How to motivate yourself to lose weight and find the motivation to get fit

 
Loosing weight is tough, but rewarding

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Getting motivated to start a diet and exercising can often be the hardest part of the diet. But fear not because help is at hand. We spoke to Anthony Healy, a personal trainer at Vivacia, about why motivation is so important for successfully loosing weight, “Weight loss is anything but easy".

The reason Katie Hopkins was so successful in her recent weight loss TV show is because she is so incredibly motivated! Her entire identity, TV persona, and livelihood is wrapped up in its success.

Failure is simply not an option!”

So how do you muster that motivation?

Here are Anthony's top tips on how to motivate yourself to lose weight:

1. Decide why you want to lose weight

Is is to look good in a bikini, to feel better about yourself or another reason?

2. Set goals

'Lose weight' is too vague. You need a clear and achievable goal, such as 'lose 10lb in 10 weeks'. Write down how you're going to achieve this, such as 'run three times a week' or 'go to the gym every Monday, Wednesday and Friday' and STICK TO IT.

2. Create visual goals

Visual cues are a great motivator. If you want to look good on the beach in a size 10 bikini then buy that bikini (or dress for special occasion/favorite pair of jeans) and hang it outside your wardrobe.

3. Write a morning mantra

Write and then read a motivational mantra every day. Make the goal seem like something that has already having been achieved,
E.g. “I have successfully lost 10lbs, and I am about to board the plane for Spain at Heathrow airport. I can’t wait to get to the beach in my yellow bikini….”
By doing so you get the good feelings associated with the goal ahead of time.

4. Kick the bad habits

Long term transformations take time.
To get quick results and keep the weight off you need to kick bad habits.
In the beginning you need to go cold turkey. For many people the enemy is booze, processed food and/or sugar in all its forms - most obviously, chocolate and sweets.
Giving these up for at least 6-12 weeks "breaks the back" of the usual suspects, forms some good eating habits, and brings about those quick results - which will keep you motivated and “hungry” for more success.

5. Think positive

With sufficient motivation anything is achievable, and those obstacles can now be overcome.

More tips on getting your weight loss started!

Outspoken weight loss guru Steve Miller of Sky1's Fat Families shares his tips on how you can stop complaining you're fat - and actually lose weight.

Carry a mirror

In order to eat healthily, it’s really important to watch your portion sizes. To help you do this, carry a mirror everywhere you go, ensuring you remind yourself of how fat you are, which will automatically motivate you to eat less.

Be your own weight loss whip

This may sound odd, but you need to give yourself some tough love. Motivating yourself is not just about carrot, it’s also about stick – you need to whip yourself into controlling your eating. Without control, it’s too easy to get carried away bingeing on treats and then swilling them down with booze.

Ditch the fat feeding excuse

Year after year, many people say, "Oh I’ve put so much weight on over Christmas, I may as well eat what I want." This is just an excuse. Stop making them. Always remind yourself to stop eating when you feel full, and then take your mind into something non-food related.

Keep treats hidden

Or don’t buy them at all. Out of sight will mean out of mind. You won’t be able to resist if you have chocolates and biscuits lying around the house.

Ditch diets

The first and immediate step is never ditch junk food all together. Instead, create a diet plan and live each day eating healthily 80 per cent of the time and eating some junk for 20 per cent of the time.
This way you’ll ensure you don’t deny yourself, which can lead to bingeing.

Steer clear of conflict

  After the stresses of the holidays, new year can be the time of year when we rub each other up the wrong way and end up having a number of verbal brawls. Steer clear of them, otherwise you will probably end up comfort eating. Bite your tongue and walk away as soon as you sense you are about to throw a verbal bullet.

Carry a warning sign

Make yourself a credit card size warning sign that reads, "If you are fat THINK before eating." Look at it before you eat to help you control what you consume, and how much. The truth hurts, but the truth is the truth.

Try on the frock

Just before you sit down to eat at home, pop to the bedroom and try on that dress you are desperate to fit into. Let it motivate you to control your food intake.

Weight-Loss Motivation: 13 Ways to Stay on Track

Have Lots Of Sex

First off, it's pretty damn fun. But it can also keep you on the slim track. Having an orgasm releases the same endorphins in your brain that eating chocolate does--without the calories. And research shows that the more weight you lose, the better your sex life gets: A Duke University study found that even a 10 percent reduction in weight (that's 15 pounds if you weigh 150) resulted in major improvements in all areas of the participants' sex lives, including arousal, feelings of attractiveness, and enjoyment of sexual activity

Chart Your Progress

Weight loss is serious business. Treat it that way. Weigh yourself every morning--a study in the Annals of Behavior Medicine shows that people who do daily weigh-ins are more successful losers--and write the number down. If you're even vaguely computer savvy, it's a snap to create a chart with a fever line that shows the pounds dropping away over time. When you get discouraged--say, you haven't lost a pound in a week--seeing your long-term progress will boost your motivation.

