How to Stick to a Weight Loss Plan

Maintaining a weight loss plan takes strategy, discipline, and continuous motivation. This is especially true when your goal seems distant. When your enthusiasm begins to wane, try one of these tips and psychological tricks to keep yourself on track. These suggestions are effective because they break up the monotony of routine, keep you focused, and help you to celebrate the smaller victories on the way to your ultimate destination. Treat yourself well and you will feel better about yourself. When you feel better about yourself, you will want to look your best and do more to safeguard your health.

Instructions

1. Enlist the support of a fitness buddy. When you have the support of like-minded individuals, you are more likely to succeed. Be sure to mark your victories with a weekly non-food treat.

2. 

   Invest in your new lifestyle. Treat yourself to a new outfit to exercise in or a new yoga mat. Sometimes having new gear can add excitement.

3. 

   Resist boredom. Keep your daily menus healthy, but varied and new. Instead of denying yourself a favorite food, allow yourself to enjoy smaller amounts less often. If your exercise routine seems too routine, change it slightly. One way to do this is to switch your regular treadmill or elliptical workout for a run outdoors or a long walk in the fresh air. If you do yoga indoors, do it out by the pool for a change. Do you normally swim for exercise? Try playing ball with your kids for an hour instead.

4. 

   Think well of yourself. Change negative self-talk to positive self-encouragement. Give yourself the same consideration you would give a cherished friend. Learn to become your own cheering section instead of your own worst critic. When you're struggling to complete a long run, tell yourself that you will make it and remind yourself of when you couldn't run well at all.

5. Have a restaurant strategy. Most restaurants serve massive portions. Either fill up on salad as your first course and take half of your entrée home, or order two smaller appetizers as your meal. If you indulge in dessert, cut back slightly the next day to allow for the previous evening's indulgence.

Tips & Warnings

• When you don't feel like working out, put on your exercise clothes and tell yourself you will only exercise for three to five minutes. Once you start, you will most likely complete the entire workout anyway.

• Never try to exercise with an injury. Certain athletes may train "around" a sprained muscle, but they do so under the watchful eye of trainers and physical therapists. Follow the advice of your physician and give yourself the time you need to recuperate.

Resources

• Click here for more great ways to stick to your fitness plan.