The Word on Weightloss

We're just about done with winter and let’s be honest, we've all lost our motivation at one point or another during the winter. Even the most dedicated workout champs find themselves in a slump from time to time—especially when factors in our personal lives become a priority, like a career change or an unexpected crisis at home.

So what’s the trick? How do you keep yourself motivated to get you through a plateau or your next workout slump? Here are three ideas to keep your fitness and weight loss program a top priority, no matter what exercise- for diet-derailing transition life throws your way.

1. Put down that SCALE (and step on it!).
For a long time I didn’t have a scale and the truth is, didn't want one. I felt I didn't need a reminder of how “good” or “bad” my eating habits were from day to day. But the bottom line is understanding what causes fluctuations in your weight daily and how you progress over the long term. The foods you eat during the day and at night give a heavier reading on your weight the next morning mostly because of the amount of water in your body. This can be misleading and cause panic if the scale shows you weigh three pounds more.

The solution remains, weigh and measure yourself daily, at the same time of day, without clothes and with an empty blatter. I know that sounds time-consuming. At the end of the week add up all your totals and determine the average number for a good picture of your current weight. The scale's gotten a bad rap because of the trouble it causes measuring your body's daily weight fluctuations. But used properly, it can help you to stay on track and meet your weight loss goals!

2. Surround yourself with MOTIVATION.
When I started my weight loss program a few years back I used a fun and very effective technique. I started by finding pictures of all the people whose weight and body type I admired.  I found as many pictures of these people as I could and cut them out. When I had about a dozen relatively large images, tape up the pictures as a reminder of what your weight and fitnes goals are. I put them in places where I needed a motivational pick-me-up and where I kept snacks.

Try this for yourself - keep in mind that celebrity photos can often distort our body image with unrealistic weights for our own body type. But every time you go to the freezer and break out your favorite tub of butter pecan ice cream (310 calories for a half cup) or a chocolate chip cookie sandwich (over 450 calories) you’ll be confronted with, almost literally, a reminder of the you that you want to become. Chances are those images will make you think about what you're about to eat and help you choose something more healthy.

3. Find a workout PARTNER!
Working out with an exercise partner is a lot easier and more fun than heading to the gym by yourself. Additionally, partners are more accountable to each other and will try harder to make sure you get your fitness time in. Training with a partner will help you stick to your schedule as well as minimize the number of workouts you skip...and there’s nothing better than a little mutual commitment to help you stick to your weight loss goals. If someone’s expecting you to show up for a hike or  at the gym at a certain time then you’re less likely to skip your workout altogether. Finally, good training partners will help each other push their limits. Like anything in life, a little competition helps us become more motivated to strive to do our best!