Keeping Up Motivation

Keeping motivation levels high when it comes to eating healthier can be hard, especially given the number of daily temptations that we can be faced with. It is therefore important to:

Forgive Yourself. If you have a nutrition slip up, don’t ‘beat yourself up’ about it. Forgive yourself and ‘carry on’. We are all human and eating healthy 100% of the time is often not possible (see my blog on the 80:20 rule for more info on this). Stop the cycle of over-eating in its tracks by recognising it, analysing it (why is it taking place), and trying not to repeat it any time soon.

Get Support. Friends and family can be a big support in your healthy eating pursuit. Talking about your plans and experiences can help you to find solutions to any dilemmas that you may face and you may find that someone else is going through the same thing – be each others motivation; send texts and emails of support.

Plan Non-Food Rewards. Planning non-food treats is essential to helping maintain motivational levels. Set specific rewards for achieving specific things e.g. I will eat biscuits only twice a week, and once I have completed 3 weeks of this I will treat myself to a new CD/I-tunes download (i.e. with the money you have saved from not buying multiple packets of biscuits each week!).

Remember your Aims and Goals. Like I said in my ‘Preparation is Everything’ blog, it may be helpful to write down your nutritional goals. As well as this though, why not write down your motivations for pursuing your new goals. E.g. “Goal = Filling half of my lunch and evening meal plate with salad or vegetables; Motivations = To lose weight, to feel healthier and to get great skin”.