Sometimes all we need is a little push.....Part 3

 Yesterday, I finished up by talking about changing your diet. Today I am going to focus on making changes not just in your diet but throughout your life.

Weight loss is a lifestyle change so it is important to look beyond your weight loss. Set yourself goals to change things in your life that will make you feel better and be healthier. However pace yourself. Do not

make drastic lifestyle changes overnight. Every week or two, pick one goal and try to implement the changes into your life. My list includes;

• Exercise at least three times a week
• Give up fizzy drinks
• Cut down on wheat products
• Snack on fruit or light healthy snacks to prevent hunger pangs
• Up protein to maximise points instead of treats
• Have two low calorie days to help kick metabolism
• Cut down on sugar
• Drink green tea or hot water when feeling hungry between meals
• Increase fibre 
• Switch to wholewheat products

Dump the black clothes. Are you like me and wear baggy, comfortable clothes? Are those clothes mainly black? I know mine are. Wearing bold colours will give you the confidence you need and no matter what weight you are you deserve to feel good. You have to remember that you are doing this. You are losing the weight and making good changes in your life. You do not need to wait until you achieve goal to wear the red dress you always wanted to. Shop around, try the clothes on and buy a red dress that fits you properly and suits your figure. You will be amazed at how good you will feel.

If you do WW from home and you are struggling then find a family member or a friend that you trust. Make them your WW leader. Every week you have to tell them your weight loss. Make yourself accountable to them. This will make it easier for you to stay on track and hopefully give you the fear to motivate you.

Focus on the good and not the bad. So you have had a bad day, big deal. Ask yourself what did you do right? You only had one bar instead of two. That in itself is an achievement and you should focus on that. Positivity is so important for your weight loss journey.

 

Lacking motivation to exercise? I find that planning exercise in advance can help motivate you to exercise. I find that it is the initial push to

get up and start the exercise that I lack motivation. Once I start, I fly through it
and I love it. I always feel so much better after it. This is why planning really helps me, as if I have it planned, it feels like I have to do the exercise.

Sleep is so important. If you are tired you are going to lack motivation and are prone to giving up. Make sure you are getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night. It really will help you get motivated.

Browse the internet for weight loss stories to help inspire you. You are not alone and there are so many others who have gone through what you have. By reading their stories you will muster up the motivation you need to continue your journey.

This may sound counter-productive but if you are lacking in motivation, take a week off from WW. Sometimes stressing and worrying about losing weight can cause you to plateau. A break can allow you time

to think about why you are doing this and what you want at the end of the journey. It can make you realise the importance of losing weight and why giving up is not an option. Sometimes a blow out is what you need to motivate you to get back on track. It is so important, though, that you do actually get back on track. One week is sufficient. Any longer and you risk never coming back!

This is easier said than done but STAY OFF THE SCALES. You only need to weigh yourself once a week. You may say to yourself that weighing yourself regularly is a great motivator. I used to think this but it is perfect if you are down but, if you are up or have stayed the same, then it can demotivate you.  This happened to me only yesterday when I stepped on the scale that morning and saw that I had not changed. This was after being perfect the day before. I do know that my weight is not going to drop overnight however it still put me off. I found myself that evening nearly throwing the towel in. I got over it though. The only problem is I cannot put the scales away as other people use it and I got given out to the last time I tried to put them away. I need to learn to walk past them instead of stepping on them.

If you feel like you are about to quit, you need to ask yourself one question; will I be better off? If the answer

is yes then by all means go ahead. If the answer is no then you need to slowly get your head back in the game. You will not lose the weight if you are not in the right frame of mind. You may lose a bit initially but either you will give up or the scales will. This will not happen overnight and you need to give yourself time. As I said before, take it one day at a time. If you have a bad day, then forget about it and move on.

That is a lot of information to process so I am going to leave you with some very simple and basic tips. If you start to have cravings or are bored, start planning your goal wardrobe. Go for a walk, do some exercise or simply go into another room. Go for a drive and listen to some music but leave the purse at home. Getting past your cravings are essential for staying motivated.