- 1. Define the reason for losing weight
- 2. Believe that you are capable
- 3. Write down everything you eat
- 4. Set real goals and deadlines
- 5. Find someone to accompany you
- 6. Seek help from professionals
- 7. Don't "kick the bucket" when you miss
Finding motivation to start a diet or enter a process to lose weight is not always easy, but simple strategies like setting small goals or seeking training partners increase the incentive to stay focused and achieve the goals set.
In addition, it is important to respect and understand that each one has their own pace, always remembering that the main objective should be to find a healthy and pleasant life stimulus, so that the cycle of weight loss and gain, known as the accordion effect, don't repeat yourself.
To do this, here are 7 motivation tips that help you stay motivated:
1. Define the reason for losing weight
It is common to want to lose weight to please others, such as friends or boyfriend, but many studies show that diets have better results when motivation comes from within. For this reason it is important to set goals according to your wishes: it can be fitting into a pair of jeans or looking stunning at an event, for example.
After thinking about your motivations, it is important to write them down on paper, so you can look at them every day, keeping your focus.
2. Believe that you are capable
Often when starting a diet it is common to have a thought of losing, keeping the idea that it will be just another failed attempt to lose weight. This pessimistic thinking makes the brain predisposed to accept defeat more easily, and with that, the dedication needed to have a victory ends up being reduced.
Thus, believing in your ability to win victories is important to remain stimulated and persistent, increasing the effort destined for that achievement.
3. Write down everything you eat
It is important to write down everything you eat because we often escape the diet without knowing it. Studies show that keeping a food diary increases the chances of losing weight or maintaining weight and that it is a motivating and successful factor.
But don't forget to write down everything you eat, including snacks and escapes from the diet. It can also be interesting to point out emotions on different days, to be able to identify whether changes in emotions are related to the days when you eat more, for example. You can keep the diary on paper or use a mobile application.
4. Set real goals and deadlines
Setting small goals in real time is important to assess, along the way, if the effort is being made in the right measure or if more dedication is needed, in addition to serving as milestones to celebrate small achievements.
Setting goals like losing 3 kg in 1 month or going to the gym at least 3 times a week are examples of small goals with real deadlines that can be achieved, as opposed to goals like losing 10 kg in 1 month or having the same body as of a famous actress.
5. Find someone to accompany you
At this point, the more people you partner with, the better. It can be a friend who attends the same gym or a family member who also needs to take daily walks.
Having a company encourages compliance with the new healthy routine and decreases the frequency of abandoning training and diet.
In addition to friends and family, it is also important to try to create friendships in the gym so that workouts are more enjoyable and motivated, or participate in group activities, such as team sports or group classes.
6. Seek help from professionals
Seeking the help of professionals such as a nutritionist and physical educator is important to receive specialized guidance that suits your lifestyle and your goals.
These professionals will help to set realistic goals for each case and show the best path to follow, in addition to being an important source of help, knowledge and encouragement.
7. Don't "kick the bucket" when you miss
Think of the diet as a process of change, not as an obligation that must be 100% fulfilled at all times. Exaggerating a meal or missing a few days at the gym are not reasons to abandon the process and give up your goal, as the important thing is to maintain a healthy cycle and a routine that is respected, at least, most of the time.
When you fail, simply go back to your normal routine right away and move on. However, if the episodes of failure recur frequently, talk to a professional for help or use strategies such as noting the days and times of failure, so that you are more aware of the frequency and times when they most happen.
