Stay motivated while building healthy habits

It feels good to start a healthy habit , but what is even better is maintaining the motivation to keep that habit.

Keep reading for a few tips on how to stay motivated while you build your healthy habits.

After gaining weight for years,suddenly you decide it is time to start a healthy life ,so you plan to start dieting, weight training, cardio, flexibility, yoga, you plan to get stronger, faster, fitter, and leaner.

In the euphoria of a fresh burst of motivation you commit to too many goals which ends up distracting you, putting too much pressure on your budding enthusiasm and on your still frail physique

The best way is to focus on one goal, like losing 10 pounds during the coming six months and stick with it

Once you reach that goal you may add another for example add more weights to your bodybuilding routine. The key is to master one territory before entering another battle field.

This is the way to build healthy habits for life.

How to stay positive ? Set realistic achievable goals, yes they should stretch you a little bit but not too much. Stay clear from crash diets . A realistic weight loss goal would be 1-2 pounds per week which is sometimes a little bit challenging .The important thing is to keep moving in the same direction .Sometimes there will be backsliding but this is a natural part of the transformation process , it is OK to take one step back if you will follow with 2 steps forward.

When you set realistic goals that you can actually achieve, you will be adding successes under your belt and in no time you will have your own weight loss success story.

Choose activities that you enjoy , the options are endless; indoor, outdoor, dance classes, weight training, spin class , cardio etc. .Start with a simple routine that you are committed to and do with enthusiasm .Remember you are doing this to enjoy life more so there is no need to be miserable during your weight loss challenge.

To stay motivated to exercise, start with easy exercises that you can master without too much difficulty, as walking, cycling ,swimming or any other exercises for burning fat .As for weight training it may be better to start with exercise machines . Although every body praises free weights , they need more control and experience, this is why I recommend starting with machines . Most frustrations come from attempting a difficult routine that your body is too fragile to handle.

To stay motivated to work out ,start with 30 minutes and as you get stronger and fitter build more duration. It is easier to stick to a short routine both physically and psychologically .You can talk your self into a 30 minute walk much easier than a 60 or 90 minute marathon, and the shorter workout will be easier on your body which allows you to get back to the gym soon which is a key factor in habit building.

If you really want to maintain your weight loss motivation you must progress slowly , don’t try to push too fast, give your body time to assimilate the new challenges. If you are trying a new sport that you are not familiar with give your self enough time to learn the ropes before challenging your self.

Variety is the spice of life and it is an essential part of fitness; first it keeps boredom away and keeps you motivated .Second it keeps the ugly plateau away as your body is kept guessing. Once your body knows what comes next it gets less responsive

Success leaves tracks .Read weight loss success stories, it is easier to follow a routine that you see someone else following . You will also learn some weight loss tricks from your role models

Every body is unique, don’t compare to others, it can lead to frustration. Make your goal to progress compared to yourself and keep a log to document it and stay on track .Log you physique changes as well as your fitness and strength changes

For many people an exercise partner is a great support .A partner will motivate you, will coax and push you , and you will be accountable to each other

Build the habit of documenting your workouts and body measurements . There are many onlie weight loss trackers . Alternatively you can use a simple notebook to track your progress .This simple 5 minutes daily action has many benefits. It will show you how fast your body is changing. Looking at the timeline and seeing how far you have gone is a great confidence boast .And knowing that you will be sitting to write down will keep you from making mistakes

Keep it fun by adding pictures , comments ,remarks and dress sizes and son on.

Join forums and blogs, There are many online weight loss support groups .Read books and magazines . The simple act of daily exposure to your fitness goals will keep the fire on.

Motivation is like sea waves there are high moments and low ones, so if your motivation drops , just wait for the second high and start applying some of these techniques to get you back up sooner.