How do you stay motivated to lose weight?
Question:
Answers:
Personally:
What i do is that i keep a picture of the "fat" me on the fridge so that I can see myslef whenever I go to the kitchen to eat. Second i keep trying the clothes that do not fit anymore as a motivation.
Professional opinion:
Here are 12 tips to give your eat-right, move-more efforts greater endurance.
1. Eliminate Excuses "Even if you're not a morning person, schedule exercise for first thing in the morning," suggests Martica Heaner, M.A., a New York-based exercise physiologist and author of Cross-Training for Dummies. "The later you wait to exercise, the more reasons you'll have for not doing it." Sally White, Ph.D., dean and professor at the College of Education at Lehigh University, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and an expert on motivation and exercise, agrees. "Keep gym clothes everywhere -- in the car, at work -- so there's never a reason not to go." So what do you need to do? Sleep in your sports bra? Lay your workout clothes out on the bed the night before? Ask a buddy to call and remind you to get moving? Figure out what works -- then do it.
2. Kid Around Of course, finding time to work out was simpler B.C. (Before Children) -- but just because family precedes fitness on your list of priorities doesn't mean there isn't room for both in your life. Get your children involved with you. Take a family hike, go for a group bike ride -- or roll with it. "Scooters and in-line skates are great for kids and can be just as much calorie-burning fun for moms," says Bonne Marano, a certified fitness instructor in New York City. Plus, getting moving with you is good for the little guys, says White: "The children of families who exercise together are more likely to be active later in life."
3. Plan with Your Man A study at Indiana University, in Bloomington, found that 94 percent of spouses who worked out together stuck to their exercise plans, compared with only 57 percent of those who went at it alone. Can't tear him away from the TV long enough for a bike ride? Then try using the word "ball" to entice him, offers Heaner: "If a high-energy kick-boxing class or body-sculpting session isn't his thing, shooting hoops or tossing around a football may be. A little one-on-one on the basketball court burns twice as many calories as walking. Even if you never make a basket, the sprinting and lateral movements will improve your coordination."
4. Get a Gadget Investing in a simple tool that will measure the progress you're making can be a big motivator. Try something as simple as the New Lifestyles Digi-Walker SW-200 ($26.95, www.thepedometercompany.com), which counts your total steps over the course of a day.
• www.thepedometercompany.com >>
Looking for a fun way to figure out how many M&Ms you burned off during that extra-long elliptical session? Check out BalanceLog ($49 to $69, www.healthetech.com), software for your computer and/or Palm that logs calories in and calories out, then helps you devise a food budget based on how much exercise you get.
• www.healthetech.com >>
5. Write It Down Keep your own food and exercise log: People who are successful at losing and maintaining their weight are good at self-monitoring, according to several studies. "And remember to put positive feelings in print, too, to review on days you need a boost," says Rachna D. Jain, Psy.D., a lifestyle coach and licensed psychologist in Columbia, Maryland. Describing how good you felt after a workout, for instance, could help get you out the door next time.
6. Seek Inspiration Feeling a little less than vibrant? Find a mental mentor to get you moving. That's how Sarah Ferguson, former Duchess of York, keeps revved. Saying negativity drains energy, she counts the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela among her positive-energy role models. Or consider George W. Bush: If the president of the United States can fit regular exercise into his schedule, you probably can, too. Figure out who inspires you -- maybe it's your friend who manages to make time for a morning walk despite having four kids under 10 -- and think of her when you're feeling too tired or busy.
7. Paint Pretty Pictures How will eating better or sticking to an exercise plan make you look and feel in the long term? Create "life preservers," detailed visions of your ideal self, suggests Platkin. Imagine going on a date with your husband in a sexy new dress; picture running into your high-school nemesis looking toned and confident. "The point is to have motivational scenarios you can think about when you're having trouble sticking to your plan," says Platkin. "And remember: Make the visualizations compelling and inspiring -- powerful enough to stand up to that diabolical duo, Ben & Jerry!"
8. Treat Yourself Did you refrain from finishing your daughter's fries today? Did you take a brisk walk on your lunch break? Reward yourself. "Treat yourself to a simple pleasure," suggests Dr. Jain. "Promise yourself thirty minutes of quiet time to read a novel, or buy yourself a new set of luxurious bath gels."
9. Tune In to Tone Up When it comes to exercise, music can move you -- not only because it offers mental stimulation, but also because it may help put you in a better mood. "Music's rhythm also helps exercisers maintain a reasonable intensity level," says Vince Nethery, Ph.D., professor of exercise science at Central Washington University, in Ellensburg, Washington. And listening to music may even help you work out longer and harder. A study at Hampden-Sydney College, in Farmville, Virginia, recently found that college students who exercised to music were able to work out 11 percent longer than those who worked out in silence or a noisy environment.
10. Sweat for a Cause Sign up for a charity walk/run, like Race for the Cure (www.komen.org/race), which benefits breast-cancer research, or the MS Bike Tour (www.nationalmssociety.org), which raises funds for multiple-sclerosis research. You'll help yourself by helping others. Plus, after hitting up friends and family for donations, you'll be motivated to reach your goal.
Other Answers:
You got to muster all the will power you got. Without will power and self discipline, you will fall off the wagon, and you are fat again.
Its tough, I will admit that. I've lost about 30lb in the last 10 months and now that I'm within sight of my goal, I'm finding it tough to shake the last 10 or so. I suppose the best motivation is looking at photos of myself and knowing that if I don't keep it up, I'll go back to looking like that and feeling bad about myself like I did then. Nothing tastes as good as being slim feels! Get a poster of a graveyard and post it on your fridge and your wallet.
DETERMINATION=DISCIPLINE =POSSITIVE
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO LOOK LIKE IN TWO WEEKS
BEACH TIME OR COUCH TIME
BURN BABY BURN
hmm
i drink a protien shake. at not only gets u motivated but it will keep you less hungry.
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