Motivators for Weight Loss Success

Keeping yourself motivated during your weight loss journey can be challenging, even for the most determined person. Working out can get dull and your routine can seem endless when you’ve been on the same route forever. Avoid the pitfalls of discouragement and disenchantment by planning ways to reward yourself for a job well done.

This is the only body you’re going to have, so you must take care of it to have the best life possible. You need to follow a regular workout program but it shouldn’t be a punishment or something you have to force yourself to do. That’s why it’s important to build in regular rewards to maintain your motivation.

If your goal is to lose weight then plan appropriate incentives for smaller goals. If you wait until you’ve lost 20 pounds to give yourself a pat on the back then the journey seems much harder. Plan to give yourself some kind of reward for every five pounds lost - buy a new CD or a DVD of a recently released movie.

Top 3 Quotes on Exercise "True enjoyment comes from activity of the mind and exercise of the body; the two are united." --Alexander von Humboldt "Walking is the best possible exercise." --Thomas Jefferson "Fitness - It it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body." --Cher

Another method is to keep track of how many calories you burn each day and when the total reaches 2000, reward yourself by buying a magazine off the newsstand that you normally wouldn’t purchase. Incentives for your mind and soul are better for you than rewards for the stomach.

On the other hand, when your goal is simply to increase fitness and build muscle strength, set up reward points for lifting or pressing heavier weights, for running two miles instead of one, and for being able to exercise for longer periods of time. Use the same type of incentives – magazines, books and music. Simply the knowledge that you will reward yourself can make workouts feel easier.

An important note to keep in mind is that incentives should match the size of the accomplishment. Buying yourself a new piece of expensive jewelry in return for losing a few pounds will lead either to dissatisfaction with your other incentives or bankruptcy, since you buy more and more jewels.

Instead of going overboard on smaller incentives, reward yourself with an item that you like and enjoy but rarely buy or take yourself to a movie (but skip the concessions stand). If you meet a mid-size goal like running five miles when your ultimate goal is ten, buy some new fitness clothes or take a day off work to relax.

Accomplishing your ultimate goals calls for the biggest, splashiest incentive you want. If you have worked and sweated your way out of thirty pounds or more, take a spa weekend to pamper your beautiful new body! Or if you prepared for a marathon for months and then completed the 26 miles, take a mini-vacation to a nearby scenic retreat and spend your time relaxing and reveling in your accomplishment.

Keeping your weight loss motivation high can be challenging with the demands of everyday life. Adding incentives to encourage you along the way will not only help you reach your weight loss goals faster but will make your life a little sweeter as well.