Working Girl Cooks!

It has been a week since I started my mission and all I can say is THAT IS IT? A WEEK? Man, I was hoping this was over already! Trying to lose weight is tough! Really really really tough! To all those women and men out there who have successfully lost weight and reached their goal I want to say CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ROCK!

As my motivation slowly disappeared over the past week I realized this is a very common problem for many people, especially if that person does not have a good support system to help with staying motivated. To address this, I have decided to focus this post on how to stay motivated and how to keep up weight loss efforts until your goal is reached. With two pounds lost in the last week I am right on target with my weight loss goal, but I can already tell that I am not watching what I eat as carefully and am not working out everyday like I should. If I do not do something now to rekindle that fire of motivation within me, I am not going to reach my goal in five weeks. Here are some tips that I have learned through research as well as my own self-exploration that I hope will help others in the same situation:

1. Set Daily Goals! When you wake up every morning look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself: How am I going to achieve my goal today? There are two goals you need to accomplish everyday to lose weight: eat healthy foods in moderation and exercise! If you think about how you have to do this every single day for the next five weeks or however long it will take you to lose weight it can be overwhelming! So just focus on your daily goals. What are you going to eat today? How are you going to make it exciting? What are you going to do for exercise today? How long it it going to last? When are you going to fit it in? How are you going to make it fun and not just a chore?

2. Try something new everyday! Try a new recipe for dinner or buy a new vegetable at your local grocery store. Try a new strength training move at the gym, invite a friend to workout with you, try a whole new routine, or take a class! By adding variety to your everyday goals you will keep it exciting! Can’t think of anything new? Do some research online! There are so many resources for finding new recipes, new workout moves, classes, or workout buddies!

3. When tempted to skip a workout or overindulge find a way to reward yourself for sticking to your goals. After going for that run or completing that weight lifting session reward yourself with a long hot soak in the tub and a good book. Reward yourself for only eating half of that delicious burger instead of the whole thing by having a small piece of decadent dark chocolate for dessert or going shopping for a flattering new pair of jeans, a cute top, or that necklace you have been eyeing!

4. Start a blog! Recording my trials and tribulations has really made me feel like I must follow the path I am on and there is no turning back or delaying my mission. The whole world is watching me so I must succeed! Besides, the positive feedback I get in my comments are a motivating factor all by themselves!

5. Educate yourself constantly by reading fitness and health magazines, visiting weight loss websites, reading online fitness and health articles and blogs. They are full of great tips and ideas to keep your weight loss plan fresh, new, and exciting!

6. Enlist support of friends, coworkers, and family members. Talk to someone daily on the phone or in person! Tell them about your goal to lose weight and your plan to lose it. Get ideas from them, and ask their advice about problems you encounter along the way.

7. Hire a professional. There is nothing more motivating than someone standing over you telling you what to do and how to do it. There are so many professionals out their from personal trainers, life coaches, therapists, to support groups that you will certainly find the right one for you within your budget. They can help you set realistic goals, come up with a specific plan to achieve that goal, and keep you motivated through out the weeks or months it takes to reach that goal. Remember, though, the only person who can achieve that goal is you so if you are not willing to put in the work, nobody will be able to help you.

8. Keep a positive I CAN DO THIS attitude! Think of weight loss as a fun and exciting challenge, not a boring chore! If it feels like work it will be work! But you can make it fun and exciting by always looking at the positive. Picture yourself at your goal weight. What do you look like? What are you wearing? How do you feel? Feeling sluggish or tired? Put on your favorite song and bust a move to pick up your energy!

As for me and how I plan to stay motivated? Well besides using all the tips and tricks I mention above I am going to try something new every week. There are so many weight loss plans, groups, websites, fitness classes, and resources out there and I have decided to pick one a week to focus on. I will write my experiences with each resource here on my blog and I plan to start off with a simple do it yourself plan by Self Magazine called the Self Challenge! I have chosen this plan for the next week because it is free, I can start right away just by signing up online, and it is easily accessible from any computer. In this economy cheap, easy, and fast are key!

Wish me luck!