Wellness Wednesday: Four Steps to Finding Motivation

Here at Hilton Head Health weight loss resort and wellness retreat, it's our passion to help you achieve your long term weight loss and wellness goals through nutrition and fitness education and training which are taught in our weight loss program and wellness program. However, we also believe that achieving your dreams and goals ultimately comes from within yourself and your own motivation. That's why we take a strong focus on helping you grow your self-awareness and understanding your mind body connection.  What we've come to find in our nearly 40 years of experience, is that you cannot start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one. Take the initiative today. Get intrinsic with yourself and ask, how will changing your fitness and nutrition habits benefit your life? Are you ready? Why now? What are the advantages and disadvantages these choices? Are you willing to make sacrifices for this decision?

Now, are you still in?

If not, revisit those questions above and create your vision. Going through with a plan that has purpose and personal meaning to you establishes the initial motivation.



If you are still in, check out these tips to keep yourself motivated and help you achieve your weight loss and wellness goals.

1. Leave yourself quotes around your house. Sometimes we need to be reminded that good habits don’t happen after just one day of practicing. Place little post-it notes wherever you need a quick pep talk: in the bathroom, on your ceiling above your bed, on your kitchen counter, refrigerator, microwave or night stand. Wherever you need the most motivation. Try some of these H3 favorites: “Don’t give up.” “Think about why you started.” “You don’t have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great.” “Eat well, move daily, hydrate often, sleep lots and love your body.” “Stay strong, you're worth it.” or “Don’t give up what you want most for what you want at the moment.” 

2. Keep a picture of yourself on your fridge or the mirror in your room or bathroom. This can work in two different ways:

• Find a picture in which you desire to look like again. When looking at it, do you sometimes think "Wow, I don't know how that happened? If only I actually looked like that again!" Take that photo and post it somewhere you will see it often. Having that visual can be motivating and keep you on track towards your goal.


• Or find a picture which you do not desire to look like again.  Sometimes individuals are more motivated by seeing pictures. “I never want to look like that again,” or “I never want to take another picture looking like this.” Take this photo and put it up, reminding you of the image you want to change and the direction you are moving away from.

3. Keep track of your progress. Accountability is one of the best ways to find motivation and stay motivated. Stay on track by recording the workouts you are doing, writing down or inputting what you're eating and even adding pictures to recall your emotions and progress. One way I find helpful is by creating a blog to record what I did, what I ate, how I felt. then sharing the blog with others. You are 50% more likely to adhere to exercising when you have a buddy (doing it alongside you or meeting you to workout). When you are held accountable, you become more aware and responsible for what you do, eat, and feel like. This keeps you on target.

4. Tell your family/roommates/friends about your plans.  When they know, they can help. Sharing your goals, progress, the reasons behind your motivation (whether they be wellness or weight loss related) or even your blog to keep your friends and families, engaged in your work. By understanding your goals, your friends and family can become better supporters and motivators.

Try one of these tips or even a combination. Find what keeps you motivated and stick with it. Ultimately it is your goal, your body, your decision to get healthy, achieve weight loss, wellness, and live a healthy lifestyle.

What keeps you motivated?