Trying to lose a few pesky pounds? I feel like we all are. Yet, a frequent misconception about weight loss is that you can’t eat anything and you need to work out every day. It’s this mindset around the strategy of losing weight that holds many of us back from even starting a weight loss journey. Just thinking about eating salads daily causes a lack of motivation.
So, if you are really wanting to lose some weight, it’s about first doing mental work. Prepare your mind to make better eating choices. Creating a workout plan that you can actually adhere to. Flexing your willpower muscles and holding yourself accountable.
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Let’s Talk Accountability
Source: Strength, Vitality, & Renewal
Accountability is going to help you stay consistent throughout your journey. It’s like a slap in the face reminder of the consequences if you don’t do what you said you were committed to doing.
Think of it like back when you were in grade school. You knew you had “homework” to do and more than likely felt lazy about doing it. Yet – you still managed to get it done because you knew the teacher would require you to turn it in and if you didn’t have it that might have resulted in a phone call to your parents and you might have had your PlayStation taken away.
Unfortunately, if you don’t have an accountability plan, you become 50% more likely to fail on your weight loss goals. So let’s get you a few excellent fail-proof accountability strategies so that you excel on the next weight loss journey you start.
1. Challenge Yourself
Source: Spartan Life – Spartan Race
Start by setting up a realistic goal. For example, say you want to lose 8 pounds in a month. Then every day work toward that challenge. This way you have a time frame, if you have two weeks left and have only lost 3 pounds, then you know you have to push a little harder to lose 5 pounds in two weeks, but it’s still doable.
Another option when it comes to challenging yourself is to join a group challenge. There are plenty of public challenges on Instagram that you can participate in. For example, According to Challnge.com, the Mermaid Marathon challenges you to complete 26.2 miles over the course of a whole month. It’s based on helping you tear down mental barriers, allows you to participate on your own schedule and has a great support community.
2. Go Public
Source: Chronos BHW
One of the best ways to hold yourself accountable is to share your journey with your friends and family. Don’t sit in the corner and hide about it, let it be public. The more people that know about it, the more support you will automatically get.
Try setting up a new Instagram account dedicated to your health and fitness journey. Take before photos and post them. Do a facebook check-in each time you show up to the gym. Continue to post updates about your progress. Share a healthy recipe with your friends. Be vocal about your journey.
3. Milestone Rewards
Source: Fox News
We show up to work so that we can get a paycheck right? So we need a way to motivate us to get up daily and work toward our weight loss goals. Design yourself a reward system filled with mini goals. This way you are celebrating your success by doing something that is not food oriented.
Perhaps you reward yourself by booking a massage after losing 10 pounds. Maybe you pay yourself $100 for every 10 pounds you lose so you can have money for a shopping spree when you are ready to buy some new better fitting clothes. The idea here is to set up mini goals and treat yourself when you accomplish those mini goals.
The Bottom Line
Accountability is going to be the fuel to your fire. Start a good accountability plan early so that will gain long term success. Focus on micro goal setting, the best way to approach weight loss is in baby steps. Tell your friends about your goals and find yourself an accountability buddy. Stay positive and reward yourself often.
