Losing weight has always been a challenge for me. I lose then gain it back in short order and sometimes gain even more back than I lost when I started.
Two years ago I worked a plan and got down to my goal weight and kept it off, but the past 4 months I started gaining back what I lost.
I know what I need to do to get back on track, go back to doing what worked for me before, but I really can’t get started and stick with it. I don’t have that same motivation. How do I get motivated to lose weight?
Finding motivation, especially where weight loss is concerned, is tough. We love to eat; eating tastes good; it feels good. Often, it soothes over that rough day and, at least temporarily, makes us feel better.
Can you remember what sparked your motivation the last time you lost weight? That may be a place to start. You’ve heard of people who have that class reunion or wedding coming up that sparks their weight loss. Do you have an event coming up where you’d like to look and feel differently? Find that spark to get you started and you’ve made it halfway toward your goal.
Take an honest look at your eating habits to determine what small changes you can make to control your eating. Weight loss research points to the fact that setting smaller, more reasonable goals for weight loss will improve your success long term.
Also, take an honest look at your daily activity and map out a plan for adding more movement in to your day. Something as simple as a daily 15-minute walk can move you toward your weight loss goals.
While we’d like to lose weight quickly, extreme dieting often sets us up for rebound weight gain. Depriving ourselves of the pleasures of eating the foods we crave is unsustainable over the long haul, so again, set realistic small goals where you can still have some of your favorite foods.
Decreasing calories and increasing activity is, and always will be, the gold standard for weight loss. Make your plan for weight loss as unique as you are. What worked for someone else may not work for you, but that magic formula for weight loss is out there waiting for you to get started.
Start with small steps, and watch them grow to bigger steps and bigger success. You can do it!
Embrace your Personal Power with Life Coaching~
• What helped you motivate the last time you successfully lost weight?
• What lifestyle changes to decrease calories and increase activity did you make that helped you lose weight?
• How was your thinking about your weight different when you were staying on track to now when you’re lacking motivation?
Want to hear how the men from the movie “Magic Mike XXL” got their washboard abs? Listen to “The Joan Jerkovich Show” this weekend for their diet and exercise secrets…let the men of Magic Mike get you motivated!
Joan Jerkovich, BCC
Board Certified Life Coach
