Losing weight is on the mind of countless people around the world as is shown by the billion-dollar weight loss industry. Obeisity is without a doubt a rising problem, with three quarters of adult Americans classified as overweight to obese – and childhood diabetes being a increasing concern among the world’s children. There are many reasons to lose weight but the problem often comes in the motivation. So what can you do when you lack the motivation to lose weight? To get yourself moving in the right direction, here are three useful tips to use for when you find yourself lacking in motivation.

Inspirational People

No matter what you want to achieve in life it’s important to get around like-minded people. Often you hear that if you want to be rich you need wealthy friends. The same principle applies to weight loss! Having like minded people around you is a powerful strategy for maintaining your weight loss motivation. Select your skinniest friend to begin to go out with, eat with, go for a run or join them in some of their favorite activities. Very soon, you start to lose weight lose weight and become like them as a result of following the same actions that they do.  If you do not have any friends who are in shape, join a gym and make some new friends!

Use Negative and Positve Goals

You have probably heard all the advice in the world about positive reinforcement, fun goals and rewards. However, did you also know that you should consider some negative goals? If that sounds like a contradiction in terms, hang around for a moment. Writing down all the positive things that will happen to you and for you if you lose weight is great, however, considering the negative consequences of failing to lose weight can be a serious motivator as well.

For example, list out all the negative things that could come into your life if you fail to lose weight. Your list might include diabetes, damaged joints, embarrassment, lack of physical attraction and more. The aim of this exercise is not to depress you, but to give yourself a shot of tough love. We need a reality check sometimes to get that motivation to lose weight, and a negative consequences list will do precisely that.

Moving Towards What You Want

What you continually put before your face can be a strong motivator for when you have no motivation to lose weight. Do you like what you see when you look in the mirror, or can you not stand it? Take some time each day to view yourself in a full-length mirror, undress first if you’re really brave. Now, before getting completely down you should pull out a picture of yourself at your thinnest – or an image that represents your ideal weight – and post it on the mirror, refrigerator, and cabinets and everywhere you can see it continually. Make a promise to yourself that no matter what, you’ll get back to that picture. Put your face on an image from a magazine that represents how you want to look if weight has always been an issue for you. Keeping a vision of where you are and where you want to be can be a powerful motivational technique for when you want motivation to lose weight.

It’s About More Than Losing Weight

There is a good deal in the above guide that could be seen as negative, but remember that what you’re doing isn’t just about losing weight, it’s a war for your health! Remember through it all to forgive yourself when you make a mistake, and aim to keep your goals firmly in focus and in front of you.