The bad news is that you won’t always feel motivated to lose weight and exercise.
The good news is that there are ways to stay on the correct trajectory to lose weight and exercise.
The main point of difference here is to be consistent even on the days you don’t feel like it. I’ve had the absolute best workouts when I’ve been tired, no idea why, but I’ve just hit my groove and smashed it out.
This has now gotten me into a great mindset – if I feel tired, I go to the gym. It never fails. No idea if tehre’s any science behind it or what, I just run with it (pun intended)
But if you just show up to the gym for your work out, you put your shoes on for your walk, or you meal prep your food. You’re doing one better than those people who did nothing.
You might not have liked the work out, it could feel like a waste of time, however just by showing up you have stuck to the plan and you’re 1 step closer to making the action a habit.
You can probably get what I’m getting at. Consistency really is the key to what you might see in others as strong will-power or motivation. But just like you even on their off days they had to just show up.
Most people are not naturally motivated to lose weight and continuously to do the hard work day in and day out. And that is absolutely fine.
We don’t need to be 100% on the abll 100% of the time. But if you have goals to lose weight and exercise to become healthy or look a certain way then you will only get there with consistency.
Like we say there is good news, we have tips on how to make consistency simple and maintain your ‘motivation’ even if there are times you are struggling.
7 Habits to Lose Weight and Exercise
- Make a habit out of the steps you need to take. Habits are usually done at a similar time of day and are done multiple times a week. If your goal for example includes cardio training you could pick a group fitness class you the same time each day you train. The key is for it to be something you mainly enjoy, and is easy to get to. Check out our Habit Tracker
- Get a partner in crime aka an accountability partner. Friends or family members with similar goals make the best accountability partners. If you don’t have someone in your life like that then you could employ a personal trainer to check in with your progress either weekly, fortnightly or monthly. This could include progress photos and measurements taken. Lets face it, you don’t want to let your friend down who’s waiting at the park for your workout.
- No doubt you’ve make some goals. That’s why you’re here reading about staying motivated. But are your goals smart?
S.M.A.R.T stands for:
Specific; Clear, very absolute.
Measurable; Can your progress be tracked?
Attainable; are you able to take the steps required?
Realistic; avoid stress by making it easier to achieve.
Time-bound; A date helps you focus.
Here’s an example: I will lose 15lbs by September (15 weeks away), I will do this by being in a slight calorie deficit following my MAP nutrition plan and working out for 45 mins 5 days a week. I will check in weekly with my personal trainer to remain honest with my progress.
- Do you visit your goals daily? Keep your goals clear in your head. Do you say them out loud? Take a few minutes per day to review your goals and record your progress. Did you stick to your meal plan? Did you get your workout in. Did you take your USANA Cellsentials? Have you taken a progress photo, or measurements? We have a downloadable daily planner on the home page that you can print off and use to track your progress.
- Habit stack. If you want to start a new positive action with the goal of it being a habit for good, then you could ‘stack’ it was a habit that is already so firmly fixed in your life so that it just piggy backs into your routine. For example if you want to get a pre-work out shake into your schedule before an evening work out by struggle to find the time between getting home from work and going to the gym with enough time for it to digest. We’d suggest you drink it during your daily commute habit.
- Reward yourself when you hit your smaller goals. Are you giving yourself enough credit when you do stay motivated to lose weight and exercise? If you’ve had a perfect month of hitting your targets and staying on track that has resulted in movement towards your goal maybe it’s time for a treat (preferably non-food). Like new workout shoes, a new item of clothing, a haircut, or a massage, coffee date with a old friend. Adding these reward targets along the way keep you motivated when there is something to look forward to each step of the way.
- Keep it fresh. boredom is a killer of motivation. Yes you need to be consistent. But new additions that support your routine can help you look forward to things. We’re talking about creating a new playlist to listen to during your workout, a fancy new drink bottle to keep you on track of your water intake, new gym clothing, taking a new workout class or online video class, trying a new recipe if it fits your plan, reading a new book before bed instead of looking at your phone.
These are just some of our favourite ways stay motivated to lose weight and exercise.
Need more than 7 tips? Check our other
10 Top Tips For Losing Weight It’s not always easy, but it can be simple if you choose not to overthink it.
You can stay motivated with the proper tools and a positive mindset. It’s important to find what motivates you to stay consistent because that’s what is important for long-term weight loss and health success.