You’ve decided to make a change in your life and are looking into using an app to help you lose weight. Congrats! That’s a big step, but now comes the hard part—motivating yourself to use the app day in and day out to reach your weight loss goals.
Here’s where things get a bit tricky. How do you want to be motivated? Is money even an option? What about social media? Will seeing your friends’ weight loss stories on Instagram motivate you to lose weight?
Let’s explore how to motivate yourself to lose weight using a variety of methods.
Find Your Why
The first step to motivating yourself to lose weight is finding your why. Why are you trying to lose weight? Is it to look better or feel better? Both are valid reasons, but you need to be able to connect the dots between your appearance and your emotions. Why do you want to feel better? Is it because of your family? Your friend’s recommendation? Your doctor’s advice? Keep digging until you find the root cause of why you want to lose weight.
For example, maybe you want to lose weight because you’re worried about your health. You’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and are looking for ways to prevent the disease. You could use the app to help you keep track of what you eat and how active you are. Seeing the numbers on the screen, reminding you that this is what makes you obese, could be a big motivation boost in the right condition.
Make A Plan
Once you’ve found your why, it’s time to craft a plan. What details do you need to commit to? Are you going to join a gym? Are you going to cut out certain food groups? Is buying a house with a personal trainer a dream? Make a list of everything you need to do to make this dream a reality. This is important because if you don’t have a plan, you’ll surely end up losing motivation. Having a plan will help you stay motivated and also serve as a road map to reach your goal weight. It can be a very frustrating experience to have a clear goal in mind and then be led astray by different impulses. Having a plan can help you keep your eye on the prize.
Create Rewards And Recognition
One of the best ways to motivate yourself is to create rewards and recognition for reaching certain goals. For example, if you’re really keen to lose weight, you could consider setting a goal of losing 10 pounds in a month. If you meet this goal, you’ll be able to treat yourself to a new dress or a luxury spa day. There are so many ways to reward yourself for reaching these goals—the list is endless. Research has shown that rewards can improve your performance by up to 15%. Seeing a positive effect from something as simple as a pat on the back can have a massive impact on your motivation. If you have kids, having rewards and recognition available is one of the best ways to encourage them to lose weight too.
When it comes to losing weight, many people think about the physical changes that come with the passage of time and how they want to look in the future. While these are important considerations, you should also be thinking about how you feel each day. If you’re not feeling good, no amount of willpower will be able to make you go on a diet even if you want to. The same goes for the opposite. Rewards and recognition can have a significant impact on how you feel, which can, in turn, influence your decision-making and drive to reach your goal weight. So, while you’re working hard to change how you look, don’t forget about the importance of feeling good inside.
Use Technology
If you’re really driven to lose weight, you might consider using technology to help you. There are a wide range of fitness trackers and smart scales available that can monitor the amount of food you take in and how active you are. If you’re really craving something, an app like Lose It! can be an excellent tool to help you track your daily activity and food intake. Similarly, a wearable device could be an ideal way to track your daily activity and sleep patterns, which can in turn, help you to determine how much weight you need to lose. If none of these technologies exist yet, consider creating a spreadsheet or using an online diary to help you track your progress.
Technology can also be a great way to track your progress and identify flaws in your existing game plan. If you decide that social media is not for you, then you can remove the temptation and ensure you don’t get distracted. The same goes for people who feel that money is an essential part of being motivated. You can set an amount of money that you’re willing to lose, which will give you a little push when you need it.
Join A Community
One of the most effective ways to motivate yourself to lose weight is to join a community. Communities are great because they give you the opportunity to connect with other people who are also on a journey to lose weight. Joining a yoga class with people who are all working on becoming more active could be an ideal way to start your day. Walking or dancing in a large group can also be a great way to shed off some of that extra weight. Eating healthy food and meeting like-minded individuals who are also passionate about lifestyle changes can be an excellent way to get the results you want.
You might feel overwhelmed at first because of all the information available online. However, being a part of a community can help you feel less overwhelmed and more supported. If you decide that online resources are not for you, then you can join a community where you live. This could be a great way to meet people who are also driven by the same motivation you are and can help you to get the results you want.
Now that you’re motivated to lose weight, it’s time to put all that energy into action. To do this, you need to create a healthy eating and exercise routine. Craft a plan with your doctor or nutritionist to figure out what changes you need to make to lose the weight. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Take it one day at a time, and you’ll succeed.