Weight loss motivation

Sometimes, when you want to lose weight, you’re incredibly motivated to do what you need to do. Chop vegetables? On it. Buy alterna-drinks so you don’t reach for the sugary stuff all the time? Done. Other times, it feels like your weight loss motivation is three states away and has no idea how to get back. When your motivation isn’t right there with you, don’t panic or get frustrated or throw in the towel. What people often don’t realize is that motivation isn’t just a random, mysterious force that comes and goes when it pleases. “Maintaining motivation is a skill, and you can get good at that skill,” explains Liz Josefsberg, who is the author of do want to do (more about that later). To get your motivation where you want it, you have to let go of what motivation isn’t. “It’s not this thing outside of your control, and it’s not going to be high all the time. It’s supposed to have peaks and valleys—that’s what being human is,” she says. Accepting that helps you stay the course and when you’re in a valley and not assume that everything is lost. Then, you can go about moving your motivation toward the peak again with these simple strategies. 1. Accept That Your Motivation Isn’t High If you’ve already been on a weight loss program, but you’re not as excited about what you’re doing as you used to be, the first step to getting your momentum back is actually identifying that your motivation is waning. Sounds obvious, but too many people berate themselves or try to power through t...

The question isn’t which diet or fitness plan is the best. It is really what is the best program for you, so that you can stick with it and make lifestyle changes. In this 3-part series, Weight Loss Motivation: Secrets to Staying on Track, we discuss how who you are as an individual is one of the most important factors when deciding what makes a weight-loss program, diet, or exercise regimen successful. “The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not.”― Mark Twain In all honesty, this view sounds correct. After all, Mark Twain said it. And he seems to know his stuff. However, scientific research tells us that the opposite is true. Twain’s statement represents the traditional approach to dieting and fitness—that to lose weight is to be miserable. We diet. We exercise. We might even lose weight, but we turn into woeful, glum little souls, so we don’t keep up the diet. We tell ourselves, or worse, we hear from others—friends, family, teachers, doctors, coworkers—that you're just not motivated. THE BASICS • • What Type of Motivation Do You Have? Below you see four different responses to the following prompt: I am losing weight because… • I feel like I have no choice; others make me do it • I would feel bad about myself if I did not • It feels important to me personally to accomplish this goal • It is a challenge to accomplish my goal; because it is fun Now, choose the answer that sounds most like you. Let...

Trying to lose weight is a lot like doing an endurance run—it takes time and effort to get to the goal. Whether you are doing But why does that happen? Hitting a Whether you are fatigued by your workouts, crave your favorite junk food, have a big fitness challenge ahead, or just need some serious self-love, there are words for every hurdle you run into. Here, a roundup of 24 motivational quotes from celebrities, Olympic athletes, personal trainers, and fitness influencers for when you need that extra push in life. They can apply to any big goal. “You know what, there are days I go, ‘I can’t’ and ‘I don’t want to,’ and I think you just have to listen to your body. So sometimes you just don’t work out. And then there are times when you go, ‘Really? Do you really not want to?’ And then if you just say, ‘OK, I’m going to get on some machine for 10 minutes,’ you just start to get the endorphins going. Then you feel great, and you just keep going. So sometimes you can actually override the ‘I don’t want to work out.” —Jennifer Aniston to “It’s not about perfection. It’s about purpose. We have to care about our bodies and what we put in them. Women have to take the time to focus on our mental health—take time for self, for the spiritual, without feeling guilty or selfish. The world will see you the way you see you, and treat you the way you treat yourself.” —Beyoncé to

Share on Pinterest Hinterhaus Productions /Getty Images Not everyone living with more weight needs to make changes. However, if your doctor recommends that you lose weight or you just simply want to drop some pounds, you might be looking for a new method you haven’t tried yet. Many factors influence body weight, only some of which we can control. For example, your genetics might mean that your body size journey might be different than someone else’s. Much like the fact that there are many unique body shapes, there are also a variety of weight-modification strategies that might help you get into shape. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is designed to identify thinking patterns that may not be helpful and replacing them with thoughts and strategies that align with your goals. You may be able to apply CBT techniques for weight loss. Depending on the topic being addressed, therapy can last anywhere from four to more than 20 sessions. CBT is not intended to be ongoing, although you can revisit previous issues in new treatment. Counselors, In CBT, you work with your therapist to: • specify a goal • identify barriers to reaching that goal • reframe your thinking to get past those barriers • practice new behaviors to reinforce new and improved thought patterns CBT can help with a wide range of issues, including: • • • • • • • • • Unlike other forms of therapy that focus on how past events have shaped current behaviors, CBT is more concerned with your current functioning. Your the...

No matter what your weight loss goals are, losing weight can feel impossible at times. However, shedding a few pounds doesn’t have to involve a complete overhaul of your current diet and lifestyle. In fact, making a few small changes to your morning routine can help you lose weight and keep it off. This article lists 10 simple morning habits to incorporate into your regimen to aid your weight loss efforts. Share on Pinterest There’s a good reason breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. What you eat for breakfast can set the course for your entire day. It determines if you’ll feel full and satisfied until lunch, or if you’ll be heading to the vending machine before your mid-morning snack. Eating a In one study in 20 adolescent girls, eating a high-protein breakfast reduced post-meal cravings more effectively than a normal-protein breakfast ( Another small study showed that eating a high-protein breakfast was associated with less fat gain and reduced daily intake and hunger, compared to a normal-protein breakfast ( In fact, one study in 15 men found that a high-protein breakfast suppressed ghrelin secretion more effectively than a high-carb breakfast ( To help get your day off to a good start, consider protein sources like eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts and chia seeds. Summary Studies show that a high-protein breakfast may aid weight loss by reducing cravings, appetite and ghrelin secretion. Starting your morning with a glass or two of water is ...