Face Your Reflection

When you feel fat you probably shun mirrors. Turns out you should do the opposite. A study in the International Journal of Eating Disorders found that mirror-exposure therapy--staring at your bod in the mirror and stifling the usual criticisms of your thighs--can improve body image, which, as we said in rule 10, can help keep you committed to healthy eating. Try it: Speak to your reflection without using any negatively charged words. For example, instead of "I have a huge butt," say, "My waist looks smaller thanks to my curves." 

 

 

Get Rubbed

A new study from Ohio State University shows that women who accept their bodies are more likely to have better eating habits. And decadent as it may sound, getting a massage can help with that. "Allowing themselves to be touched by another person--even when they aren't at their ideal weight--can help women become more comfortable with their bodies," says Mitch Klein, a licensed massage therapist in New York City.

 

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Become A Class Regular

Join a group exercise class and make friends with your fellow regulars. Seeing your pals will inspire you to attend even when you feel like playing hooky. The guilt factor--always highly motivating--can help here too. After all, in a place where everybody knows your name, they'll also know when you've missed a workout.

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Call On Your Inner Cheapskate

You don't blow off the dentist, even though having your teeth drilled is about the most un-fun thing you can imagine. Why? Because you'll get charged whether you show or not. Consider buying a package of personal training sessions and scheduling all your appointments now. Ditto with yoga or dance classes: Buy a bunch in advance and sign up at the same time. Who would throw away workouts that are already paid for? 

 

 

Get Gabbing

Reams of studies prove that support from other people can keep you motivated to lose weight. And a new study from the University of Kansas shows that dieters who get counseling over the phone lose just as much as those who get it face to face. So if you can't make that 5 p.m. Weight Watchers meeting, check out Bally's Built to Fit weight-loss and nutrition program at ballynutrition.com, which offers weekly 15--minute phone sessions starting at $1 per minute. 

 

 

Lift The Weight You've Lost

A great way to keep yourself from sliding into what-the-hell eating mode when your weight loss plateaus: Use dumbbells that correspond to the number of pounds you've already dropped. You can't possibly forget how far you've come when you're straining to complete three sets of triceps kickbacks with a 10-pound weight. Feel how much you're struggling to lift? That used to be on your butt! 

 

 

Get Out Your Sexiest-Skinny Outfit

You know that yogurt commercial where a woman takes a teeny-weeny yellow polka-dot bikini and hangs it on her wall to help motivate her to lose weight? She's one smart cookie. "I tell clients to take out an outfit they love and haven't been able to wear for a long time," says Christopher Warden, C.S.C.S., a personal trainer in New York City. "Just pulling it out of the closet serves as a visual reminder of the goal they're trying to accomplish." 

 

 

 

 

 

Rock Out

A recent study by the North American Association for the Study of Obesity found that women are more likely to stick to an exercise program if they listen to music while working out. So thank God for jogtunes.com. The site lets you select your workout pace, then download playlists of songs with bpm's (beats per minute) that match your heart rate. For example, if yours gets up to about 150 bpm when you exercise, songs like the Killers' "Mr. Brightside" are perfect.

Enlist Fido

Consider adopting a fuzzy friend if you don't have one already. Studies show that owning a dog can help you drop pounds. Why? Come rain, sleet, or snow, you've got to get your butt outside with pooch a few times a day (unless you really want urine-soaked carpets). What's more, most pet owners say they don't want to let down their exercise-starved doggy at walk time. It's another version of rule number 2. 

 

 

 

Make A Promise

It's really hard to blow off a commitment you've made to lots of people. If you join an athletic event to raise money and you default on your training, you're not just letting yourself down but also the charity and everyone who sponsored you. Go to stepbystep-fundraising.com and click on "Athletic Events" to find one near you. (Triathlon, anyone?) Some groups (below) even provide free coaching. 

 

Score Some Free Stuff

 

There's no motivation like saving money. And since insurance providers want you to stay healthy so you don't develop expensive diseases like diabetes, some offer perks that make getting fit easier. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, for example, gives its members discounts to certain gyms and free consultations with a dietitian. Check with your provider.