It happens to all of us – we have a bad day and end up skipping our workout, or attend a party and eat a few too many hors d’oeuvres. But a bad day is just a bad day – just because we fell short of our expectations doesn’t mean we should give up on trying to live a healthier life! We’ve compiled this helpful list of 10 tricks to get you back on track for weight loss to help keep minor speedbumps minor.
1. Stay positive.
Living well is a process, not a one-and-done event. We have good days and bad days, and it is important to recognize that and forgive ourselves for missteps. Many people stop following healthy lifestyles because of negative thoughts – they see one mistake as the end, and end up giving in to bad habits, feeling defeated.
Remember that weight loss is a journey and keep a positive outlook – you are worth the effort, and you can accomplish your goals if you keep trying. Be kind to yourself – caring for your mental health is part of living well!
2. Keep track of your diet and exercise.
A great way to stay motivated and recognize progress is to track what you eat and your exercise routine every day. The sense of control this provides can be beneficial, as can a quantifiable measure of your progress.
You can see where you’ve struggled in your efforts, helping you identify what you need to work on and what you can do to help you ensure your success.
3. Recognize your successes.
It’s easy to feel defeated and get derailed by failures. That makes it all the more important to take pride in your successes – big and small! Every step in the right direction of your goal is a step towards your success. Congratulating yourself for your accomplishments is a great way to see how you are working towards your goal. Additionally, as with tracking, this can help show you where you can improve. So, give yourself a pat on the back – you deserve it!
4. Set short-term goals…
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was a healthier lifestyle. Thankfully, manageable daily tasks will help you get where you want to be.
Whether it’s drinking more water or taking the stairs at work, try setting small, achievable goals for yourself. Completing them can give you a quick mood boost to keep you going on the right path, and they will help you develop and stick to new, healthy habits!
5. And long-term goals!
Where you want to go is just as important as how you want to get there. While short-term goals help you make progress on your journey, your long-term goals are important for reminding you why you’re doing what you’re doing. Keep what you want to achieve in your mind as you move forward, and your hard work will feel even more worth it. Be sure to set big goals and strive for them – you’ll get there before you know it!
6. Don’t overexert yourself.
Often, after setbacks, many of us want to redouble our efforts to make up for lost time. Although it’s great to encourage motivation, those efforts can go too far if we’re not careful.
While we may think a