Have I ever jumped on a new exercise routine but never continued long enough to experience any obvious change in my weight? And have I ever undertaken a healthier and balanced diet before resuming my normal, unhealthy eating habits? To both these questions, I will answer, “Yes.” However, the persisting failures made me start my diet and exercise programs anew. And, this time, I ensured success in my weight loss endeavors by motivating myself to stick to my goals. Here are the following simple ways that I followed and still follow for motivating myself to lose weight:

1. Rewards: Every time I lose a pound or two, I make sure that I reward myself with something I like, such as a classic novel. This also helps to keep my mind away from food.

2. Progress Records: Keeping such records does not just motivate me by making me aware of my progress, such as a drop in weight or measurements, but also forewarns me of any deviation from my weight loss goal.

3. Like-Minded People: By being with people who are going through similar exercise regimes, who know the essence of healthy and controlled diets and who understand my weight loss goals, I ensure that there are always people who encourage me to shed extra pounds of weight, rather than force me to regain them.