We’ve all been there. Your weight loss/healthy living goal was going perfectly along for a few weeks and then, for whatever reason, it wasn’t. Stalls and stops are a part of life and if you want to succeed you have to know how to get things going again. Try these tips to get back on track.
- Focus on exercise first. It makes sense to get control of your exercise schedule first because studies show that people who exercise are more motivated to eat better, but people who eat right aren’t necessarily motivated to exercise more.
- Set ambitious goals. Don’t set the bar obnoxiously high, but just above where you’d like to be. Kind of a “shoot for the moon, land in the stars” idea.
- Don’t forget the tunes. Music helps motivate, there’s no doubt about that.
- Eat simply. The trick is to find the right balance. Not enough variety and you’ll get bored and go off your diet, but too much variety can actually trigger you to eat more. Keep things tasty but simple.
- Overestimate calories. Overshoot the calories you’re consuming and you might not fall short by the end of the day. Most people do.
- Target the weekends. Most people eat more and exercise less on the weekends, so make this a target area and you’ll see boosted results.
- Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep affects hormone levels and can stimulate your appetite, not to mention make working out miserable.
- Weigh yourself daily. Regular weigh-ins will not only help you monitor your progress and keep your goals fresh on your mind, but if you do gain anything you’ll catch it when it’s still a small and manageable amount.
- Keep food out of sight. Out of sight, out of mind. It will work at least a little, I promise.
- Get support. Join an internet community, see a counselor, or start a club with your friends that has regular meetings and real accountability. Studies show that having a support system really does help people lose weight and keep it off.
(Photo courtesy of arinas74 on stock.xchng)
