Keeping Track & Staying Motivated

It can be difficult to get started with a new exercise or eating plan, or to get back on track after too many treats. Here are some tips for making the experience a little easier.

Keeping Track

It's important not to get obsessive about weight loss, but there are some things you can do to keep yourself accountable and help yourself resist unhealthy choices.

• Once a week, record your stats: weight, body fat percentage, body measurements. Stick to the same day each week (i.e. Monday) to check your progress. Do not skip it because you've had a bad week. If you've gained weight you can take a moment to look back on what went wrong, forgive yourself and move on, but ignoring it completely will not do you any favors.
• Keep a food journal, either by hand, by app or online (such as MyPlate or My Fitness Pal). Be accurate! Rather than always updating your food journal after the fact, it's often helpful to plan what food you will have ahead of time to minimize the chance of you going astray.
• Keep a record of your exercise. This can be something that you plan out ahead of time and tick off as you complete it - the empty box will likely get to you and make you want to complete a workout - or you can record it with your food journal, on a regular calendar, etc.

Motivation

After a few weeks of eating well and getting regular exercise, it will start feel natural and part of your daily routine. You'll actually want to make healthy choices so as not to undo all the progress you've made. But at the beginning it can be all too easy to say "I'll start properly tomorrow" or "A few treats won't hurt." Here are some ideas to remind you why you want to do this.

• Keep a list of why you want to get healthier. It can be to fit your clothes better, to improve your skin, to feel more confident, etc. Carry the list around with you or stick it up at home. Read it daily.
• Make a visual moodboard by hand or on Pinterest. This could be pictures of your favorite healthy foods, motivational sayings, celebrities, clothes you like - whatever helps you to keep going.
• Make a list of goals with accompanying rewards. For example, for each 5 lbs that you lose, you could give yourself a treat. The treat must not be food. Rewards can be things like getting a manicure, buying new fitness clothes, a new DVD. You could also set non-weight related goals, like exercising regularly for a month, or drinking enough water for a month.