Keeping Up Your Weight Loss Motivation Strong Throughout February
Hey Angels and Alphas,
If you are one of the people that decided to make significant changes to your diet or exercise routine before the end of the year, you probably know it sounds great in December when you’re looking ahead to January.
But when the New Year comes, and that initial rush of excitement and motivation you have starts to wane off, you should know… that’s natural and normal!
If you currently find yourself in that mid-February slump, here are some expert-backed tips on how you can power through it and approach the rest of the year with a completely new kind of energy!
#1 START EMBRACING THE FIZZLE
You might have been completely ready to turn your life around, but you found that the new year can bring many new perspectives and opportunities. But all of the “new” will soon simmer down, so at that point, you must be ready for a change.
Now is the absolute best time to reevaluate your goals and ask yourself if there’s a shift you need to make somewhere. Experts advise that you should set resolutions that you’re emotionally connected to in a positive way.
If you, at some point, find yourself saying you “should” be doing something, then you’re bringing a negative connotation to it and you’re bringing yourself down. Instead, reevaluate your goals and focus on the ones you should truly be taking on, then make the February shifts necessary to achieve them.
#2 REEVALUATE YOUR HABITS
Sometimes, even our best plans can go awry. For example, if you plan to go to the gym every single day after work, but you end up missing half of the days because things pop up or you’re just slumped after work, you’ll soon realize that’s probably not a good time for you. Even with the greatest of intentions, you may be working against yourself. Or maybe daily exercise is just too much for you to tackle on top of your schedule, and you’d feel much better playing a sport you enjoy like Football during the weekends. It’s all about what works for you and what brings you not only the physical rush of excitement and progress, but also a sense of belonging and accomplishment.
#3 PRIORITIZE SLEEP
If there’s one thing you should do to increase your chances of achieving your goals, it’s getting some better sleep. Lack of quality sleep will make a person feel run down, irritable, and unmotivated. On the other hand, better sleep will lead to much more productive workouts and better energy levels. Your goals will be built on a foundation of a couple of main things, and one of them will always be your sleep quality.
#4 DON’T ATTACH YOURSELF TO SINGULAR METRICS
Even if you went into the new year blasting and you’re not seeing the scale reflect actual weight loss, just know that this doesn’t mean you’re not doing things right or that you should give up.
Maybe you’re eating more consistently now, consuming better snacks, taking longer walks after work, or can use some other measurement of progress beyond just the number on the scale.
Running a mile, doing five pushups, or just feeling better about yourself, are all winning changes that will benefit your health even if you’re not at your desired weight yet.
#5 PLAN YOUR NEXT MOVE
It’s difficult to find a year’s worth of motivation in one single goal, so you should always continue to change things up and find new ways to challenge yourself. Maybe the next couple of weeks you can challenge yourself to eat an extra serving of veggies at every dinner.
Or maybe you’ve recently hit a 5-minute mile, why not consider signing up for a marathon and testing your skills out?
If you need help setting a goal, remember the SMART rule.
(SMART is essentially an acronym for goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and lastly, timebound.) Experts say the sweet spot lies in setting resolutions just below, or above your current ability or routine. When you set a resolution that is too easy, you get bored. When you set resolutions that are too difficult, you will only introduce anxiety and self-doubt before you even begin. So find the nearest achievable goal that makes sense… and go for it.
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