Exercise is an essential part of any weight loss plan. It helps you burn calories, build muscle, and feel better about yourself. But if you’re not used to exercising, or if you have a busy schedule, it can be hard to find time for a workout.

That’s where light exercise comes in! Light exercise is lower impact than traditional workouts—it doesn’t cause as much muscle soreness or fatigue, so it’s easier to fit into your day and won’t leave you feeling drained when you’re done. Light exercise can also help people who are recovering from injuries or surgeries gradually get back into their normal routines.

Light exercise is great for people who are just starting out with fitness because it doesn’t require any special equipment or training, and there are plenty of ways to get started.

Right here on Buy and Slay, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on exercise and weight loss, how to motivate yourself to lose weight, and so much more. Take out time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.

Light Exercise For Weight Loss

Losing weight is easier said than done, and there isn’t a magic pill to take off pounds. Instead, you have to burn more calories than you take in. This involves a healthy diet, as well as a combination of cardio and strength training.

Ready to shed stubborn pounds? Here’s a look at some of the best cardio and strength-training exercises for weight loss, along with tips to be active throughout the day.

4 cardio exercises for weight loss

Cardiovascular workouts (or simply cardio) elevate your heart rate. These are some of the most effective forms of exercise for weight loss because the greater your heartbeat, the more fat you’ll burn, explains Multazim Shaikh, a fitness trainer and nutritionist with FamFits.

To lose weight or maintain weight loss, you’ll need up to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, according to the Mayo Clinic. This averages about 60 minutes, five days a week.

If you’re busy, split up your cardio into three smaller workouts a day. One example: Exercise 20 minutes in the morning before work, walk 20 minutes on your lunch break, and exercise for 20 minutes after dinner.

Great cardio workouts to help you lose weight include:

1. Low-intensity cardio

You don’t have to exercise at a high intensity to lose weight. If you’re a beginner or have physical limitations, low-intensity cardio can also help you burn calories and drop pounds.

These workouts include jogging, bicycling, power walking, swimming, and aerobics. Start slow and gradually up the intensity as you adjust to your new routine.

Aim for 60 minutes of low-intensity cardio five days a week. As you become more physically fit, carry hand weights while jogging, walking, or doing aerobics.

2. Jump rope

Jumping rope not only improves coordination and cognitive function, but the intensity of this workout elevates your heart rate, helping you burn about 1,300 calories per hour, explains Shaikh.

  1. Warm up with 8 to 10 jumps.
  2. Then jump continuously for 1 1/2 minutes.
  3. Rest for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat.
  4. Complete 3 sets.

You can switch up your routine, too. Jump one set on a single leg, one set with both legs, and one set while running in place.

3. Burpees

Burpees combine squats, jumps, and pushups. It’s an effective workout because you’re burning fat from your overall body, and you’re training multiple muscle groups like your chest, legs, and core, says Shaikh.

  1. Do 10 reps in 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds.
  2. Repeat for 5 minutes.

4. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

This cardio workout has increased in popularity due to its ability to maximize calorie burn and fat loss. It involves intense bursts of exercise to elevate your heart rate, followed by 15 seconds of rest.

HIIT is great if you don’t have a lot of time. You’re able to exercise for a shorter length of time, yet complete a more intense and strenuous workout. As a result, you’ll continue to burn calories for hours after the workout, notes Shaikh.

Here’s an example of a HIIT routine:

  1. Complete butt kicks for 45 seconds, and rest for 15 seconds.
  2. Next, perform jumping lunges for 45 seconds, followed by 15 seconds of rest.
  3. Complete burpees for 45 seconds, and rest for 15 seconds.
  4. Repeat for 10 to 20 minutes.
  5. You can also incorporate other movements like mountain climbers and jump squats.

Or, you can try to complete a HIIT workout on a treadmill:

  • Warm up for 5 minutes.
  • Then sprint at a high-intensity speed for 1 minute.
  • Walk for 30 seconds, and then sprint again at a high-intensity speed for 1 minute.
  • Complete 8 to 10 sets.

5 strength-training exercises for weight loss

Even though strength training alone doesn’t have fast results, don’t ignore weight training or strength training when losing weight.

These training sessions can fire up your metabolism. And because they build lean muscle mass, you’ll burn more calories during exercise and at rest, according to Stephanie Blozy, an exercise science expert and the owner of Fleet Feet in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Great weight and strength-training exercises to help you lose weight include:

1. Kettlebell swings

This full-body, demanding workout will amp up your heart rate while increasing your arm and leg strength and helping you develop a strong core, explains Blozy.

  1. Complete a two-handed kettlebell swing for 20 seconds.
  2. Rest for 8 seconds.
  3. Repeat 8 sets.

Blozy recommends lifting faster to boost your heart rate even more and have a more cardio-intense workout.

2. Pushups

Pushups are an excellent exercise for stabilizing the core, building upper body strength, and increasing muscle mass in your arms.

If you’re a beginner, start with 3 sets of 10 reps. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between each set. Gradually increase your number of reps as your strength improves.

