8 Motivational Strategies to Fitness Success!

It all begins with goal setting You need to know what you want to do with your body and that will keep you motivated. Think small, realistic goals. Take small steps along the way to making big changes. If you contemplate losing 30-40 pounds it is just so overwhelming. You need to focus on losing one or two pounds per week to get to your goal. When it comes off the right way it will stay off for good.

Strategy #1If you are not working out right now, start your new program with a one day per week approach. Take a walk. Stretch. Increase your time. Change or add something each week.

Strategy #2From a nutritional point of view, that change could be as simple as drinking more water. Most people do not drink enough water. Our bodies are made up of 99% of just six elements: "oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus" We need a lot of water ! Keep a water bottle on your desk and try to drink a little more each day. Make a habit of keeping water with you in the car at all times as well.

Strategy #3Cut down on starchy carbs like bread, pasta, rice, cereal and potatoes. I am just asking you to cut back on them, not to take these foods completely out of your diet. Try not to eat them after 2p.m. each day. Your best alternatives are multi grain breads, brown rice, sweet potatoes and oatmeal.

Strategy #4Ease off the soft drinks or how we say in the Midwest, pop ! I am not a fan of diet pop either. Stay away from sugar substitutes.
Use Stevia instead of Equal or Sweet & Low. For example, a 12 ounce can of Coca Cola and Caffeine Free Coca Cola contain 140 calories and 39g of sugar. Yikes! You can’t get away with drinking 3-4 cans of this stuff per day !
Cut back to one or two cans. Eventually, use pop as a special treat. Soft drinks contain way too much sugar and ton of empty calories that you can do without.

Strategy #5Eliminate or cut back on fast food because there is too much fat and sodium in fast food and other highly processed foods . If you are eating fast-food 3-4 days per week, then cut back to 2-3 days, then once a week.
Order sensibly at a fast-food place and order a salad and chicken instead of a greasy burger.

Strategy #6Eat smaller portions at every meal. There’s a tendency to eat too much in a sitting especially when dining out. Cut back by two or three mouthfuls. Leave some food on your plate and take it home with you. You can eat it later or the next day.
This takes self discipline. If losing weight is your goal, get in the habit of making sacrifices at meal time in pursuit of looking and feeling better.

Strategy #7Buy your foods at grocery stores or fresh markets. Prepare healthier meals at home instead of going out to eat all the time and being tempted to overeat or cheat on a weekday

Strategy #8Cut back or eliminate buying junk food when grocery shopping.
Think ahead and don’t buy it because if it’s in the pantry you are going to be tempted.