Weight Loss: How to stay motivated

We know how frustrating it can be to slog away at the gym for days/weeks/months with no noticeable results. Here we are going to run through some tips that we find help to stay motivated!

Keep a food diary

If you have been training and eating well with no weight loss it might be time to put your diet under the telescope. Often you are consuming extra calories in things like sauces, fizzy drinks and alcohol. By keeping a food diary it will highlight the calories you weren’t aware of and allow you to make changes where appropriate.

The important thing here is to be really honest with yourself about what you’re eating, there’s no point hiding away from the fact you ate half a packet of biscuits after dinner! Just be honest with yourself. It will also allow you to track specific times that are problematic, are you snacking before dinner? or consuming a large amount of sugary foods for breakfast?

By writing down all this information it will allow you to account for and make changes to your current diet. For example, if you find you’re always hungry before dinner, consider preparing a healthy snack when you get home from work.

Train with a friend

We think this is such a key way to stay motivated! It is very easy to convince yourself that you don’t need to go to the gym after work, we wouldn’t like to count the amount of times we have quickly changed our mind on exercising and prioritised just about anything else before it.

However, if you make a commitment to a friend, you will be less likely to break it. Not to mention how much more fun you can have whilst exercising, did we mention gossiping is a form of exercise (that’s just science, right?).

Visualise that end goal

Whatever you want to achieve, whether you are training for a marathon or working towards an impending beach holiday with potential bikini exposure, keeping a mental image of that goal is really important. Try and create an image in your head of what you want to achieve and think about that when you feel like stopping. We know it sounds lame, but if you’re particularly envious of a celebrity or model with a killer bod, whack a picture of them on your fridge, we guarantee you’ll be backing away from the fridge faster than you can say ‘mars bar’.

Track your progress

Now, personally we think scales are devils works but you can’t deny that seeing your weight go down is a real motivator. Tracking your progress will keep you feeling positive and reinforce that you’re on the right path. If you really do hate the scales, try taking progress pictures and referring to them when you are lacking motivation.

The problem with a lot of fad diets is that some people are used to seeing results quickly, only to pile pack on the pounds as soon as they stop that particular diet. Unfortunately, eating and exercising healthily is not a quick fix and losing 1-2 pounds per week is the healthy way to do it.

Give yourself a break

No, not a KitKat. This point is just a reminder to not be so harsh on yourself. Everyone has slip ups and everyone will deviate from their plan once and a while, but the important thing is to not pack it in altogether. Allow yourself to have treats once and a while, as we find this stops huge binges in the long run.

What are your top tips for staying motivated? Share it @tweetjanes