How to Boost Your Weight Loss Motivation

Wondering how to boost your weight loss motivation? Finding the willpower to get started can be the hardest part. Or, perhaps you’ve been dieting a while but are struggling to keep going. Whatever the situation you find yourself in, there are many ways to motivate yourself. We’ll help you get back in the saddle!

How to keep your weight loss motivation

Weight loss isn’t an easy journey, but it can be done with a little inspiration!. Staying motivated is absolutely key, but again, that isn’t always simple. So, whether this is your first attempt to lose weight or you’ve lost your weight loss motivation somewhere along your journey, here, we look at how you can get it back!

Weight loss motivation tips

1. Set goals

Understanding why you want to lose weight is an important weight loss motivation¹ tip? There are many reasons why someone may want to slim down, including:

• Health concerns
• Aesthetic reasons
• Fitness goals (e.g. to run a marathon)
• To simply feel happier
• To be more confident
• Keeping up with your children

Whatever your reasons for doing it, just make sure you stay committed.

2. Remind yourself of your goals

When you’re finding it hard to stay committed, remind yourself of why you’re on a weight loss journey. No matter how big or small your goals are, they can help you stay on track. Writing them down can also help you remember your weight loss motivations, giving you a quick reference whenever you feel a little uninspired!

3. Don’t be too hard on yourself

Part of the psychology of weight loss motivation is to ensure you treat yourself well so that once you’ve lost weight, you can maintain a healthy body. Don’t put yourself down if you don’t workout for a week, or if you eat more than you planned to one day. Beating yourself up won’t help you stay motivated, in fact it will do quite the opposite.

Banning all your favourite foods and being unkind to yourself through the process will only cause you to hate weight loss. It’s not a punishment, rather, a way to improve your health and happiness. Allow yourself takeaways every now and again – it won’t hurt, it’s all about balance!

4. Get a buddy

Having a weight loss or workout buddy is a great weight loss motivation idea. A weight loss friend can help you stay on track, and motivate you on those rainy days where there’s nothing less appealing than exercise.

5. Workout in the morning

Truthfully, the best time of day to lose weight is whenever you have the time. However, there are a number of benefits to working out in the morning, so if you can, it might be a good idea to do it then.

Weight loss motivation² decreases as the day goes on, and some of the benefits of a morning workout³ include:

• Less distractions
• Increases alertness
• Makes it easier to make healthier food choices
• Boosts energy
• Improves concentration and focus
• Helps regulate appetite
• Improves mood

6. Be realistic

It’s tempting to want to shed the pounds as quickly as possible. But, that’s likely to be unrealistic. Most experts recommend healthy weight loss is losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week⁴.

Beware of crash dieting or losing weight too fast, as it can be difficult to maintain this. Remember, losing weight is only half the battle, you need to keep it off. Other risks of rapid weight loss include:

• Muscle loss (which can slow down metabolism)
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Irritability
• Hunger
• Fatigue⁵

If you’re hungry and irritable, it will make it much more difficult to stay motivated. What’s more, you may find it hard to sustain that weight loss. Slow and steady is best to maintain weight loss.

7. Realise it’s not ‘linear’

Losing weight isn’t a linear journey where you start at point A and easily move to point B. It’s a journey of ups and downs, and setbacks. Realising there are going to be difficulties and challenges along the way is key. Even if your weight fluctuates slightly, that’s normal, and you shouldn’t let it affect your weight loss motivation as you continue on your journey.

8. Do what you enjoy

Find exercises and recipes you enjoy and stick with them. For example, if you hate jogging or running on a treadmill – don’t force yourself to do it. There are plenty of other exercises you can do instead, and finding something you enjoy can help you maintain your weight loss motivation.

9. Build healthy habits

It’s difficult to break habits, and takes time to form new ones, but start today. Every day you make a positive difference is one step closer to your end goals, and daily healthy habits can save you if you lose your weight loss motivation. Consistency and frequency are key, stick with it!

10. Stay positive

Talking and thinking positively is the key to the psychology of weight loss motivation! Getting your head in the right place is half the battle, so try changing your mindset. Telling yourself that you’re a failure will make you more likely to fail.

11. Take photos

It’s not all about the number on the scale. Weight loss and fat loss are not the same; you could be losing fat while not necessarily losing weight, especially if you’re putting on muscle. Taking photos can help you maintain your weight loss motivation as you track your progress, as can paying attention to how your clothes feel.

12. Tell friends/family

Even if you don’t have a dedicated buddy, your friends and family can help you maintain your weight loss motivation. Try helping the family become more active, or eating a healthy, balanced diet together. If the people around you are supportive, it will make things much easier.

13. Be patient

Patience is a virtue! Losing weight takes time – you didn’t gain it overnight, so you can’t expect to lose it in that time either. Don’t be lose your weight loss motivation if the pounds don’t fall away immediately.

14. Track progress

Tracking your progress can help you make better overall lifestyle choices, whether on a weight loss motivation app, or in some kind of diary. Celebrate your progress, regardless of how big or small, and try to enjoy the process.

15. Be more mindful

Mindful eating is a technique that helps you gain control over your eating habits and maintain your weight loss motivation.. In fact, being mindful in general can help you lead a more focused life.

Mindful eating involves:

• Eating without distractions
• Eating slowly
• Noticing the effects food has on your mood & figure
• Appreciating your food
• Listening to hunger cues⁶

This can help reduce binge eating, promote weight loss, while helping you feel better overall.

16. Don’t aim for perfection

We’ll let you in on a secret: there’s no such thing as perfection. No one has the ‘perfect diet’. In fact, the ‘perfect diet’ would not involve giving up your favourite sweet treats and snacks. It’s about balance.

Striving for ‘perfection’ can lead to this ‘all or nothing’ approach, where you feel you need to eat everything ‘bad’ at once and start afresh again. But, it’s not like that. A burger and chips won’t derail your progress but beating yourself up about eating it is a surefire way to lose weight loss motivation!

17. Mix things up

Whoever said healthy and boring were the same thing were wrong. Variety is the spice of life, so keep mixing it up to avoid losing your weight loss motivation. Maybe do yoga on a Monday, go for a run on a Tuesday, go for a long walk on Wednesday…

Plus, keep trying new foods and combinations and get creative in the kitchen. You don’t have to eat the same thing every single day.

18. Take it slow

It’s not just weight loss that takes time, but changing your mindset and habits also. You don’t have to do everything at once! Keep your weight loss motivation by taking things step by step.

For example, you could cut back on fizzy drinks and try drinking more water to stay hydrated one week. The week after that, you could try working out 2-3 times. Build things up rather than jumping head-first in the deep end!

19. Love yourself

It’s a cliche, and a corny one at that, but it’s important you love yourself. Success won’t come from hating yourself and the way you look. Motivate yourself by reminding yourself of what you’re hoping to achieve. Little things like being able to run around with your children can make all the difference to your weight loss motivation.

How to maintain weight loss motivation – slow and steady wins the race

Clearly, it’s advisable to take it slow. While it might be hard, especially if you’re impatient, it will help you sustain this weight loss in the long run. Motivation comes from having realistic personal goals, and building habits you can stick with for the long-term. If you’re ever lacking motivation, remember, there’s no such thing as perfection – and you have good reasons for starting this journey!