How to Stay Motivated When Losing Weight

  • Smoking marijuana or cigarettes can decrease your motivation to change your life.
  • Surrounding yourself with people who are also losing weight will also help you lose more weight.
  • Studies show that wearing a fitness tracker isn’t helpful for weight loss.

If you’re straying from your fitness journey yet again, we’re here to help get you back on track. Below are some science-backed ways to help you lose more weight.

1. Stop Using Models as Inspiration

If you use a photo of a thin model to inspire you to lose weight, it can bring you more harm than good. According to a December 2012 study published in the International Journal of Research in Marketing, women who used weight loss diaries with photos of a skinny model didn’t lose weight. Some even gained weight. Meanwhile, the women who didn’t see the skinny model photos on their journals lost weight.

2. Put Your Money on it

A 2013 Mayo Clinic study suggests that money can be a motivator for weight loss. Weight loss group participants who had financial incentives, like cash rewards for hitting weight loss targets or having to pay if they fail to achieve their goal, lost 9.08 pounds. The participants who were not given financial incentives only lost 2.34 pounds.

3. Find a Workout Buddy

According to a University of Pennsylvania study that observed 217 graduate students enrolled in free exercise classes at the campus gym, having a workout pal improved gym attendance, compared to only receiving motivational videos and infographics with fitness tips.

4. Lay off the Marijuana

A study from Imperial College London published in July 2013 found that long-term use of marijuana leads to reduced production of dopamine, a brain chemical linked to motivation. But this effect can be reversed if you stop smoking and using marijuana.

5. Quit Smoking Cigarettes

A study that appeared in Respirology found that smokers become less active and lazier because they lack the motivation to change.

6. Hang Out with Other People Losing Weight

A study published in the Obesity journal found that participants who shed at least 5% of their initial body weight were clustered on the same teams. The researchers came up with the conclusion that being surrounded by people who have similar goals can be beneficial for your weight loss efforts.

7. Don’t Rely on Your Fitness Tracker

According to a study from the University of Pittsburgh, activity monitors aren’t reliable aid tools for weight loss. The researchers found that after two years, the participants who wore trackers and joined a behavioral weight-loss program lost 7.7 pounds, while those who didn’t wear trackers and just received health counseling lost an average of 13 pounds.

8. Chant These Words

According to a study published in Frontiers of Psychology, reciting the phrase “I can do better” can help you motivate yourself to run faster or do that advanced yoga pose.

9. Don’t Make it About the Scale

According to a December 2013 study from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, you will lose weight by simply enjoying your workout. Try to focus on the activity and how good it makes you feel so you can maintain your motivation.

10. Identify as a ‘Healthy Eater’

A study in the journal Self & Identity found that individuals who identify with a particular role begin taking on the traits. So if you call yourself a healthy eater, you’ll also start eating like one and begin losing weight.

Via Wellness Clues