How to stay positive and motivated while trying to lose weight

Losing weight is a deeply personal and emotional decision. It may come because the doctor told you that you need to drop a few pounds to stay healthy, because you don’t really feel like yourself anymore or because you’re trying to bounce back after a toxic period of your life. No matter why you’re working out and dieting, you are the one in control. Losing weight doesn’t have to be a soul-wrenching process. On the contrary, you can learn to enjoy every minute of it by staying positive and maxing your positivity levels. Getting the perfect body – no matter what that means for you – can be a beautiful journey. Here are a few tips to help you stay positive and lose yourself at every stage of your diet, no matter its outcome.

Forget about the scales

One of the most harmful habits we tend to have when starting to work out and eat healthier is looking for results immediately. So, we step on the scales once, twice a day, even more, eager to see if we lost any weight. When we don’t like what we see, we feel discouraged and unmotivated and often end up dropping the diet. This is a very self-destructive, ineffective practice that personal trainers are against. You should weigh yourself no more than once a week. Some trainers even say that you should step on the scales only two or three times during your diet. Weighting yourself compulsively doesn’t help you stay motivated because the scales don’t always tell the truth. Muscle weighs more than fat, so you could be fitter and have the same weight. Also, a number doesn’t change the way you look and feel. If you want to track the progress of your diet, focus on body measurements and the way your clothes fit. Put the scales in your closet and only take them out at fixed intervals, not at random moments of the day.

Block out toxic influences

When you start to lose weight, there is only one person you need to focus on: yourself. Your feelings and ambitions are the only ones that matter. You are not trying to lose weight for someone else other than yourself, so don’t let external influences throw you off track. Whenever you try to achieve something in life, there will always be that someone who will tell you that you can’t do it, that it takes too much work, that you don’t have what it takes or that you’re not doing it right. These are toxic people who don’t understand that words hurt, so learn to keep them at an emotional distance.

Find a workout routine that you’re comfortable with

Our bodies are different and so are our personalities. Just because your best friend lost 20 pounds going aerobics doesn’t mean you have to go to the same class. Forcing yourself to do a workout that makes you feel exposed and vulnerable will put you in a negative state of mind and you won’t enjoy one minute of it. If you don’t like a fitness routine, change it. Do you hate working out with other people? Do one-on-one fitness training. Do you hate going to the gym? Work out at home! Do you hate jogging? Try strength training instead! There are so many gyms and fitness courses out there than you’re bound to find something you like and, once you do this, your weight loss journey will be so much smoother.

Wear the right clothes

Even if you are making progress and the first signs of your effort are starting to show, no one will see them if you are hiding under baggy pants and oversized hoodies. Wearing the right clothes can have a huge impact on your mood and make you feel more confident and attractive. Throw away your old, baggy clothes and get out of your comfort zone as you experiment with more tight-fitting dresses and playful prints. Make a wishlist on a trendy website and slowly replace your old, over-worn clothes with items that show off your unique style. Another great way to feel amazing while working out is to invest in better gym wear. Not only is this better quality, giving you more comfort, but also looks incredible and you will feel like a million dollars when you’re working out.

Focus on the positives

Sometimes, the only one sitting between you and success is yourself. If you’re bringing yourself down by thinking negative thoughts, you are more likely to give up your diet halfway, so try to use positive self-talk instead. Do not be too hard on yourself and learn to acknowledge your efforts. For example, don’t judge yourself for not being able to do the entire workout without pausing. Think of all the ways in which you have improved, all the exercises you were able to do and how in a few days you will get better. If other members of your family are overweight, don’t look at this as a curse you’re not able to escape. Understand that you are in control of your life and your weight and genes do not control your life.

Accept your body type

When trying to lose weight, it’s very important not to think in absolutes. If your idea of peak performance is the body of a Victoria’s Secret model, then you will probably never feel good about yourself. Models have a very rare body type; there are dozens more and each is just as beautiful. No matter what your body type is, accept it and love it as it is. It’s what makes you special and you should only try to enhance it, not change it.