
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