How To Motivate Yourself To Eat Healthily And Exercise Regularly

Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice.” Wayne Dyer

 

Examine your needs
We all need to eat and we all need to move but we all make different choices about what and how much we eat and move depending on how it makes us feel. Viewing the task of choosing to eat healthily and exercise as satisfying your needs to be healthy and fit will lead to you seeing yourself as a healthy and fit person. Connecting with the value and reward in your healthy choices and how you are satisfying your needs will allow you to take responsibility for your motivation through taking a different perspective and creating your own rewards.

 

Reward yourself
On the subject of rewards, yes we all want to see some reward for our efforts but should we wait for other factors like the number on the scales, the size of the dress, etc to reward us to feel motivated and then blame those things when perhaps they perhaps fail to meet our expectations? Or would we feel more motivated if we tuned into the rewards that we can give ourselves like a pat on the back when we are feeling pleased with the delicious healthy meal we have prepared; a smile in the mirror as we think about our achievements; the love we give oursleves each time we do something that is going to benefit us; the respect we give ourselves when we give our body what it deserves.

 

So using a combination of examing your needs and your need for reward is an effective way of motivating yourself.

 

Here are some other ideas for motivation..

• Keep focusing on the compelling reasons why you are doing what you are doing e.g reducing your blood pressure, preventing disease, becoming stronger...
• Keep focusing on the little things that you can achieve that will help you reach your long term goal 
• Build in accountability by doing things like keeping food diaries and booking training sessions in your diary. 
• Take control of your time by adding the value to it. Is eating healthily and exercising worth the cost (sacrifice of time spent doing something else) and worth the effort (making time to do it)? 
• Think about the negative consequences of not being healthy of fit or being fatter.
• Look for the fun and enjoyment in your choices
• Spend time with people who will support and encourage you.