3. Lunges

“I love the options lunges provide because you can do them forward, backward, weighted, and unweighted,” says Blozy. “For the weighted version, hold a kettlebell or weight plate next to your chest, or make it even more challenging and lift the weight overhead.”

  • Complete 1 set of 8 to 12 lunges per leg.

4. Step-ups

Blozy also recommends step-ups as another great exercise to strengthen the legs while stabilizing your core and lower back muscles. “Start with a small step height (6 to 12 inches) and then progress to a higher height, like 24 to 30 inches.”

  • Complete 5 sets of 5 to 10 reps per side.

Want to make it challenging? Add weight by holding a dumbbell or kettlebell next to your chest or hold one in each hand, Blozy says. “Not only will your quads burn, but your heartrate will accelerate and sweat will pour.”

5. Deadlifts

Blozy also suggests deadlifts as an exercise to build muscles in both the lower and upper body, while reducing fat. She encourages lightening the load to 50 to 70 percent of your max, and increasing the reps so it’ll feel more like cardio than weight training.

  • Complete 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps.

Simple ways to be active every day

Along with a regular exercise routine and a healthy diet, look for other ways to be active every day.

Remember, the more you move, the more calories you’ll burn. This can maximize your weight loss efforts and help you reach your goal sooner.

  • Pace the room during commercial breaks, between show episodes, or while talking on the phone.
  • Take the stairs rather than the elevator.
  • Park your car in the back of parking lots.
  • Get a fitness tracker. Some trackers send alerts when you’ve been sedentary for too long. These alerts remind you to move.
  • Schedule walking meetings with your coworkers.
  • Fidget in your seat, such as tapping your hand, rocking your leg, or engaging your abdominal muscles as you sit. According to one study, people with obesity who fidget might expend an additional 350 calories per day.
  • Get off the bus or subway a stop earlier, and walk the rest of the way to your destination.
  • Put on headphones while cooking or completing other household chores. This will encourage you to move or dance.
  • Walk the dog as a family.

How to stick with an active routine?

Starting and sticking with an exercise routine is probably the hardest part. But a few tricks can make it easier to stay active.

Stay fueled with foods

For example, eat a light snack before exercise to keep your energy up. Nothing too heavy, though. Great pre-workout snacks include:

  • dried fruit
  • banana
  • trail mix
  • energy bar
  • peanut butter crackers

Sleep enough

Also, get plenty of sleep the night before exercising. It’s harder to work out when you’re sluggish or exhausted. You should also get a workout/accountability buddy. This is someone who motivates you to reach your fitness goals.

Make it fun when you can

Lastly, choose workouts you find enjoyable. If you hate run-of-the-mill aerobic classes, take a dance class instead. Staying active is easier when you’re having fun.

Exercise And Weight Loss

Carrying around too much weight feels uncomfortable, and it can also damage your health. According the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity rates have skyrocketed in the United States in recent years. As of 2010, more than one-third of American adults have obesity, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Body mass is derived by dividing weight in pounds by height in inches squared, and then multiplying the result by 703 (weight (lb) / [height (in)] 2 x 703). You can calculate your body mass by following these three steps:

  1. Multiply your weight in pounds by 703.
  2. Calculate your height in inches squared.
  3. Divide the resulting number from step 1 by the resulting number in step 3.

Obesity can lead to a number of serious health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and some types of cancer.

One method that can help a person lose weight is to limit the number of calories taken in through their diet. The other way is to burn extra calories with exercise.

Benefits of Exercise vs. Diet

Combining exercise with a healthy diet is a more effective way to lose weight than depending on calorie restriction alone. Exercise can prevent or even reverse the effects of certain diseases. Exercise lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, which may prevent a heart attack.

In addition, if you exercise, you lower your risk of developing certain types of cancers such as colon and breast cancer. Exercise is also known to help contribute to a sense of confidence and well-being, thus possibly lowering rates of anxiety and depression.

Exercise is helpful for weight loss and maintaining weight loss. Exercise can increase metabolism, or how many calories you burn in a day. It can also help you maintain and increase lean body mass, which also helps increase number of calories you burn each day.

How Much Exercise Is Needed for Weight Loss?

To reap the health benefits of exercise, it is recommended that you to perform some form of aerobic exercise at least three times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes per session. However, more than 20 minutes is better if you want to actually lose weight. Incorporating just 15 minutes of moderate exercise — such as walking one mile — on a daily basis will burn up to 100 extra calories (assuming you don’t consume excess calories in your diet afterwards). Burning 700 calories a week can equals 10 lbs. of weight loss over the course of a year.

Calculating Your Target Heart Rate

To receive all of the health benefits of exercise, you’ll need to mix in some higher intensity exercises. To get an idea of how hard you are working, you can check your heart rate. The basic formula for determining your target heart rate is to subtract your age from 220 and then calculate 60 to 80 percent of that number.

