Maybe you've even accomplished some amazing things yourself — like building a career, gaining an education, starting a family, and saving money — but this is the one area of your life you just can't seem to get down pat.

You're not imagining it, and you're not alone. There are a few different reasons that losing weight is such a tricky beast. Firstly, many people take an 'all or nothing' approach to losing weight. You've probably experienced this cycle yourself:.

You get back from holiday, or have a weekend of overindulgence and are left feeling cruddy about your body. So, you tell yourself "Right, things are going to be different from here on out! For the first few days, it goes well until your friend offers you a tantalising, cheesy slice of pizza.

You cave, and now because you're officially 'off the wagon', you figure the rest of the day is a write-off, so you may as well eat whatever you want , anyway. While being restrictive with our eating might seem like the answer, it actually sets us up to fail.

You know the classic "If someone tells you not to think about a pink elephant, the first thing you're going to think of is a pink elephant" trick? The same applies to your food. By swearing off certain food groups like carbs or sweets, you'll likely find that these 'out of bound' foods are all you can think about.

We always want what we can't have. Another common reason many weight loss diets fail? Because you're seeking motivation from the wrong places. In order to understand why it's so hard to keep weight loss motivation high, it's important to distinguish between the 2 different types of motivation [2].

Extrinsic motivation is when you're motivated to perform a behaviour because you want to reap an external reward. Think, the idea of getting lots of likes on your Instagram photo when you've lost weight.

On the other hand, i ntrinsic motivation is when you do something because it is inherently satisfying and enjoyable. For example, going to a fun workout class with a friend. Research has found that people with strong intrinsic motivation have better long-term weight loss outcomes [3].

That's largely because our brains are wired to prioritise immediate gratification over long-term rewards. Sure, you might understand logically how amazing it will be to feel confident in your togs on your summer holiday.

But, is that enough to motivate you to eat healthy or work out on those days when you're really tired and depleted? That's why, for weight loss success, it's so important to find inherent enjoyment in what you're doing.

That way, you won't have to push yourself to do it every day. You'll already be motivated because it's fun and rewarding, and your amazing 'before and after' transformation will just be a bonus.

Ready to learn how to stay motivated to lose weight, no matter what life throws at you? These 7 practical tips will help make your weight loss efforts a success. Often, people fall off track with their weight loss goals because they don't have a strong driving force.

Sure, you might think it would be nice to look fabulous at your year school reunion. But, does that goal have a strong enough emotional pull, to keep you going even when things feel challenging?

Dig deep to truly understand your motivation for losing weight. Perhaps it's because you want to be fit enough to play with your kids, or because you want to set a good example for them. Or, maybe your unique 'why' is so you can achieve your bucket list goal of swimming the English channel.

Usually, your true weight loss 'why' will align with your values, and the things in your life that matter most to you. Keep those front of mind, and staying motivated becomes a lot easier.

It's easy to look at all the weight loss inspiration on social media and feel like you have to overhaul your entire life in one day. But, for every new healthy habit you create, you need a cue — a trigger in your daily routine, that you'll anchor your new, desired behaviour onto [4].

So, you can imagine how overwhelming it becomes when you're trying to implement multiple new healthy habits at once. Not realistic, nor sustainable. What's far more effective is to focus on making small lifestyle changes, that add up over time.

For example, one week you might set a goal of drinking an extra glass of water per day. The next week, you might focus on posting pictures of your progress to a community group. These behavioural changes might seem tiny — but just like that high-interest savings account, you'd be surprised at the compounding impact over time.

Not all goals are created equal. When we set vague, wishy-washy goals with no clear boundaries, we set ourselves up to fail. What's far more effective is to use a tried-and-tested goal-setting system — and the SMART goal method is a classic for a reason.

Evaluating your goal against these criteria will help start your weight loss journey on the right note. Let's be honest, everything is more fun with friends. But, not only can working out with a buddy make the process more enjoyable intrinsic motivation, anyone?

In a study from the US, people who had the support of a buddy were more likely to lose weight [5]. As a social species, humans hate letting other humans down. So, we're far less likely to cancel on that 8am workout class, if we know our friend is waiting on us. So, schedule that walk with a friend, rope your partner in for a gym session, or gather the girls for a dance class.

Don't have any like-minded friends to exercise with? No problem! Consider booking some sessions with a personal trainer or coach, or joining an online community of people working towards their weight loss goals.

