Staying Motivated to Reach Your Health Goals

Are you working towards a health goal? How is your motivation holding up? If you’re not seeing the results you’d hoped for, or you feel your enthusiasm flagging, there are many things you can do to help you stay motivated.

If you’re trying to lose weight, measure your progress in ways other than using a scale:

• If you’re exercising more, you may be increasing muscle mass, which weighs more than fat. Are you using a tape measure too? - Focus on benefits other than weight loss. This is usually a big motivator. Are you experiencing more energy, better sleep, reduced stress, more confidence, fewer aches and pains? - If you’re not losing weight as rapidly as you’d like:

You may have reached a plateau. Realize that those are common and try varying your workout. - Keep in mind that a healthy rate of weight loss is about 1-2 pounds per week. - Take another look at what you’re eating. Are you still frequently eating processed or sugary foods, fast foods, high-calorie beverages, or refined grains? Have you successfully crowded out the less nutritious foods with better choices?

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or working towards another health goal, such as rebuilding your adrenals or addressing chronic inflammation, you’re going to reach a bump in the road every once in a while:

• If you find yourself thinking about eating or doing something you know you shouldn’t and feeling your willpower slipping away, ask yourself, “Will this choice bring me closer to my goal?” - As soon as you tell yourself you can’t have something, you’ll most likely feel deprived and your mind is going to want it more. Don’t completely eliminate your favorite foods, but do limit them. The 90/10 rule is a good one to follow: make healthy choices 90 percent of the time and allow yourself other choices 10 percent of the time. Schedule treats—say, a dessert once a week after Sunday dinner, or a dinner out on date night with your husband or with a group of friends. Be sure to savor the treat! - When you started on this self-improvement project, did you make sure to have support from a caring person? Turn to them when you need encouragement. - If you do slip, don’t let it be an excuse to give up. If you had dessert at lunch, don’t get caught in the trap of thinking, “I already screwed up today. I might as well have some potato chips today too and start over again tomorrow.” Or, if you didn’t have a chance to exercise for a couple of days in a row, don’t give up completely. Remind yourself of your goals and re-commit!