How to Easily Motivate Yourself to Lose Weight

If you have made a commitment to lose weight, you are in for a long haul. Don't be discouraged. You will probably start to see results within a few months. But you will need patience and perseverance. If you want to keep in shape for the rest of your life, you must pay attention to your weight and fitness for the rest of your life. I think of being addicted to food the same as you would think of being addicted to smoking or alcohol. Once you become a food addict, you should always think of yourself as a food addict. When you make the decision to get in shape, consider it the first day of a whole new life.

Three years ago, I was very fat and I couldn't find any clothes that looked good on me. I was so fat that I was embarrassed to been seen. I would wear baggy clothes so that no one could tell just how fat I was. Often, I would wish that I were invisible so that no one could see me.

I finally got tired of being fat, and decided to take control of my life. I had to face the fact that I was responsible for my situation. I decided that I wanted to drastically change my diet to cut out all unnecessary fats. I also wanted to start a serious workout schedule. Today, I weigh 175. I haven't reached my ideal weight yet, but I feel a lot better about myself. I have a lot more energy, and I'm a lot more active. People sometimes tell me that I'm like a completely different person.

What motivated me was that I wanted to be fit so much, I was willing to make the sacrifices to get in shape. I looked forward to a future where I would look good. I decided that I didn't want to just lose weight, I wanted to be an athlete. I wanted to make a complete transformation. So, I made my workouts a priority. I would schedule workouts throughout the week, and I would treat them as appointments. When I had to go to the gym after work, I would go before I did anything else. I may have made a couple of mistakes though. First, I put too much of my self worth into my weight. If I missed one workout out of the four that I had scheduled for the week, I would feel awful. I would even become seriously depressed over missing a workout. Second, I did this alone. Usually, the experts will tell you that you should have a workout buddy. These two mistakes are things I do even today. I manage to get results, but if you are having problems with motivation, you may want to consider working out with a friend.

1. Workout with a friend. I once heard a proverb that said you should always travel with a friend. That way, when one stumbles, the other can help them up. We all go through peaks and valleys in our motivation. When you aren't feeling motivated, your friend can help you through the rough spot. Also, if you have an appointment to workout with a friend, you have the added pressure to stick to your workout schedule.
2. Keep focused on your goal. Imagine what it would be like to be thin. Imagine how you will feel. Imagine what you will do with all the new energy you have. You have to keep focused on the positive. When you don't feel like going to the gym, think of the results you will achieve.Keep track of your achievements. You are dieting and exercising for a reason. Think of the pounds you lost, or the extra weight you can lift.
3. Break your goals down into manageable steps. For instance, don't just say "I want to lose 50 pounds and run a 10 minute mile." Break these goals down in to smaller steps. For instance, in the next six months, you can plan to lose 10 pounds and actually be able to jog a mile. When you make a number of smaller accomplishments, you feel good about yourself because you can think about what you HAVE accomplished, not what you have NOT accomplished.
4. Be sure to reward yourself when you have achieved a goal. Perhaps you can go shopping. Or you may decide to check out a new ski resort or beach. Just be careful about rewarding yourself with food.
5. Make time to workout. Often, you have to specifically plan to workout in order to do it. How can you fit it into your day? I will generally arrange most of my other plans around my plans to workout.