Weightloss Wednesday: Getting Motivated

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After healthily losing a stone and a half in two months last year, since Christmas I've slowly but surely found it again! During a recent trip to the doctors, I discovered that I'd found more than I originally lost in the first place. I've decided that I really need to do something about it and I'm bringing you along for the ride! Since motivating myself to start dieting has worked for me in the past, I thought I would share some of the ways that I encourage myself to ditch the doughnuts and bin the biscuits. 

1 / BE COMPLETELY HONEST WITH YOURSELF
Go on, be brutal. I, myself, have decided to start dieting because my confidence has completely disapered. I find myself not wanting to get dressed up for a night out because I hate the size of my arms or the way my knees look in a dress. I find myself wearing baggy shirts and leggings all the time and am always covering up with scarves and long, loose-fitted jackets. Now, I don't know about you but who wants to be wearing scarves and jackets in the summer? NOT ME. Being completely honest with myself that I'm not happy and giving myself some tough love really did set alarm bells off in my head. I don't want to stay feeling like this forever. "If you want something you've never had, then you've got to do something you've never done."

2 / LIST YOUR REASONS
Why are you doing it? Is it for a special occasion? Or are you just doing it for yourself? Believe it or not, listing your reasons for weightloss will really help to motivate you. It will encourage you to look to the future and picture yourself hitting that final target. Imagining myself back to my old ways, feeling confident in a bikini and ditching those cover-me-up jackets really does help to avoid that tin of biscuits sitting in my office! 

3 / BUDDY UP
It's always harder doing it alone. I couldn't have lost the weight that I did last year without the help of a friend. Having someone else on the journey with you helps you to carry on when things get tough and there's nothing like a bit of healthy competition! 

4 / PLAN OF ACTION
Now that you're (hopefully) feeling motivated and you've got your buddy, it's time to make a POA! How are you going to lose the weight? You might want to join a weightloss club e.g. Weight Watchers or Slimming World if you feel you need a bit more discipline. You might want to create a gym schedule. Signing up for classes and paying in advance is a great way to make sure that you actually go to them - you might aswell get your money's worth! If you're looking at weightloss on a budget, then organising a regular time for you and your buddy to go for a run or a bike ride somewhere is great, especially now that we've got the weather! Either way, setting up a realistic plan that works for YOU is essential. 

5 / FOCUS ON 'THAT FEELING'
A point that REALLY works for me is focusing on how I'm going to feel when I start to shed the pounds and especially when other people start to notice. There was no better feeling than when my friends were saying 'Wow, Hannah, you've lost weight!' or when I found myself pulling up my jeans all the time. When I really fancied that KFC Boneless Bucket, focusing on 'that feeling' really helped me to stay clear. Once you've got in that mind-set, nothing will stop you!

6 / #THINSPIRATION
When I was around 16/17, I was really very happy with the way my body looked. Looking through pictures of a time when I was happy with myself really encourages me to know that I can look like that way if I want to and I can be happy with my body. Even hanging up a picture of an envied-bodied celebrity on your mirror will be a helpful reminder to reach your goal - just aslong as their body shape is actually achievable without paying £1,000 a day for a personal trainer! You want the picture there as inspiration, not to dishearten you.

7 / BE SMARTPHONE SMART
Nowadays there are SO many weightloss apps to download and if you stick to using them, they can actually work. I used the Weight Watchers tracker app where you keep track of what you're eating on a day-to-day basis and also allows you to track your weight each week. It's free to download but you need to sign up for WW in order to be able to sign in to the app. If you want to know more about Weight Watchers, then I did a couple of posts on starting up and a typical meal. However, like I said, there are hundreds of apps that will help you on your way from exercises to do or a calorie counter. Use whichever works for you! 

8 / START AS YOU MEAN TO GO ON
I know how hard it can be to stop buying those £1 packet of biscuits just because they're a pound, or just 'nipping' to McDonald's at lunch because you 'forgot' to make yourself some this morning. Starting off with a healthy weekly shop will really help you to get the ball rolling and cutting out those habits early and actually sticking to it definitely pays off in the long run. It's easier said than done but not giving into temptation is such a huge part of losing weight. On the other hand, you do need to reward yourself once in a while. You might want to treat yourself to a couple of drinks (may I stress "a couple") at the weekend because you've made yourself healthy lunches all week. Just something to keep you going and something to work for. 

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and hopefully (if it goes down well) I plan to make Weightloss Wednesday a monthly feature on my blog. If you're looking at losing a bit of weight this Spring then leave your links below and I'll be sure to follow you on your journey! 

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