16 Ways to Rekindle Your Weight-Loss Motivation

 



To get back your weight-loss motivation, experts share their best tips:

1

TWEAK YOUR WEIGHT-LOSS TIMELINE

It’s easy to feel low on motivation when you don’t see results, especially since we’re entrenched in a diet culture that often sells lose-weight-quick schemes. But the reality is, sustainable weight loss takes time, and there’s no healthy way to speed up the clock. Focus on what you can control: your expectations. Opt for a more realistic weight-loss timeline. Aim to lose a maximum of 1–2 pounds per week, while reminding yourself your weight will naturally vary from week to week. Remember: Even an “insignificant” amount of weight loss is still progress, says Carrie Kirkland, RD.

2

REROUTE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

Thoughts like “I’m not losing weight fast enough!” or “I don’t have enough time to work out today!” zap motivation because they’re zoomed in on what you can’t control, says Chu. Here, a simple mindfulness practice can help give you a motivation boost. Pay attention to your thoughts and label negative thoughts centered on what you can’t control and then shift to what you can control. (“I can’t control how fast I lose weight or how busy my day has become, but I can keep eating whole foods instead of processed ones, stick to my daily calorie goal and reschedule my workout for tomorrow.”)

3

PRACTICE SELF-COMPASSION

“With healthy eating, we so often get stuck feeling and believing that unless we follow the plan 100%, we’ve failed and might as well give up,” says Iacobellis. However, research suggests this all-or-nothing mindset may actually lower your chances of losing weight. To increase your motivation, be compassionate with yourself and channel the understanding way you’d respond to a friend or loved one when you don’t make the best choice. Ask yourself what led to this decision, strategize about what you can do differently in the future and commit to making a better choice next time. For example, overindulged on pizza at lunch? Instead of giving up, plan to fill half your plate with salad next time and prepare a healthy meal for that night’s dinner. You’ll be glad you did.

4

SET AND TRACK SMART GOALS

Vague, lofty goals like “Lose 20 pounds!” might seem exciting at first, but ultimately, they’re not motivating because you can’t see or track your progress. What to do: Break your big-picture goal into smaller SMART goals based on the lifestyle changes that will ultimately get you there, suggests Kirkland.

SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timebound. So, if you want to “drink less soda” to cut down on empty liquid calories, try: “I will decrease my soda consumption from 24 ounces per day to 12 ounces by ordering a medium instead of a large at the drive-thru at least three days a week for the next month.” Log your progress in an app like MyFitnessPal. Then, once your goal is met, take it a step further or add a new one.


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5

DISPLAY HELPFUL REMINDERS

To motivate yourself to stick with SMART goals, create a visual reminder in a place where it will be most impactful, suggests Kirkland. For instance, if you’re trying to swap late-night ice cream for more nutrient-dense snacks, write your goal on a sticky note and put it on your freezer door. To encourage yourself to increase your step count at work, hang a colorful sign by your desk.


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