Dedicated and Disciplined

 Losing weight can be hard but worth the efforts you make. Here are some ways to make it to your weight loss goals, and stay in the game
Commit  We all know losing weight is a commitment but what does that entail? It entails making a choice. You decide to make healthy choices and have to wake up everyday and make that decision over and over. We all know just because we say we are on a diet we still have to make that choice again and again through out our day to stay on that diet as we are faced with the temptations that may lead us astray. Here are some tips to help you stay committed and make your choices easier. ................


Plan and Prepare -The night before plan your workout and meals. Decide what you are going to eat that day at stick to it. Make plans to exercise the day before and get your things (shoes, clothes, gym pass) in order. This way you have your workout scheduled and your meals planned, the healthy choices are easier to make.

Motivation - Remind yourself throughout the day of your workout plans--send yourself a reminder or have a friend call and ask about your workout, so it's always in the front of your mind.

Be Accountable - What will happen if you skip that workout? You need to have consequences so that missing your workout isn't an option--maybe you can't watch your favorite TV show until you exercise. Imagine how you will feel if you miss your workout as apposed to how you will feel when you have finished it. On the other side, you can also reward yourself for working out--just make sure you don't reward yourself with food.

Keep your Goals in Mind - As you're getting ready for the day, remember what your goals are. Weight loss? More energy? Whatever it is, that workout is an important step in reaching it. Remind yourself of the big picture--what you do today counts!

Discipline
Such an ugly word but discipline is a part of successful weight loss and just another way of saying self-control. Think of how you practice self-control in the other parts of your life. Each day you fulfill your obligations to work and family, even when you'd rather just lie in bed and sleep late. That takes discipline. The same can be true of exercise. Of course, it's easy to make yourself go to work because there are consequences if you don't--you won't make as much money or you could lose your job. But if you don't workout, the consequences aren't as immediate, are they?

Try these ideas to get more disciplined with exercise:

Making Exercise a Habit - Part of being disciplined is creating a habit. You may not want to brush your teeth every night, but you do it anyway because you always do it right before bed...it's a habit. You can do the same thing with exercise by keeping your workouts on specific days and times each week (if you can). Knowing that every Monday at 6 a.m. will find you at the gym will make it that much easier to show up for your workouts.

Know the Consequences - You already know what happens if you don't brush your teeth--cavities, gum disease, painful dental experiences, etc. But what are the consequences of not exercising? Make a list of all the things that could happen to your body and mind without exercise such as weight gain, increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, to name a few.

Get Some Support - One sure way to show up for your workout is to have someone waiting for you. One option is a personal trainer--someone who will hold you accountable for your workouts while educating you all at the same time. Another option is to get a workout buddy and have consequences if you don't show up. Having that support will make exercise more enjoyable AND keep you on track.

Make a Deal With Yourself - Don't feel like working out? Promise yourself you'll just do a warm up. If after 10 minutes you still don't want to workout, you can quit and go home. The majority of the time, you'll keep going because getting there is usually the hardest part.