MT 6-2-10

Weight Loss Motivation

At some point, we all need a little motivation when it comes to losing weight or staying fit. Therefore, I put together a list of easy ways to stay focused and keep exercising.

1.) Listen to music while you exercise. And not just any old music, but tunes that you love--songs that make you want to jump off the couch and start moving around. Those are the songs you want to work out to on the days when you'd rather not exercise.

2.) Exercise with a friend. It's far more fun to exercise with someone, than all by yourself. (That's why I got my husband interested in exercise ball workouts too.) So grab a pal and start moving!

3.) Keep a progress chart. It's easier to keep going forward when you can see how far you've come. It's easy to create your own progress chart. Keep track of weight loss, inches lost, number of repititions, or whatever criteria motivates you the most.

4.) Count your way down to success. This great article explains what this concept means.

5.) Change your negativity from permanent to temporary. This article explains how to do this.

6.) Update your routine. If you've been listening to the same music or doing the same routine over and over again, then it's time to shake things up. Trying something new will keep you focused and prevent you from becoming bored.

7.) Journal about your progress and frustrations. One website I love using to journal online is Our Story. You can use your Our Story account to write about your weight loss progress, your reasons for wanting to lose weight, your fitness goals, or anything else you choose. You can even post "before" and "after" photos if you want. Best of all, Our Story is free to join and easy to use.

8.) Get your own cheerleader. We all need a cheerleader at some point--someone who will motivate us to continue when we want to quit, someone who will remind us that we're worth it. I chose the well known motivational speaker Anthony Robbins to be my cheerleader. Mr. Robbins has two great audio products that really provide me the motivation I need to keep going on days when I'd rather skip the exercise and over-indulge in Cool Ranch Doritos or Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough ice cream instead. (Yum!)