How to get and stay motivated to achieve weight goals. - Group Talk - Week Commencing 21st July 2025.
- friendsonajourney2
- Jul 30
- 3 min read
Do you often consider why some of us achieve our goals, whilst others struggle to achieve them?
Everyone's journey is different, but they all come down to motivation, and motivation can be challenging to maintain momentum, especially if life offers challenges, which are often emotionally centred.
Motivation is what powers our daily choices and actions that help propel us to achieve our goals.
Regardless of the known health benefits of losing weight, almost 70% of those that are overweight say they lack motivation to maintain a weight loss plan. Motivation is the catalyst that makes losing weight achievable and enjoyable.
The key to maintaining motivation is setting smaller, realistic goals that eventually lead to you achieving larger goals.
To attain and maintain a healthful weight requires long-term lifestyle changes, following the tortoise's shrewd journey rather than the hare's, as slow and steady lifestyle changes and habits are the key to achieving your goals.
How can we stay motivated?
Establish why do you want to lose weight
- Write down your reason, clearly explaining your WHY!
- Remember to dig deep and repeatedly question your WHY!
- It's important that your motivation comes from within and not because someone, i.e., a doctor, suggests it.
Remember, we are more than the number on the scales.
- There are lots of ways to measure our journeys.
- Body measurements
- Health improvements: lower cholesterol, Reduction in blood sugars
- Energy improvements
- Pain reduction—remember every 1lb we lose is 4lb of pressure off our knees.
- Smaller shoe sizes
- Smaller clothes sizes
Set realistic expectations.
- Remember 0.5lb a week off is 26lb a year, which is 2lb shy of 2 stone.
Embrace setbacks.
- Setbacks happen, but they do not need to define our journeys. All journeys hit bumps along the road, but it's about remembering to get back on track and not allowing it to derail our journey.
Creating healthy habits allows energy for motivation.
- Track, Weigh, Measure
- Plan
- Meal Prep
- Being accountable
- Being active
- Journal
- Practice Mindfulness
Make your journey fun and varied
- Keeping motivated is a lot easier when you are enjoying your journey. Don't get stuck in a rut; mix up your journey, keeping it exciting and fresh. Combine your interests with your journey, and you might find new interests that excite you, making your journey exciting rather than an effort.
Avoid negativity and surround yourself with positivity.
- Replace self-criticism with self-reassurance, as research reports this has a huge impact on our mindset and motivation.
- Rephrase negative self-talk with self-reassurance, nurturing a positive mindset and motivation.
- Practicing CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) techniques redirect our self-critical thoughts of negativity to make conscious shifts to truly motivate us, i.e., 'I can't resist junk food' to 'I'm learning to make healthier food choices.'
Recognise and value your body
- Ladies that are unhappy with their bodies are more likely to try drastic weight loss methods. Taking steps to raise your body image thoughts can improve your weight loss and maintenance through a holistic approach.
- Respect your body's capabilities.
- Be in the company of positive people.
- Avoid comparing yourself to other people.
- Put on clothing that you like and that fits properly.
- Recognise the abilities of your body.
The key to maintaining motivation is to celebrate success.
- Celebrate all achievements no matter how small: weight loss milestones, keeping a new habit, feeling better, etc...
- It's important to recognise all and choose rewards that align with your goals: new workout clothes, a day off, a healthy meal at a restaurant, or enjoying an activity you love.
- By celebrating all our achievements, we can feed our motivation and belief within ourselves that we can succeed.
Being and keeping motivated to lose weight is paramount for us to achieve our weight goals. We all find different elements motivating, so it's important that we identify what personally motivates us.
Be forgiving, be flexible, and acknowledge your small victories along your weight journey. And please don't hesitate to ask for help when needed.
We can find motivation and stay motivated to reach our weight goals.
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