You'll be able to cheer each other on and share your challenges. The best weight loss program is always the one that effortlessly slips into your daily routine. For example, if you're a night owl, trying to bully yourself into doing 5 am workouts probably isn't the best idea.

Or, if you're a big foodie who likes to eat out a lot, pre-packaged diet meals likely won't cut it. Maybe you're not really even a fan of working out? No problem, you don't necessarily even need to exercise to lose weight although there are other health benefits.

Rather than trying to fit a square into a circle, think about how you can make your weight loss plan work w ith you. At Juniper, we combine lifestyle coaching with a completely personalised weight loss program , to make your success inevitable.

Research suggests that those who celebrate their small wins are more likely to achieve their bigger goals in the long term [6]. Then I discovered hula-hoop fitness and it became my passion.

In the months that followed, I fought through the plateau period by reigniting my original desire to lose weight, but this time, I focused on fun.

It reminded me that physical activity really can feel more like childhood recess and less like a chore. It's impossible to not smile while hula hooping! The weight started coming off again and I have maintained my weight loss for three months now.

I've learned to think of them as a way to teach me patience and perseverance. Most of us, however, will have an initial reaction to throw in the towel. I let plateaus inspire me to dig deeper, find my internal motivation, and realize that it is part of the process.

But this is about being patient. Are your clothes getting looser? Are you able to control what you eat? Are you feeling better!? If yes, then you're still progressing. I had to keep reminding myself that I had to stick with it and be patient.

You just have to remember that every healthy choice you make is the right one. Just because the scale may not reflect it, doesn't mean it wasn't worth it. Weight loss has a lot of ups and downs, but nothing worth it comes easy. Stick with it and you'll break through! In July of , I was diagnosed with type one diabetes and spent the next year fighting to regulate my blood sugars before discovering the keto diet.

It flipped my life upside down in the best way possible, giving me a renewed sense of joy and purpose. I think about how much my mood, quality of life, and health have improved. Remembering that I made my own transformation happen empowers me to keep making positive choices.

Not every single day, week, or month is going to be perfect, and there will always be ups and downs. The hard days are the ones that really matter when it comes to creating healthy habits.

Physical change is amazing, but transformation of the mind is even greater. I've learned how to love myself and I've developed a good relationship with food, which seemed like something I could only ever dream of.

It's about changing your mindset and focusing on health, not just changing your body to look good. Every gym session, healthy meal, and mindful decision toward my health lays a foundation of confidence that makes me feel capable.

But after joining Weight Watchers, I viewed healthy eating as a forever lifestyle. I revisit this list every so often and it keeps me motivated! Can The Alpilean Ice Diet Help You Lose Weight?

The tailored approach LiveWell Dorset uses to come up with solutions to the things that are stopping us achieving our goals, is based upon work done by University College London developing the COM-B model of behaviour change. By understanding which of these is the biggest barrier to change, we can tailor support accordingly.

This model of behaviour change is at the centre of the support we offer, online and in person. Login or register , to favourite activities that you want to try.

Is this the first time that you've used our services, or have you already registered with us? To allow us to best serve you, please confirm whether you're new to LiveWell Dorset, or if you've spoken to us before and may have an existing account.

New Existing. To speak to one of our dedicated team and get the help you require please request a call back. All call backs from this service are free of charge to both landlines and mobile.

When you register with LiveWell Dorset, we ask you some questions about you and your health how much you smoke, how active you are, how much you drink and how much you weigh.

We store that information and use it to shape our service offer to you — such as the advice we give or the extra services we connect you to. The only people who will see this information will be those involved in the delivery of the service and management of the data.

If you would like to use extra services such as slimming clubs and pharmacies we have to share this information with them.

If you require any more information to help you make your choice then please contact the LiveWell Dorset team on All telephone conversations at LiveWell Dorset are recorded for quality and training purposes, and stored whilst you are registered as active within the service.

Yes I consent No I do not consent. Unfortunately we need your permission to store your personal information to help us to assess the best support we could provide or signpost you to. If at any stage you change your mind and are happy to provide your personal information please come back and visit us again.

This site is best viewed with javascript enabled. For help enabling javascript please click here. About LiveWell Engage with LiveWell Healthcare Professionals.

Reset search input button. If you're just getting started with your weight loss journey, then here are a few things to keep in mind:. As tempting as it is to restrict your eating with the hopes of getting fast results, weight loss won't happen overnight.

