6 Weight Loss Motivation Tips

Equip yourself with these 6 weight loss motivation tips to stay on target with your weight loss goals. Motivation is responsible for you starting a diet or weight loss plan, and it helps to tap into that motivation during the dieting process to keep you focused and energized.

Dieting can be disheartening when results don't meet expectations. One way to avoid disillusionment is to set achievable goals. Achievable means you have control over results. For instance, if you set a goal to lose ten pounds in a month, you don't really have the power to be sure that goal is reached. While you may reach that goal, chances are you may not. The problem with this type of goal is that if you lose 8 pounds, according to your goal, you've failed.

A better goal would be, "Eat 1200-1500 calories a day" or "I'm going to limit myself to 20 - 50 g of carbs per day." Gradual weight loss will result from these goals, and you have control! Each day you achieve the goal, it will bolster your motivation.

Another way to stay motivated is to eliminate comfort and trigger foods from your kitchen. Replace them with a supply of alternatives. If you know you will reach for chips or cookies when you're stressed or bored, don't buy them. Stress is a fact of life. By eliminating comfort and trigger foods from the kitchen you increase your chances of making better choices. These kinds of victories keep you motivated.

Sticking to a diet is like a battle. It's a war between your old habits and the new lifestyle you're trying to cultivate. Learn to recognize the times when you're weakest and develop a way to strengthen your defenses by establishing an alternative habit. For instance, if you know that mid-afternoon is a time where snacking can turn into binging, come up with a way to change it. Establish a new habit like going for a 20 minute walk at 2:00, or making it a habit to call a friend at that time of the day. Learning to recognize your weaknesses and creating a strength to replace it can help keep you motivated.

Read books and stories written by others who have successfully lost weight and have kept it off. Experiencing others' ups and downs, struggles, consequences and final victory over the battle of the bulge can help you stay focused and motivated.

Visual motivators differ from one person to another. For instance, some people can cut out a magazine picture of a fit person and put it on their refrigerator as a reminder of their ultimate goal. While this motivates some people, it can undermine motivation for some dieters when they are feeling fat. Here are some other popular visual motivators:

• Find a picture of yourself when you weighed less and post this on the refrigerator instead
• Pull out that pair of skinny jeans as a reminder that you will be able to wear them again
• Chart your weight loss on a graph
• Take a before picture and each six weeks take an update photo
• Track your inches lost

Weight Watchers is a well-known weight loss plan that uses meetings to help keep members motivated. Joining with others who want to lose weight can help keep you motivated as progress and ideas are shared. Online support groups are also available for people who don't have time to go to scheduled meetings. These sites offer a number of tools to keep you motivated and focused.

• Spark People: A free online weight loss plan that offers tools to help you reach your goals.
• Weight Watchers Online: Designed with the busy people in mind. If you don't have time to go to Weight Watchers' meetings, this online resource provides another option to get the support and advice you need.
• Fit Day: Provides a free online food journal that lets you track calories, foods, progress and more.

No matter what weight loss plan you choose to follow, talk with your doctor before you start to ensure it is the right approach for you. Your doctor knows your medical history and can help guide you in choosing the best way for you to lose that unwanted belly fat or slim those hips and thighs.