2 Great Techniques for Getting Motivated for Weight Loss…..pt. 2

Recently I wrote about how just 2 techniques – Positive Public Pressure and Putting Enjoyment into your activity – could be all that you need to get and stay motivated for weight loss. I covered Positive Public Pressure in detail, so now will focus on how to put enjoyment into your goal activity.

The idea of going on a diet and exercising for weight loss may not appeal to you at all. Ideally to make it easier you should stop and think and choose a diet and exercise that you will enjoy the most. Of course the critical thing is that the diet and exercise you choose is safe and effective for weight loss. There is not much point in enjoying it but getting no results! The enjoyment will run out pretty fast.

If however you can find something that you really enjoy then the only other option is to put enjoyment into what you have to do. It is possible with a little thought to put some enjoyment into everything. This is a great skill because you can make the most difficult and boring things into something interesting and enjoyable. There are many ways of doing this. Here are a few ideas to help you.

Exercise – You could find an exercise buddy to train with. Get an ipod and listen to your favourite music while exercising. Listen to an audio book on your favourite hobby while exercising. Join a walking/jogging group. Find a more interesting or scenic walking/jogging route. Try a variety of activities like cycling, rowing, cross-trainer or stair-master. Track times and distances and set personal records and try to beat them. If you do not like weights then try body resistance exercises instead. Focus on the freedom of walking and jogging with the wind in your face and the rare ‘time for yourself’ that it gives you. Maybe it is listening to the nature that surrounds you that will change your view of the activity and your enjoyment! A little probing and analysis could make a huge difference to how you feel and hence your motivation.

Diet – If you struggle to do a diet consistently every day then you could do your diet on a day on day off basis – being super strict one day and just reasonably ‘good’ the next day. You could try new foods or recipes while dieting. You could focus on the opportunity to try new grains, fruit or vegetables and to find out more about what nutrients they contain. You could focus on incorporating specific anti-aging foods (see next Issue) into your diet and the fact that you are not just losing weight but also turning back the clock a little! Think about your diet as being the fuel for everything you do, it is your power source, your energy and your very existence. You could think about the fact that your food feeds your brain and determines your mood and attitude. Good balanced food gives good balanced brain chemistry! The bottom line is that there are many ways of dealing with and viewing your diet – you need to seek out the ones that best motivate you.

I’m certain with a little effort you can find many more ways to make your dieting or exercising more fun. Positive Public Pressure and Putting Enjoyment into Your Goal Activity are 2 amazing motivation techniques and could be all you need to make sure you stay the course every time. Now try them and see!