It’s hard to stay motivated when you’re wanting to eat healthier or to lose a few pounds, but these tips can help you stick with it, no matter what plan you follow.
If you’re wanting to lose weight, one or two-week diet plans might seem to work at first, but they won’t keep the weight off over time. As most agree, making a lifestyle change with our eating habits is better than any fast diet program. It’s necessary, especially when birthdays become insistent, and using hair color every few weeks is no longer a "fashion" statement. The older we get, there are changes we have to make in our daily diets. We have to start watching how much salt or sugar we take in, we have to make sure we’re getting more of the vitamins we need, and so on. Add on the extra holiday pounds we’re still trying to lose from Thanksgiving two years back, and it’s a lot to deal with.
So how do you stay motivated when your favorite chocolate cake is staring you in the face? Here are a few simple tricks to help you stick with your diet, to eat healthier and to lose weight.
Give in!
Yes, you read that right. Denial of something we’re craving is one of the main reasons we fall off of that "watching what you eat" wagon. According to Woman’s World magazine, a good trick to try is to allow yourself a couple forkfuls of whatever your temptation might be, then go back to eating healthier. This can tame down the craving while letting you still be the one who is in control. It’s like splurging and being sensible all at the same time, which is a great combination when you think about it.
Get a Diet Buddy
Odds are, you aren’t the only one wanting to make a change in his/her eating style. Partner up with a spouse, a sibling, a friend or other acquaintance, and when you feel weak, grab your cell phone and tell your new diet buddy all about it. Be each others’ support team. Remind each other of how great you’ll look (and how great you’ll feel) in just one week. Multiply that by 10 for a whole month. It’s always better to have someone tag along who knows exactly what you’re going through…because they’re going through it, too!
Look at Photos
You can look at a Before or After picture of yourself, and both are likely to have the exact same effect. Pure misery. But you can use that misery to get yourself motivated to get back on the treadmill. So dig out your old photo albums, or take a new image of yourself. A lot of times when we gain weight, we avoid cameras as much as possible, but not this time. Smile it up and print it out. Next time, this "after" shot will be your "before" photo. A nice thought, isn’t it?
Note: Looking at pictures of others who are where you hope to be can also give you a boost in the right direction.
Find a New Plan
If what you’ve been doing hasn’t been working, then it might be time to try something new. There are so many plans out there; find the one that works for you, and get to it. Weight Watcher’s, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, these are all very real possibilities that, combined, have helped millions of people. It seems like every time you turn around, someone has a new plan to try. There is one somewhere that will speak to you. If needed, consult your doctor for help in finding the best one. Whichever plan you choose, it will be the right one, as long as it’s right for you.
Think Positive
The all-time worst thing that gets in a person’s way when striving to eat healthier and to lose weight is their own negative thoughts. When you start thinking "I can’t" or "I don’t know how," you’re setting yourself up for failure before you even begin. Learning to think more positive is possibly one of the greatest things you could do for yourself, not only in eating better, but in everything in your life. By simply eliminating negative phrases such as "someone like me" (ex: There’s no way "someone like me" could do this), and exchanging negative "I can’t" beliefs with those of "I can," any mountains you used to face will become little molehills you can kickbox right outta there.
With just these 5 easy steps, you can stay motivated with any lifestyle plan you choose. Here’s to a new you. You really can do it.