Be patient with yourself. Long-lasting results come from improving your diet and incorporating exercise in ways that you can sustain rather than making extreme changes. Though it may seem like a good motivation to work towards a certain number, too much focus on the scale can lead to frustration.

Yes, a shrinking waistline is exciting for some, but allow yourself to enjoy the growing feeling of confidence instead, no matter what your scale or clothing tag may say.

You don't have to wait until you achieve a certain goal to reward yourself — and no, rewards don't have to involve indulgence, either.

Whether you're on day one or day of your weight loss journey, take the time to smile at yourself in the mirror and appreciate the progress you've made, because even that first step is a big one.

You can never underestimate the power of positive thinking, and if you need a dose of positivity, then these inspirational quotes about weight loss should help. Just get it done. Nobody ever got strong or got in shape by thinking about it. They did it.

Even if you don't, pretend that you do and, at some point, you will. It's not a sprint to get in shape. Besides, perfect is boring. Motivation determines what you do.

Attitude determines how well you do it. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. There are a few different reasons that losing weight is such a tricky beast.

Firstly, many people take an 'all or nothing' approach to losing weight. You've probably experienced this cycle yourself:. You get back from holiday, or have a weekend of overindulgence and are left feeling cruddy about your body. So, you tell yourself "Right, things are going to be different from here on out!

For the first few days, it goes well until your friend offers you a tantalising, cheesy slice of pizza. You cave, and now because you're officially 'off the wagon', you figure the rest of the day is a write-off, so you may as well eat whatever you want , anyway.

While being restrictive with our eating might seem like the answer, it actually sets us up to fail. You know the classic "If someone tells you not to think about a pink elephant, the first thing you're going to think of is a pink elephant" trick?

The same applies to your food. By swearing off certain food groups like carbs or sweets, you'll likely find that these 'out of bound' foods are all you can think about. We always want what we can't have. Another common reason many weight loss diets fail?

Because you're seeking motivation from the wrong places. In order to understand why it's so hard to keep weight loss motivation high, it's important to distinguish between the 2 different types of motivation [2]. Extrinsic motivation is when you're motivated to perform a behaviour because you want to reap an external reward.

Think, the idea of getting lots of likes on your Instagram photo when you've lost weight. On the other hand, i ntrinsic motivation is when you do something because it is inherently satisfying and enjoyable.

For example, going to a fun workout class with a friend. Research has found that people with strong intrinsic motivation have better long-term weight loss outcomes [3].

That's largely because our brains are wired to prioritise immediate gratification over long-term rewards. Sure, you might understand logically how amazing it will be to feel confident in your togs on your summer holiday. But, is that enough to motivate you to eat healthy or work out on those days when you're really tired and depleted?

That's why, for weight loss success, it's so important to find inherent enjoyment in what you're doing. That way, you won't have to push yourself to do it every day.

You'll already be motivated because it's fun and rewarding, and your amazing 'before and after' transformation will just be a bonus.

Ready to learn how to stay motivated to lose weight, no matter what life throws at you? These 7 practical tips will help make your weight loss efforts a success.

Often, people fall off track with their weight loss goals because they don't have a strong driving force. Sure, you might think it would be nice to look fabulous at your year school reunion. But, does that goal have a strong enough emotional pull, to keep you going even when things feel challenging?

Dig deep to truly understand your motivation for losing weight. Perhaps it's because you want to be fit enough to play with your kids, or because you want to set a good example for them. Or, maybe your unique 'why' is so you can achieve your bucket list goal of swimming the English channel.

Usually, your true weight loss 'why' will align with your values, and the things in your life that matter most to you. Keep those front of mind, and staying motivated becomes a lot easier. It's easy to look at all the weight loss inspiration on social media and feel like you have to overhaul your entire life in one day.

But, for every new healthy habit you create, you need a cue — a trigger in your daily routine, that you'll anchor your new, desired behaviour onto [4].

So, you can imagine how overwhelming it becomes when you're trying to implement multiple new healthy habits at once. Not realistic, nor sustainable. What's far more effective is to focus on making small lifestyle changes, that add up over time. For example, one week you might set a goal of drinking an extra glass of water per day.

The next week, you might focus on posting pictures of your progress to a community group. These behavioural changes might seem tiny — but just like that high-interest savings account, you'd be surprised at the compounding impact over time.

Not all goals are created equal.