4 Ways to Hack Your Motivation for Weight Loss

Have you ever experienced losing motivation for your weight loss program months, weeks, or even days after you started? A cross-country study on ‘Patient Motivation to Lose Weight’ revealed that this is pretty common because approximately only 50% with obesity were motivated to lose weight. The researchers emphasized that people go through periods where they lack motivation, which is why it’s crucial to increase your motivation through positive interactions, goal resetting, and self-efficacy building.

It’s normal for motivation to come and go. The important thing is that you’ll know what to do when you feel like giving up on your weight loss goals. So if you want to hack your motivation for weight loss, here are the strategies that can help you out:

Set realistic and achievable goals

You may think that high weight loss expectations can motivate you to exercise harder and eat more healthy foods.

However, research on the Predictors of Attrition from a Weight Loss Program revealed that high expectations of success are one of the significant causes of program drop-outs. The researchers discovered that having unrealistic weight loss goals causes inconsistent results and a lack of motivation over time. So instead of aiming high, set a weight loss goal that’s achievable within your time frame, fitness levels, and personal circumstances. These realistic goals will make you feel like a champion once you accomplish them, thus fueling your drive for your next weight loss milestone.

Make meal prep a quick and easy process

It’s more tempting to order your favorite fast food meal, especially if you have to follow a lot of steps to whip up a healthy dish.

Fortunately, university-qualified nutritionist Jodie Woodward states that incorporating healthy ingredients into your diet doesn’t have to be difficult. You can keep things simple and easy by using canned or frozen vegetables to increase your servings of vegetables every day. Following a meal planning routine can also make this easier because you can schedule easy-to-prepare dishes or even frozen meals during busy time slots.

Find a buddy for your weight loss journey

You may also be losing motivation because dieting and exercising can feel repetitive. To make your routine more exciting, try looking for a buddy who is also going through a weight loss journey.

Company may be just what you need because the weight loss programs at WeightWatchers demonstrate they are much more effective when you are supported by a strong support system that can motivate and educate you. You can find your community by joining virtual workshops for people undergoing weight loss. You can even opt to meet people face-to-face to learn about their diet tips and exercise strategies. By getting yourself out there, you can find buddies for your workouts or even personal cheerleaders when you run out of motivation.

Use a fitness tracking device regularly

Sometimes, you just simply need a physical reminder of your fitness progress and overall health goals for a boost of motivation.

To illustrate, researcher and UniSA PhD candidate Ty Ferguson revealed that wearable activity trackers effectively boost exercise performance across all age groups. These devices encourage people to exercise on a routine basis, which is why users of tracking devices tend to walk up to forty minutes more per day. On top of that, people with fitness trackers have lower blood pressure and cholesterol, making these handy fitness devices a good health investment.

You can boost your motivation for exercise and diets by resetting your approach to weight loss. Likewise, you can find more motivation and inspiration for other pursuits by checking out our articles here at Comprosition. Our health, lifestyle, social life, and mindfulness resources can help you find hacks that will improve your life.