Keep Your Weight Loss Resolutions: Steps to Help You Find Motivation and Achieve Results

Although there is a definite jump in weight loss resolutions at the beginning of each year, millions of people make these promises to themselves all the time. But, as most people have discovered, starting the weight loss process can be difficult and daunting. The success rate is less than ten percent despite the number of people joining gyms in hopes of achieving ambitious health goals.

So how can you achieve your long-term goals? Remember that long-term weight loss is a function of lifestyle changes that result in a healthier you. As easy as it sounds, changing your daily routine can be one of the most difficult challenges of your life. Most of us follow our usual routines without even thinking about it. Trying to change these daily rituals causes more discomfort than most people realize. As a result, people often fall back into their comfort zones and wonder why they failed.

By committing to weight loss, you commit to change. You need to realize that long-term weight loss requires you to adapt new behaviors that incorporate what you eat and how you move. These can be drastic changes if your diet consists of sugary, fried foods in front of a television. Since making big changes can be daunting, make small changes instead. Long-term goals should be broken down into smaller steps. Don’t look at all the changes you will make over the next year. Look instead at the changes you will make today and tomorrow.

Here are some suggestions to help you maintain (and achieve!) your weight loss goals:

Write down your goals: Make a written list of what you want to accomplish. Write down your long-term goals first and post them somewhere where you can refer to them regularly. Then, write down short-term goals that will help you work through each day.

· Baby steps – Don’t be too ambitious with short-term goals. Make sure they are realistic and achievable. You need to walk a mile before you can run six. Start by going to the gym and go from there. If you live in the suburbs, use the resources in your community, whether you have tennis courts or a walking trail, these are easy ways to help you meet other people who can motivate you to lose weight. You should also choose an activity that you enjoy.

· Small changes – Don’t think you’re going to change everything in one day. Comfort zones and habits are hard to change. Make small changes at a time. Once you get used to those changes, start incorporating new ones into your life. Start by eating baked fish instead of fried chicken, or start taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Making one change at a time will help them stick. And, for long-term weight loss, you need these changes to stick.

Equipment: You must ensure that you are well equipped to perform the desired exercise. heart rate monitors [http://www.myonesource.com/articles/127/1/The-Secret-to-Losing-Weight/Page1.html] It’ll help you maximize your calorie- and fat-burning workouts (not to mention some of them come with GPS to help you map your course and plot points!) and proper clothing keeps you safe and healthy during activity. Expensive gear isn’t necessarily better, but spending money on gear can help motivate you to use it.

Detox and cleansing rituals [http://www.myonesource.com/articles/134/1/Detox-and-Cleansing-Programs—What-and-Why/Page1.html] – These short-term programs can help cleanse your system and leave you feeling “cleaner” and healthier within a few days. Although they are not designed for weight loss, they can help jump-start weight loss programs by making you feel lighter and more energized.

Be accountable to someone: Exercise buddies are great for weight loss. You are more likely to do an activity if there is someone who needs you and vice versa. Whether you recruit a friend or hire a professional trainer, you’re more likely to find the motivation to leave your home or office if you run into someone. If you don’t have any, then set up a calendar or schedule at home or at the gym that gives you set times (and therefore a routine) to work out.

Weight loss requires discipline, but it is not impossible. By taking small steps and realizing that weight loss is a life change rather than a short-term goal, you’ll begin to create a healthier, leaner version of you.