What are you afraid of when it comes to weight loss? How hard it might be to stick to a diet, the mortifying experience of heading into a gym for the first time or simply staring down the Tim Tams in Aisle 10 at shopping time?
There are many obstacles we subconsciously place in front of our weight loss path, but as Sydney-based personal trainer, Scott Cameron puts it, the fear of the unknown can often be the biggest hurdle. “For someone who has no idea about gyms, exercise, a balanced diet and how to maintain it – and believe me, this is a large proportion of the population – the whole idea of attempting to lose weight can be very scary.”
Forget weighing scales and sneakers; here are some of the most valuable weight loss motivation tools you can carry with you on this journey:
Phone a friend
Attempting an exercise routine or a balanced meal plan is often most successful when done with a friend. This can act as your motivation and conscious if you ever want to skip that walk around the block or slip up and over-eat. A friend can offer support and some kind of structure to a new lifestyle plan. Turn those times of lamenting your love handles over latte’s into action and ‘Walk the talk!’
Ask the Experts
If your budget allows, personal trainers, gyms or local fitness programs – often run through the council – are wonderful ways to set you up on the right exercise path. When it comes to diet, time-tested national programs like Weight Watchers continue to prove to be winners. Rather than fumbling in the dark with low-carb, low-sugar or low-motivational diets, get the facts from the people that know, and set yourself up for success.
Eat Smart
We all know that highly processed foods are false economy. No matter how nice they taste or tempting they are, if there is little nutritional content, all those calories are going to do nothing but settle on your butt. Instead, fuel your body with foods that have had little tampering from earth to eating. A good guideline is to eat as your grandmother would have. This century has seen a flux of fast food and packaged foods that hold no goodness. In our grandparents’ day, none of these existed and obesity was the exception, not the norm. Go further back still to our forefathers for a truly wonderful example of how fruits, vegetables and grains boosted immunity, health and weight-management.
Write It Down
Sometimes, making motivational goals can be the key to meeting them. Set your intent and don’t lose focus. That croissant will never taste as good as dropping a size in jeans will feel down the track! Don’t aim too high as often this will see you give up when you can’t achieve a lot in a little amount of time. Be realistic and kind with yourself. We all slip up, but sometimes when you can read back and reflect on what proved to be your downfall, you are better equipped to overcome it next time.
Get a Move On
Boredom is a massive cause of overeating. When we have too much time to think, we can look to the CC’s for salvation. Don’t’ be idle when it comes to losing weight. Get moving – literally and figuratively – towards your goal. If you are feeling peckish due to sheer boredom, go for a walk, skip rope, do some lunges…anything to get the body moving (away from the fridge). And do it now. Life is short and fortune favours the brave, so face your demons and banish them before you lose motivation.