losing-every-extra-pound: How to Stay Motivated...

How to Stay Motivated
“you cannot ‘find’ motivation, you must create it!” - yoga-body

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Take it One Day at a Time
Don’t worry about tomorrow, focus on today. Focus on eating right for today, make it your goal for the day, and repeat it tomorrow, and the day after that and the day after that.

Surround Yourself with Positivity
“Change your thoughts, and you change your world”, it’s really true. Think you can, and you can do anything. Think positive, breathe positive, live positive, be positive as much as possible. Focus on the solution, rather than the problem. Surround yourself with good people, good food (food that’s good for you), and good thoughts.

Create a Dream Board
Bring your dreams to life. Look at them every day. Never lose sight of what you want. Fill it with your favourite quotes and pictures to inspire you.

How to Make a Dream Board
Digital Dream Board
Create a Dream Board

Visualize Accomplishing your Goals
If your goal is to lose weight, create a mental picture of yourself having already achieved it. What will you look like, feel like, and move like when you have accomplished that goal? Living as if you are already there makes realizing your vision something you focus on daily.

Make Realistic Goals
Ask yourself what you want. What do you want from life? Who do you want to be? Where do you want to be? And make realistic goals. Now that doesn’t mean you can’t have your dream body, it just means realizing that it won’t happened overnight. Make S.M.A.R.T goals. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, & Time-bound goals.

SMART Criteria
Example of SMART goal

Reward Yourself, Be Kind to Yourself & Recognize your Progress
When you know you have been good to your body, treat yourself! Find a reward that inspires you- a new pair of sneakers or workout outfit, a new music CD for your walk or pamper your feet with a pedicure for all of your efforts. Give yourself a hug once in awhile! Train hard, eat right, sleep well, but once a week, allow yourself an indulgence. Enjoy your favorite dessert, get a massage, or simply take some time for yourself to relax.

It’s Okay to Cheat!
Once in a while, cheating will keep you on track! Planning a cheat, whether it’s a snack, a meal, a weekend or a week vacation, can make all the difference in the world. Allowing yourself a little “controlled” wiggle room, you can avoid falling off the wagon. And once your “cheat” is done, go right back to your plan.

Forget about the Scale
Focus on how you’re life is changing, on how you feel. Focus on how you’ve changed. Focus on the inches lost, the muscle gained. Focus on how much better you’re becoming and how much you’re gaining. Alternatively, weigh yourself once a week, or even once a month. Measure your entire body monthly as well. Take one picture of yourself daily in the same outfit for the duration of your journey.

Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
Focus on yourself, on creating the best you possible. Remember that everyone is different, everyone has their own experiences, and their own unique imperfections. Different people are at different stages at different times. Comparing yourself to others can lead to bitterness, anger, jealousy, envy and even unhealthy competition.

How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Other People
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