How to Maintain Motivation for Diet and Exercise

LIVESTRONG.COM

Despite knowing that a healthy diet and regular exercise are good for you and have many benefits, it's almost always a challenge to stick with them and avoid temptation to slip into negative habits. Self-control is a significant contributor to success when it comes to a healthy lifestyle, but there are other motivational factors that can make just as big of a difference, too.

Goals

Setting small and medium fitness goals as well as large goals is an important part of tracking progress and staying motivated. An example of a small goal might be eating four servings of vegetables in a single day, and a medium goal could be eating the same amount of vegetable servings every day for a week. Sticking to small and medium goals consistently can make it easier to reach large goals, such as meeting a certain weight-loss mark. Track progress by recording each day's goals in a log.

Access

According to the Washington State Department of Health, positive motivation to eat healthily can be boosted by widening access to healthy foods and snacks. Dieters can give away unhealthy snacks such as chips or cookies and stock their kitchens with fresh fruit, vegetables and whole-grain items. If you are trying to work out more, it may help to keep fitness equipment such as exercise DVDs, stability balls, yoga mats, dumbbells and jump ropes in plain sight for easy access and a motivational reminder.

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Routine

Sticking to a consistent and comfortable routine makes it easier for most people to stay motivated and interested in a healthy diet and exercise. To find a routine you enjoy, try different types of exercise until you find a few different workouts that fit your schedule and seem fun. Carve out time each day for one workout, and treat it as a work appointment or an equally important event. Do the same with healthy foods. If you take your lunch with you to work, pack at least one piece of fresh fruit every day.

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Support

Try working out with a partner regularly or keeping your family and friends posted on your exercise and healthy eating goals. In a 2004 University of Minnesota Medical School study, clinicians tested the effects of regular motivational conversations between trained staff members and subjects who were trying to lead more healthy lifestyles. The study found that regular and direct contact with another person, through in-person interactions or phone calls, was a significant motivator for positive behavioral change.

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Rewards

Offering rewards is a significant motivator for most people. But stay away from rewarding yourself with food. The Mayo Clinic advises offering rewards that have to do with physical activity, such as a pair of new walking shoes after you reach a walking goal or a new CD of exercise songs when you've stuck with your healthy eating routine consistently.

By Carly Schuna


References

  • Mayo Clinic: Fitness Programs--7 Tips for Staying Motivated

  • Washington State Department of Health: Increase Access to Health-Promoting Foods

  • Annals of Family Medicine: Minnesota Clinicians Motivating Health Improvement Study


How to Maintain Motivation for Diet and Exercise courtesy of LIVESTRONG.COM