How To Stay Motivated To Lose Weight & Follow Diet

Cindy Wilson Thumbby Cindy Wilson
BS, Dietetics and Nutrition

It’s a struggle that all dieters wrestle with at some point, the power to stay motivated. This is particularly the case for individuals who don’t see consistent progress during their journey to lasting weight loss.

If this is a problem that you know all too well, the following tips are designed to help you stay on course.​

  1. FIND A DIET BUDDY. Not only is having someone else hold you accountable one of the best ways to stay motivated, but they can also offer plenty of support during hard times and someone to celebrate your successes with.
  2. KEEP A FOOD JOURNAL. This will ensure that you hold yourself accountable for every single bite. Also, it will become an excellent resource when you are trying to identify any habits that are preventing you from reaching your weight loss goals.
  3. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CALORIE-TRACKING SOFTWARE. Today, there are plenty of free smartphone apps and website services that make it very easy to track your diet. Several, such as MyFitnessPal have built-in barcode scanners, nutritional charts to help you envisage your success, and recipe analyzers.
  4. THINK ABOUT HIRING A DIETICIAN. If you have spent an extended period struggling with motivation, a dietitian may give you the push you need. For example, they will provide a complete diet plan, along with practical tips to help you follow through.
  5. USE HERBS & SPICES. To enhance the flavors of your food, add herbs and spices. Many offer various health benefits without any added calories.
  6. RESEARCH NEW RECEPIES. Look for new recipes to keep your diet interesting. There are an unlimited number of healthy recipes online to choose from online.
  7. USE NEW VEGETABLES. To make your diet more interesting and enhance your nutrition, add a new vegetable to your diet every week
  8. INVEST IN A COOKING CLASS. If you blame boring foods for your lack of motivation, take a class to learn healthy and tasty recipes.
  9. MAKE DAILY PLANS. Always have a daily plan in place for what you will eat throughout the day. You can keep an outline in your food journal. To make things even easier, you may want to create a plan for an entire week at a time. After a while, you’ll find that choosing healthy snacks and meals are second nature.
  10. CONCENTRATE ON FOOD QUALITY. One way to keep yourself motivated is by thinking about the health benefits you’ll see by eating right, such as weight loss or an enhanced level of energy. Use food with high fiber levels.
  11. PREPARE FOOD UPFRONT. Try to prepare food ahead of time to keep you from slipping back into your bad habits after a busy day. You can store leftovers for weeks in a freezer or cook on Sunday for the upcoming week.
  12. SET GOALS. Set specific daily goals and make every effort to accomplish one goal every day. This doesn’t have to be a huge goal. It can be as simple as choosing fruit yogurt over ice cream or starting the day with a healthy breakfast.

Staying motivated doesn’t have to be an enormous challenge, but it is imperative that you take proactive measures to prevent you from experiencing little motivation or help you bounce back quickly in the event you have a slip-up. Yes, you may still experience bouts of low motivation, especially in the beginning, using the tips above will help you return to your diet plan quickly.

​Keep in mind that just because you may fall off course for a day or two, you can easily get back on track.

And How To Maintain Exercise Motivation?

Like many others, the start of my weight loss journey was marked by my struggles with exercise. Not only was I not an athletic person, but I believed that exercise somehow ‘chose’ the people who did it and not the other way around. Obviously, I was not one of the chosen.

Exercise Motivation

Within the first few weeks of working out, I realized that I had been completely wrong. I, who had always thought of exercise as punishment, began to really enjoy it. If you’re saying, “That’s not going to happen here,” you can rest assured that other people are saying the same thing. Many people refuse to believe they’ll ever get to this point. Why? The reason is simple. it’s because exercise is hard.

Unfortunately, doctors haven’t found anything more medically beneficial than exercise, which means we all have to do it.

Keep in mind that exercise wouldn’t be beneficial if it didn’t challenge you physically and mentally. Although you may hate it, exercise is behind countless weight loss success stories. In addition to causing weight loss by burning fat and boosting your metabolism, while also repairing the liver and other vital organs, exercising has been linked to better brain health in a number of scientific studies.

Do you regularly avoid exercise?​

If you do, it’s time to face the truth. You’re slowing down your progress. After all, by now you know that the key to a sexy, firm body is exercise.

Before you say anything, I know there are women out there who are slim, yet say they never exercise. They may look great (thanks to amazing genetics and crazy diets), but they are often unhealthy and sacrificing their lean muscle to keep their weight down. Anytime you follow a highly restrictive diet that doesn’t provide balanced nutrition, you’ll end up losing lean muscle mass. The truth is that drastically decreasing your caloric intake leaves you with less muscle and more body fat and water.

Does water and body fat sound sexy?​

At least for me, it doesn’t. If your goal is to have a great shape and be fit, exercise, along with a healthy diet, is the key. Of course, you also need to ensure you stay focused on the prize. This is the only way you’ll be able to keep yourself motivated, especially on those days you are sore and tired.

If staying motivated is your greatest struggle, you’re in luck. Here are a few tips designed to help you improve your outlook on exercise.

1. Baby Steps Are Crucial

Yes, you’ve seen books, magazines, and even TV shows that profile people who have lost weight by working out several hours a day, every day of the week. Stay away from these people and while you’re at it, do not set ridiculous fitness goals for yourself. Both will cause you to quickly lose motivation.

Instead, focus on yourself and what you can comfortably accomplish based on your current level of fitness.

2. Stop Feeling Guilty​

When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to be realistic. If you had to go a day or two without exercising because you simply couldn’t do it, don’t feel guilty. Just pick yourself up and keep working toward accomplishing your goal.

3. Keep a Fitness Journal​

Journaling is a great way to stay motivated. Write down the different exercises you’ve completed each day, as well as your thoughts and feelings about the entire process. Are you sitting at home and think of an amazing workout idea? Write it down in your journal. It’s also a good idea to keep a food diary to track how your food choices are improving during your journey.

4. Develop a Strong Support Network​

Having friends and family who understand and support your goals and limitations will prove to be invaluable. Keep in mind that weight loss is often an emotional rollercoaster. There will be times when you want to give up. When you feel this way, reach out to your support group. They should be able to tell you exactly what you need to hear to keep you on the right track to weight loss.

5. Be Your Own Fitness Star

Just Do It Motivation

​Do not compare yourself to others who may be stronger/ faster/ fitter. Focus on enhancing your own strength, while also enjoying your workouts, even if they aren’t perfect. Always remember that exercise isn’t about being perfect. Instead, focus on the real goals of exercise. It’s all about burning calories and making your body stronger and fitter than ever before.

About Author

Cindy Wilson Thumb
BS, Nutrition & Food Science | Connect with on LinkedIn
Cindy Wilson

Hello, I am Cindy, and this a website where I inspect everything related to nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. I have a BS in Dietetics and Nutrition (Kansas State University) and have completed a dozen specialty courses related to nutrition, biochemistry, and food science. I am open to learning more, but foremost I would like to share all my knowledge with you.

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