How to Have the Determination to Lose Weight

The reason new diet and weight loss books appear on the market every year is because people continue to seek the one thing that will at last help them shed their excess pounds. Realize once and for all that there is no magic bullet. Losing weight is not easy. If it were easy, everybody would be skinny. What does make it easier--even possible--is to find something that makes you determined to lose it for good. This something will be different for everybody. To find what works for you may be even harder than actually losing the weight.

Instructions

1

Determine that you indeed need to lose weight. Sometimes people look perfectly fine or are perfectly healthy but compare themselves to other people, often unrealistically.

2

Figure out the most compelling reason why you want to lose weight. Is it because of health reasons? Are you getting married? Is your high school reunion coming up in three months and you want to look fabulous? It has to be something that is extremely important to you. Whatever it is, nail it down and think about it every time you feel like quitting. If it is important enough, you will stick with your diet.

3

Realize that losing weight will take time. You probably didn't put on your excess weight in a week. Therefore, do not expect it to take a week to get it off. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to change your lifestyle--for good. Once you have made peace with this, it will not be so hard to find determination to lose weight.

4

Go online and look at photos of models and well-built actors. Find ones where they are at the beach. Looking at older ones--30s,40s, 50s--is more inspirational because it is not very hard for most people to stay slim in their 20s.

5

Find someone who needs to lose weight too. Make a plan to work together toward this goal. It is much easier to lose weight when you have support, as evidenced by the success of such weight loss organizations as Weight Watchers and their famous meetings.

6

Sneak exercise into your life. Doing just 20 minutes extra of anything that gets your heart pumping every day will eventually result in weight loss (with everything else being constant in your life). Walking may be the easiest method of exercise. Find anything that makes you slightly more active.