“If you’re sick of starting over, stop giving up.”
We’ve all been there; making promises to ourselves that this time if for real and this last cookie the last one. But it never is for real and there are always many more cookies to follow. What is it about losing weight that makes it so hard to stick to?
I was a yoyo-dieter all throughout high school and have recently lost 25 pounds – and kept it off. The secret? Consistency.
Falling off the bandwagon one too many times can be disheartening and make you want to give up on your fitness goals all together, but trust me, the longer you keep pushing through, the easier it gets.
Here are some tips that helped me stay committed to my fitness journey and keep the weight off for good.
1. Set mini goals
Saying “I’m going to lose 30 pounds by summer” can be an incredibly overwhelming task. Try setting mini goals for yourself like losing 2 pounds a month.
2. Don’t make it all about weight
This is the trick that finally got me to commit to fitness. “Looking hot” was never a motivating enough reason to get me to go to the gym or stop eating chocolate. So instead, I started making goals based around performance and overall health like being able to squat 225 pounds or drinking a gallon of water a day. Seeing progress in other areas motivated me to keep going to the gym and weight loss ended up being just an added bonus.
3. Track your progess without the scale
The scale never, ever tells the whole story. The scale can fluctuate several times a day based on your water and sodium intake so it’s important not to solely rely on it to track your progess. Instead, take monthly progress photos and use the tightness of your favourite pair of jeans to determine your progess.
4. Share your journey
Another thing that helped me a lot during my weight loss journey was sharing my progress with like minded people. These days there’s a huge fitness community on social media that is eager to offer support and advice. Having others to motivate you and keep you accountable will make sticking to your goals a lot easier!
5. Let yourself live life
Don’t let you weight loss journey ruin the fun of living you life. Don’t skip out on dinner with your friends because you’re scared to eat out and don’t say no to a family outing because you can’t miss a workout. While dedication is important, you need to make sure you give yourself an opportunity to live your life normally. So go out and enjoy some dessert with your friends and then just get right back in the gym tomorrow.