If you’ve got weight to lose, chances are you aren’t excited about the process of getting rid of it. Weight loss, although incredibly rewarding, can often be difficult, boring, and even stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Below are 4 tips to help make your weight loss journey a little more enjoyable.
Table Of Contents
Try Community-Based Exercise
A big part of successful weight loss includes incorporating more exercise into your daily routine. If you aren’t someone who is usually very active, this can seem daunting. Instead of awkwardly making your way from machine to machine at the gym or hiding on the very last elliptical machine, try getting movement in with others in your community.
Community-based exercise can be anything from picking exercise classes you think you might enjoy, signing up for your local running or walking clubs, or even signing up for a sport to play.
Getting movement in with others can make the experience more enjoyable. Not to mention, you may also make some friends along the way. This will encourage you to keep up with the movement and make it more likely that you will stick with a regular exercise routine.
Reward Yourself
Whether you are looking to lose 5 pounds or 150 pounds, you have to have things to look forward to aside from just meeting your overall weight loss goal. To make things more fun, set small, realistic goals for yourself and plan a little reward for when you meet that goal.
For example, for every 10 pounds you lose, treat yourself to something special such as a mani/pedi, take yourself out to dinner, buy those new shoes you’ve been wanting, or anything in between.
You can also plan to set aside a specific dollar amount for every pound you lose. Once you reach your overall goal you will also have saved enough money to do things like take a trip. Be creative and think about things that will really inspire you to push yourself to meet those goals.
Get an Accountability Buddy
Do you have friends, family, or coworkers who are also looking to lose weight? Consider creating an accountability partnership. Having a buddy with similar goals to you can help you stay on track and motivated.
An accountability buddy can be anything from a friend who goes to the gym or to workout classes with you to a friend you call when you are struggling to stick with your new eating habits. Having additional support during your weight loss journey can make things easier and more enjoyable.
Adjust Your Foods
Lastly, don’t give up the foods you love. Saying no to your favorite foods makes eating healthier a drag. It also makes it more likely that you will give up and go back to old habits faster.
Instead of saying no to your beloved foods, practice having them in moderation. This means enjoying the brownie but keeping it to just one for a special craving or occasion.
If you want to incorporate these foods more frequently, consider adjusting them to make healthier versions. This could be anything from swapping out sugar in baked goods for a mashed banana or no-sugar-added applesauce to opting for a healthier alternative altogether.
For example, if brownies are your poison, consider using a healthier brownie mix such as Naked Nutrition’s Naked Brownie. This mix contains 15 grams of protein and only 9 grams of sugar, which is about half the sugar of a traditional brownie mix. You can enjoy these more often without sacrificing your weight loss goals.
Weight loss is not always a fun journey, but it’s well worth it for your health and happiness. Instead of suffering your way through getting those pounds off, consider a few of the tips above to make more enjoyable healthy habits that will outlast meeting your goals.
