4 Tips for Staying Motivated on a Health Journey
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Staying motivated on a health journey can be difficult, especially when you consider the changes made need to be forever. In this post I’m sharing four tips to stay motivated and on track—hopefully this will inspire you to start your journey or to keep going!
Staying Motivated on a Health Journey
The second picture is hard for me to look at, not only because I was 70 pounds heavier, but I can clearly remember how tired and frustrated I was at that point. That picture was taken literally one month before I started my personal health journey. I’m a little over 18 months in and I’m not looking back. The other photo was taken about a year ago and I’ve lost more weight since then.
While weight loss isn’t my only goal, it is tied to so many other facets of health. Even if you have other issues that you want to focus on, losing weight might even clear some of those up, without doing much of anything else!
Ultimately, I want to have energy, feel (physically) good, and feel (mentally) better about myself. I have a lot more health goals, but this is where I started and the tips I’m sharing are what it has looked like for me along the way.
Why I Started My Health Journey
I need to preface this post by saying that a successful health journey starts and ends with you. Yes, people can and will help you along the way, but it will ultimately be up to you to be motivated enough to start the process and keep it going.
I haven’t fully talked about why I started my health journey and, honestly, I’m not quite ready to spill the tea yet. Until then, I will just say that I knew I had to do something, or my life was going to be cut very short. In addition to my own health issues, both of my parents have now died from heart attacks. Heart health issues run in my family on both sides, so this isn’t something that I should have been messing around with. I wish I would have gotten serious about my health much sooner, but I am focusing on it heavily now, and that’s all I can do.
When I started My Health Journey
I started my health journey in June of 2021, after months of fighting high blood pressure. I had been diligent about going to the chiropractor, trying to fix the issue, and even went to several sessions at an acupuncturist. Neither of those things helped my blood pressure, so I did finally go to the doctor and get on medication for it. I hadn’t wanted to be on any meds, but until I could get my weight and health under control, I had to, including some for my cholesterol…
This post isn’t about all of that, although maybe I’ll dive into in another post soon!
How to Stay Motivated on a Health Journey
I want this post, instead, to be really encouraging, so you can leave with some helpful tips on staying motivated. I truly believe that’s half the battle. Also, I need to be very clear that I am not a medical expert. All words and experiences are my own, so make sure you’re still talking to your doctor and doing what is best for you.
A health journey will look different for each person. We all have different genetics that make our health an ever-evolving issue, and that also make achieving “health” either easier or more difficult. Our daily lives, incomes, and resources all play a role as well.
Four Tips for Staying Motivated on Your Health Journey
One thing you do have some control over regarding your health journey is your motivation. While some people do seem to have all the motivation in the world, my guess is that they still must work on it, whether it be creating habits or shifting their mindset. It is human nature to want to take the easy way out, the only difference is to what degree people do that.
Adjust your mindset
Health journeys in general can seem easier in the beginning because you’re more than likely excited about making some changes, to feel better, look better (if you’re trying to lose weight), and to try something new. Just like everything else, though, the newness will surely wear off…and that’s when the desire to continue really starts to wane.
I hit a plateau on my weight loss journey about six months ago and that has definitely made it hard for me to want to stay on track. I still have about 35 pounds that I want to lose, but also, I need to maintain the weight loss that I’ve already had, so I don’t want to stop what I’m doing, just because I’m discouraged.
I knew going into my health journey that this isn’t a diet or a short-term thing for me. I had to look at this as a lifetime commitment. Kind of like the saying: ‘It’s a marathon, not a sprint.’. Creating the mindset that I’m making forever lifestyle changes helps me to stay on track, even if I fumble a bit. I still want to enjoy my life, including all the good food, so it’s very helpful for me to know that I’m doing this forever. There will be times that are harder and that I might have setbacks, but my focus should always be on the long-term.
Find a Support System
This tip is hard for me, but it’s also so important. Whether you join a class at your local gym, a group like Weight Watchers, or just enlist a friend, having support in your health journey will make a huge difference in your experience.
I honestly tend to be a loner and very private…especially about health issues—not a good thing. With my parents’ health history, I’ve been fearful of even going to the doctor, which has led to some issues becoming worse than they needed to be. It also allowed me to isolate myself so much that I didn’t allow anyone to help me carry the burden of my health and/or weight loss.
Having someone to help support you on your health journey will allow you to do much more that you can do alone. They can push you further, help encourage you when you don’t want to do something, challenge you to set new goals (I’m very competitive, so this is a big one for me), and cheer you along!
Keep Track for Accountability
This tip is similar to having a support system but is one that you can do all on your own. Since I started my weight loss journey, I have kept a weekly weigh-in log. There have been some weeks I haven’t wanted to record my weight because it was up, but I still made myself do it. This way, I can look back at all the progress I have made, even when the inevitable happens…and the scale goes up. I just use the notes app on my iPhone, but you can use whatever is easiest for you!
The other thing I wish I would have been more intentional about is taking progress photos and videos along the way. I have lots of photos from before, simply because I’m a blogger and document everything, but they’re just not exactly what I want. I wish I would have stood in front of my mirror in my undergarments and taken pictures. This could be weekly, monthly, quarterly…whatever seems best for you, but just take the pictures. There is nothing more satisfying than a good before and after—I think we can all agree on that. Create a folder on your phone and tuck the photos away for when you really need to see how far you’ve come!
I know not everyone’s health journey will be about weight loss, so keep a log of whatever it is you’re using as a marker of your progress. This could even just be a daily journal of what you ate and how you feel after, how much further or more you were able to walk/run/lift, or even just everyday tasks that seem easier. Whatever you can look back on for extra encouragement will work.
Treat Yourself!
This was one of the first ways I stayed motivated as I started my health and weight loss journey. I needed a different way of showing myself some love, other than eating a cupcake loaded with frosting. We tend to eat to celebrate, mourn, and everything in between. When you’re trying to make healthy changes in your life, though, you must find other ways to treat yourself.
As my weight loss has plateaued, I haven’t done a very good job of treating myself specifically. When I was actively losing weight, I would treat myself for each time the scale went down. It could be a pedicure, shopping trip, or anything that didn’t include me eating poorly… As the weight loss has slowed, I have not set up new goals to celebrate. I needed to write this post, I guess, to remind me of that!
A few of my favorite Keto recipes that help me stay on track with my weight loss journey:
Knowing that I need to focus on my health for the rest of my life is actually a motivation in itself for me. It gives me the boundaries that I need to be successful, stay on track, and to have reasonable expectations. When you flip the narrative from your health being dependent on “dieting” to being about taking care of yourself and nourishing yourself, everything changes!
I hope post has been helpful in answering some of your questions! We are in this journey together, friend. I know how lonely it can feel to think you’re the only one who struggles with weight and health issues. Let me assure you that you are not alone. We all have to deal with it to some degree and can all benefit from doing better!
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