Wellness Wednesday: 3 Weight Loss Motivation Tips

Motivation can be very difficult to sustain yet it is the single most important factor determining our success, regardless of the goal. In fact, motivation trumps environment, support, and knowledge when it comes to variables that affect achievement. That means that motivation has to be your number one priority with any aspiration. The priority is not only determining ways to fuel motivation but also vigilantly eliminating barriers to motivation.

The goal of losing weight is often riddled with motivational black holes. Our focus seems to get sucked into the abyss. Thus, when losing weight it remains important to keep a tool box filled with motivational strategies. Ever eager to help you stock your tool box, I’ve put together three more tips to help inspire your weight loss efforts:

1.       What does 5 pounds of fat look like?



We get overly fixated on numbers when trying to lose weight. If it’s not the scale then it’s a size. Why not look at your achievement in a way that is more meaningful than a number? The next time you find yourself saying with exasperation, “I’ve ONLY lost five pounds” get an idea of what five pounds really looks like (hint: check out the photo above). Better yet, remind yourself of what it feels like. Grab a 5-pound weight and carry it in your purse or jacket pocket for a few hours.

2.       Look at How Far You’ve Come Instead of How Far You Have to Go.



When achieving your goal seems many miles and days ahead, motivation can stall. Break down the goal into smaller increments and then track those milestones in a way that lets you focus on how far you’ve come. One of my clients started using the chart above. She would track her weight-loss in 2-pound increments and mark them off on the bar. Doing so allowed her to see how close she was to her goal as well as what she had already achieved. Here’s a chart to get you started: 5 Pound Goal

3.       Build Your Success Playlist



For every pound you lose add a new song to your weight-loss play list. Build a playlist of motivational songs that represent your successes from week-to-week. Use Google to select songs that characterize the unique challenges and ultimate victories experienced during the process of your weight-loss journey. (Speaking of journey…start with the song “Don’t Stop Believin” by the band Journey)! Within months you will have created the ultimate playlist.