5 Tips to Stay Motivated When You Are Not Losing Weight

Sometimes there are periods during you weight loss journey when you stop losing weight. This can happen for a variety of reasons. To help you during those times here are 5 tips you can use to help keep you motivated.

1. Be Patient - Remember, weight loss takes time! And, stressing out over it will actually cause your cortisol levels to rise making it harder for you to lose weight, and it can even make you gain weight. Instead, focus on journaling, eating healthy, and keeping up a good exercise routine.

2. Be Realistic - It's important to set reasonable goals that you can attain from week to week.  Setting unrealistic goals like losing 10 pounds in one week will set you up for failure. To start, try setting smaller goals like journaling daily, drinking your water, and being active.  You can work up from there. To help you get started schedule an appointment with a health professional like us!

3. Remember Your Why - Think about why you started this journey in the first place. Was it your health? Or did you want more energy? Maybe you wanted to feel better in your clothes. Perhaps you wanted to be a good role model for your children. Those reasons that got you started are important. Use those reasons to drive you forward when things become challenging.

4. Challenge Yourself - Perhaps you have hit a plateau? Or, maybe you have become bored with your routine.  Those are indicators that you need to change things up!  Why not try a new activity, or increase the intensity or length of time spent on an activity you already love! Pushing yourself with help you make progress.

5. Be Positive - Try talking to yourself the way you would talk to a friend.  Use kind and positive words to give yourself a boost.  Remember, negative words just send you on a downward spiral. While you are working on your own positive self talk, be sure to surround yourself with people who support your efforts. Don't forget to keep your appointments with the health professional you are seeing as they are another source of encouragement.

Try applying these tips above and see how things change! 

Reference: Robard, January 2018, 5 Tips to Keeping Patients Motivated When They're Not Losing Weight, http://robard.com/blog/post/2018/01/17/5-tips-to-keep-patients-motivated-when-they-re-not-losing-weight.aspx