How to Motivate Yourself to Lose Weight in 5 Easy Steps

You wake up, look in the mirror and realize you’ve gained a few pounds. You tell yourself, “Time to cut back! This time I really mean it!” So, maybe you skip breakfast, eat a salad for lunch and cook a mix of veggies and chicken for dinner, nibbling on protein bars and sipping smoothies during the day. Within a few days, you may find yourself in front of the TV with a pint of ice cream or a bag of chips.

Sound familiar? For so many dieters, the cycle repeats.

It’s time to wake up and get real on long-term plans for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Maybe weight loss motivation isn’t the only problem. Confidence, accountability and support are also key factors in losing weight. Allow me to help with your motivation for weight loss: You can do it, and here’s how!

1. Pace yourself – Sometimes we start with such mighty force that we forget that we are humans and not robots. Also, it probably took a while to put on the extra weight, so it’s going to take time to get rid of it. My best advice is to go slow and easy so you can stay on course for the length of your journey.
2. Find support – Consider getting a trainer or a weight loss partner to keep you motivated and accountable. Sometimes finding a trainer or simply one of your family members or a friend is all you need to keep you going the distance. One study, published in Obesity, demonstrated that people who combined a behavioral weight loss program with health coaching were more likely to have a successful weight loss outcome.
3. Keep records – Snap photos and write down everything you are eating throughout the day. This is an easy and successful method to keep you aware of everything you are consuming. You may want to take it further and send the photos and records of your food intake to your dietitian. It will help hold you accountable and motivated to keep up with your weight loss plan.
4. Set a reward system – Nothing motivates people more than getting rewarded for their hard work achievements. Once you set a realistic goal, then immediately set rewards for each milestone. For example, if you set a goal for losing five pounds, then take the day trip, buy the shoes or go celebrate with your friends or family once you reach that goal. Try to celebrate in ways that do not promote overeating.
5. Keep it delicious and fun – Please don’t completely deprive yourself! As part of your weight loss motivation, learn to prepare or find satisfying healthy foods and recipes. If you enjoy sweet taste, I recommend preparing and cooking recipes with Splenda Sweeteners in place of sugar whenever possible. Your family and friends are sure to love these delicious recipes and probably won’t even notice the smart swap you have made.

Some of my favorite Splenda recipes:

Citrus Glazed Chicken with Almonds Recipe
(using Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated)

Layered Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe
(using Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated)

Chocolate Pudding Cake Recipe
(using Splenda Sugar Blend)

Cool Mint and Orange Tea Recipe
(using Splenda Naturals Stevia Sweetener)

Find more delicious recipes with less added sugars.

While it’s true that you are going to have to make some changes to your eating for weight management, be mindful that if you constantly deprive yourself, your plan won’t last more than a few days or weeks. The key is balance and thoughtful food choices. This will help with weight loss motivation that lasts a lifetime!

I have been compensated for my time by Heartland Food Products Group, the maker of Splenda Sweetener Products. All statements and opinions are my own. I have pledged to Blog with Integrity, asserting that the trust of my readers and the blogging community is vitally important to me.

Written by Sylvia Meléndez Klinger, MS, RD, LDN, CPT

Sylvia is founder of Hispanic Food Communications, Inc., a nutrition and food communications consulting company. A Hispanic native who is a leading expert in cross-cultural Hispanic cuisine as it relates to nutrition and health, Sylvia uses her in-depth culinary and cultural expertise to introduce new strategies for wellness to an increasingly health-conscious Hispanic population. For more than a decade, Sylvia has been a consultant for major food, beverage and pharmaceutical companies and non-profit organizations.