Weight Loss - Five Ways to Stay Motivated

So you've decided that it is time to lose weight. You've started your exercise routine and you are choosing healthful foods. Everything is going great for the first week. The second week rolls around and you ditched your exercise routine a couple days and find yourself not paying too much attention to what you are ordering at the restaurant with your friends. By week 3 you are back to your old habits and your weight loss goals are not being met. This is an all too common scenario when the comfort of our old habits takes hold and our new habits disappear. What happened to that motivation during the first week? It is possible to get your motivation back so you can meet all your life's goals. Practicing these 5 steps can help you stay motivated for the long haul.

1. Create a vision.

Have you ever written a business plan before? Writing a vision is crucial for the success of your business and it is crucial for your weight loss plan. Your vision is what you are working towards and how you envision your life. Why do you want to lose weight? You must go beyond "I want to lose 15 pounds" or "I want to fit into a size 8". Go a bit deeper. What will weight loss bring you? For most people it will bring increased energy and better health. It may even allow you to participate in something you have been longing to do like run a marathon or go on a back packing trip. These are heart-felt reasons to lose weight that will keep you motivated in the long run. When you start to slide back into your old habits, just ask yourself, is this choice bringing me closer to my vision?

2. Set goals each week.

 

One thing that can keep you on track is to set specific goals each week. Sit down at the beginning of each week and map out some simple goals that you can set for yourself. These don't have to be huge goals, just simple ones like: I will limit my ice-cream to 1 time this week. Goals help you to stay focused while changing habits. Post your goals all over as reminders.

3. Schedule your exercise

When embarking on a new fitness program, many people go at it whenever the time permits. This is a sure-fire way to slip out of the habit. It becomes too easy to let other things in your life become the priority. Try to schedule your exercise routine the same time each week. For example scheduling your weekly walk Monday - Thursday at 5:30pm helps you to create a habit which will get easier and easier to stick with. Keep your appointment with yourself just like you would a doctor's appointment. It is just as important!

4. Build your support system

Support comes in all different forms. This may be a walking buddy, group meetings, or professional services. No matter what road you take it is crucial to have your support system in place. This not only keeps you motivated but also helps to keep you accountable. Professional services such as a Registered Dietitian, Personal Trainer, or Life Coach can all help to provide sound advice and strategies to help you reach your goals. There are many wonderful resources out there to provide these kinds of services. Build your support system around each topic: nutrition, fitness, and self-discovery. Even signing up for some free e-newsletters or joining a weight loss message board helps towards building your support system.

5. When all else fails: the 3-step backup promise

Ok. You've tried all of the above and your old habits are just too strong of a deterrent. This is when you break out the 3-step backup promise. Make yourself a list of 3 minimum steps you promise to take daily. These steps will differ for each person. The key is they have to be completely easy and doable for you and still work towards your weight loss goals. It could be having a fruit or vegetable with each meal, going for a 10 minute walk, lifting hand weights for 10 minutes, etc. Then, when things start to derail you can agree to do the minimum After all you did promise yourself! Make up your 3-step back-up promise so when things aren't going well you can at least stay somewhat on track with 3 doable steps. http://ezinearticles.com/?Weight-Loss---Five-Ways-to-Stay-Motivated&id=98970

Weight Loss Essentials - What You Need to Know

Body weight really matters and it affects you in more ways than your appearance. Lots of people are unhappy with their present body weight. Many aren't sure on how to change it and end up being deceived by the wrong information. Wouldn't it be nice if you can increase your self esteem and improve your overall quality of life, health and physical abilities? You can then imagine all the positive effects and advantages from weight loss solutions.

Losing weight is a bit tricky and extremely challenging for some people. It simply means being at the right weight at the right age or height. It definitely requires discipline and effort. It is also all about long term success. Proper knowledge is the first step to weight loss. You need real facts before considering any other approach. There are a lot of things that others would tell you but not all of them may be true. For instance, the weight loss pill, we have to realize that a pill can never help you lose weight instantly. They may even contain chemicals that could bring some negative effects to your overall health.

Weight loss advisors would normally advise you to starve yourself. It will definitely show reduced physical features but then again, we are more concerned about the overall health if you are to achieve successful weight loss. You don't have to avoid carbohydrates or fats completely; the idea is to keep it balanced. You might want to increase you fiber intake, which means more fruits and green foods. Try to break meals into smaller ones to help speed up metabolism and keep you from getting too hungry in between meals. Try not to eat before bedtime since your body burns less fat when you're asleep. Most of all, be conscious of you cholesterol level and decrease your fat intake.

Any form of physical activity and sports on a regular basis can definitely help. A person who moves all the time burns more calories and fats than those who always relax. It doesn't mean that you have to be a pro in a fitness gym. Just get moving. It's just a matter of burning calories than what you eat. Adding some weight training to your routine is highly recommended since increasing muscle mass helps increase metabolism allowing you to burn calories while at rest. In summary, the basics for a healthy weight loss are a combination of a balanced and properly prepared diet and enough exercise. These are some of the sacrifices as considered by some, which could greatly improve our living and even the habits of the people around you. All it takes is patience, awareness and self discipline and before you know it, fats are gone, wellness is achieved. http://ezinearticles.com/?Weight-Loss-Essentials---What-You-Need-to-Know&id=7467168