3 Ways To Stay Motivated On Your Weight Loss Journey

We all want to live our happiest, healthiest life. That’s a fact. But sometimes life seems to stand in our way and we just get stuck. You are smart. And capable. And you know what you want. But finding the motivation to lose weight and embrace the ultimate goal of living healthier and happier can sometimes feel impossible and that sense of defeat, and the very real procrastination that accompanies it, is exactly what holds us back.

Next week, I’m going to give you ten simple, direct ways you can motivate yourself to lose weight and live happier and healthier.

But first let’s talk about the basics. At First Capital Gym we strive to help folks lose weight in order to live their best lives. My philosophy stems from my belief that truly good health depends on the power of three: mind, body, and soul. It’s simple really. Living healthier and happier depends on what you consume, what you do, and what you think. It’s energy cubed.

And because I am all about keeping it simple, here are the three ways to help stay motivated on your weight loss journey: get positive, reward yourself, and find a friend.

Get Positive About Your Weight Loss Journey.

Many times people over the age of 40 have a hard time getting over feeling negative when we look at our overweight bodies. They question, is it even possible to lose weight once we reach 40-50 and beyond?

Start with getting positive about weight loss because attitude really is everything. Research shows that happiness increases productivity. Happy people are more successful. Do you know the first tool the military teaches to toughen up recruits? Combat skills? Nope. It’s optimism. Believing in your ability to succeed motivates winning.

Let go of negativity and stop being so hard on yourself. Celebrate your wins. Nothing is more motivating than progress. You’ve got to be your own best cheerleader when you’re on a weight loss journey.

Try thinking of losing weight as a game. Everyday you’re dealing with players and strategies for winning. Lighten up and enjoy the process. Games are fun and life should be too.

Positive energy makes you open to possibility. It allows you to embrace opportunity. Truthfully, failure is an inevitable part of living but having a positive outlook can help you turn negative experiences into learning opportunities. So often we miss a chance to succeed because the situation doesn’t look the way we expected it too. I once had a teacher that would always say, “Mistakes are just a new way to get there.”

Seeing the up side is key to motivating yourself to lose weight and to move one step closer to the happy, healthy life you deserve. So get started by getting positive! Remember 40 is the new 30 and 50 is the new 40!

Reward Yourself for Healthy Living

75% of what we do is motivated by the promise of rewards. Surprised? Research shows that three-quarters of why we do things is based on rewards because rewards feel good. Rewards account for 75% of personal motivation toward accomplishment. This is particularly important in weight loss and it’s important to find non-food rewards so you don’t undo all your progress while celebrating.

I’m not talking about prizes here, though I happen to be a big believer in prizes. There is nothing wrong with promising yourself a trip to an exotic island, a new pair of shoes, or a fun night out with friends once you reach your goal. But rewards don’t need to be big or even special to motivate you. They only need to be enjoyable. If it makes you happy, guess what! It’s a reward.

Dinner with your partner, a walk with your dog, a relaxing bath, an hour with a good book, time to journal...all of these things are rewards. And they are already available to you.

I think that’s a real key. Recognize the little blessings in your life and use them to motivate yourself. Practicing gratitude will help you find the rewards in your life. Then you can use those rewards to win your happy, healthy life.

Find a Weight Loss Buddy.

Support is essential to motivation. We all want to be self sufficient but the truth is that nothing can replace the support, encouragement, and accountability we get from our friends. Support motivates. It’s as simple as that.

Surround yourself with people who are doing or trying to do what you are doing and it gets a whole lot easier to stay on track. People join groups that are focused on change because being surrounded by people with a common goal makes attaining that goal seem a lot more possible.

Have you ever thought, “I should be able to lose weight on my own.” or “If I only had more willpower, I could reach my weight loss goal.”? It’s okay to realize you need help, an accountability partner. Recruiting a good friend along on your fitness journey is a great start.

Who you associate with helps determine who you want to become. If you’re looking to lose weight and live healthier, then choose friends who are trying to eat well, exercise, and take care of themselves too. Surrounding yourself with other healthy people is probably the strongest and most straightforward path to changing your own habits. This is called “the science of friendship.”

Research proves that over time you develop the eating, health, and work habits of the people around you. That means if you choose high energy, healthy, successful, happy friends, you’re more likely to lose weight and live healthier and happier too. So get yourself some quality friends and start working toward your best self!