Weight loss motivation tips are easy to come by, but do they really resonate? The secret to weight loss seems simple: burn more calories than you consume. Those who’ve tried know it’s often more complicated. It’s as much a mental challenge as a physical one, and staying motivated can be tough.
The good news? Psychology-based weight-loss motivation tips can help you stay on track. We have 5 for you.
1. Find your ‘why’
Often, people fall off track because they don’t have a strong driving force. They haven’t taken the time to find the ‘why’ behind the weight loss journey they’re embarked on. This initial step is easy to overlook – especially if you’re feeling usually motivated to meal prep and head to the gym, and don’t want to waste any time.
However, it pays off to take a moment and dig deep to truly understand your motivation for losing weight. Perhaps you want to be fit enough to play with your little ones or maybe you want to be able to run a marathon. Whatever it is, your ‘why’ will keep you going even when the thought of giving up starts creeping in.
“Your true weight loss ‘why’ will align with your values and the things in your life that matter most to you,” says Lani Finau, a Registered Nutritionist and Health Coach at Juniper. “After you’ve landed on your why, taking a moment to write that down somewhere that you can reflect on regularly (particularly when motivation drops) can be really powerful. For example, putting it as the screensaver of your phone, keeping it on a sticky note at your desk, etc.”
2. Start small
A common mistake people make when starting a weight loss, fitness or health journey, is to try and overhaul their entire life overnight. But let us tell you: that’s simply not a sustainable or realistic approach. Chances are that you’ll feel overwhelmed and end up going back to old habits.
Instead, take it one step at a time. Focus on small lifestyle changes that add up over time. Before you know it, that future self you’ve been dreaming of – who is confident, active and healthy – will be your reality.
“One tip I always recommend doing is taking some time to reflect on your long-term lifestyle goals and prioritising these in order of importance to you,” says Lana.
“For example, what would your ideal week of exercise look like? How many litres of water do you want to drink a day consistently? Which of these is most important for you to achieve at the moment?
“Once you have these ‘end goals’ in sight, you can work backward in breaking these down in order of priority. For example, if getting at least 2-3L of water a day is the most important goal for you at the moment, focus on that first. Start by aiming to increase this by an extra 500mL every week until you reach your water target. When you get there, and you feel confident in maintaining this, then you can move on to the exercise goal.”
3. Try using SMART goals
Setting vague, wishy-washy goals with no clear boundaries is basically setting ourselves up to fail. The SMART goal method, however, is a classic for a reason – because it works. All your goals should be:
- Specific – How will I know when I have achieved my goal? What’s the outcome I’m after?
- Measurable – How will I measure my progress?
- Attainable – Is my goal realistic, considering my circumstances and the resources that I have?
- Relevant – Does this goal align with my ‘why’?
- Time-bound – What’s my deadline?
Put into practice, a great SMART goal for someone who typically walks 2K steps a day and wants to increase that number could be: “Every morning, I’ll walk 4K steps [specific, measurable and attainable] so I can improve my fitness and lose weight [relevant]. I’ll do this for an entire month [time-bound].”
4. Celebrate your successes
Did you know that people who celebrate their small wins are more likely to achieve their bigger goals in the long term? It’s science! That’s why it’s so important to break ambitious weight loss goals into smaller milestones and to stop and take a moment to high-five yourself.
“In addition to celebrating progress on the scales, it can often be these non-scale victories that are most important in the long run,” says Finau. “Also remembering to reflect on progress measures such as waist circumference can be particularly important along the journey. This is because the scales don’t always give you the complete picture, such as body composition changes from increased muscle mass due to strength training or increased protein intake!”
5. Plan for setbacks and plateaus
Finally, remember that your journey will be full of ups, downs, and sideward steps, even with these weight-loss motivation tips. You may be on a roll for a couple of weeks and suddenly your weight loss plateaus, even though you’re doing everything right. Frustrating, to say the least.
Although it’s easy to let these setbacks discourage you, look at the big picture and you’ll realise that they don’t detract from all the progress you’ve already made. Your ability to swiftly regain focus is what will ultimately determine your long-term success. Remember to be kind to yourself, too. Be sure to have regular saunas, massages and other healing, pampering treatments that encourage you to love your body at every size and shape.