Talk to a trainer or your healthcare team to help you determine your best intensity for each workout. Those with special health concerns such as an injury, diabetes, or a heart condition should consult a physician before beginning any fitness program.

What Are Some Examples of the Different Types of Exercise?

The type of exercise you choose for weight loss doesn’t matter as much as whether or not you’re doing it. That’s why experts recommend you pick exercises you enjoy, so that you’ll stick to a regular routine.

Aerobic

No matter what exercise program you implement, it should include some form of aerobic or cardiovascular exercise. Aerobic exercises get your heart rate up and your blood pumping. Aerobic exercises may include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, and dancing. You can also work out on a fitness machine such as a treadmill, elliptical, or stair stepper.

Weight Training

A big advantage of working out with weights is that, in addition to shedding fat, you’ll build muscle. Muscle, in turn, burns calories. Talk about a healthy feedback loop! Experts recommend working all the major muscle groups three times per week. This includes:

  • abs
  • back
  • biceps
  • calves
  • chest
  • forearms
  • hamstrings
  • quads
  • shoulders
  • traps
  • triceps

Yoga

Yoga is not as intense as other types of exercise, but it can help you lose weight in other ways, according to a recent study by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The study found that people who practice yoga are more mindful about what they eat and, therefore, less likely to have obesity.

Incorporating Exercise Into Your Lifestyle

The total amount of exercise you engage in during a day matters more than whether or not you do it in a single session. That’s why small changes in your daily routine can make a big difference in your waistline.

Healthy lifestyle habits to consider include:

  • walking or riding your bike to work or while running errands
  • taking the stairs instead of the elevator
  • parking farther away from destinations and walking the remaining distance

Activities and the Amount of Calories They Burn

The average adult male who doesn’t exercise requires approximately 2,200 calories a day to maintain his average weight. A female needs about 1,800 calories to maintain her weight.

The following list contains common activities and the approximate amount of calories burned per hour:

Activities

Calories Burned

playing baseball, golf, or cleaning the house

240 to 300

brisk walking, biking, dancing, or gardening

370 to 460

playing football, jogging (at a nine-minute-mile pace), or swimming

580 to 730

skiing, racquetball, or running (at a seven-minute-mile pace)

740 to 920

Before You Start an Exercise Program

Talk to your doctor before you start a new exercise program, especially if you are planning on doing vigorous exercise. This is especially important if you have:

  • heart disease
  • lung disease
  • diabetes
  • kidney disease
  • arthritis

People who have been very inactive for the recent months, who are overweight, or have recently quit smoking should also talk to their doctors before staring a new exercise program.

When you are first starting a new exercise program, it’s important to pay attention to the signals your body is giving you. You should push yourself, so that your fitness level improves. However, pushing yourself too hard can cause you to injure yourself. Stop exercising if you start to experience pain or shortness of breath.

How To Motivate Yourself to Lose Weight

Starting and sticking to a healthy weight loss plan can sometimes seem impossible.

Often, people simply lack the motivation to get started or lose their motivation to keep going. Luckily, motivation is something you can work to increase.

This article discusses 16 ways to motivate yourself to lose weight.

1. Determine Why You Want to Lose Weight

Clearly define all the reasons you want to lose weight and write them down. This will help you stay committed and motivated to reach your weight loss goals.

Try to read through them daily and use them as a reminder when tempted to stray from your weight loss plans.

Your reasons could include preventing diabetes, keeping up with grandchildren, looking your best for an event, improving your self-confidence or fitting into a certain pair of jeans.

Many people start losing weight because their doctor suggested it, but research shows that people are more successful if their weight loss motivation comes from within.

SUMMARY:

Clearly define your weight loss goals and write them down. Make sure your motivation is driven from within for long-term success.

2. Have Realistic Expectations

Many diets and diet products claim quick and easy weight loss. However, most practitioners recommend only losing 1–2 pounds (0.5–1 kg) per week.

Setting unattainable goals can lead to feelings of frustration and cause you to give up. On the contrary, setting and accomplishing achievable goals leads to feelings of accomplishment.

Also, people who reach their self-determined weight loss goals are more likely to maintain their weight loss long-term.

A study using data from several weight loss centers found that women who expected to lose the most weight were the most likely to drop out of the program.

The good news is that just a little weight loss of 5–10% of your body weight can have a large impact on your health. If you are 180 pounds (82 kg), that is just 9–18 pounds (4–8 kg). If you are 250 pounds (113 kg), it’s 13–25 pounds (6–11 kg).

In fact, losing 5–10% of your body weight can:

  • Improve blood sugar control
  • Reduce the risk of heart disease
  • Lower cholesterol levels
  • Reduce joint pain
  • Reduce the risk of certain cancers

SUMMARY:

Set realistic weight loss expectations to boost feelings of achievement and prevent burn out. Just a moderate amount of weight loss of 5–10% can have a major impact on your health.

3. Focus on Process Goals

Many people trying to lose weight only set outcome goals, or goals they want to accomplish at the end.

Typically, an outcome goal will be your final target weight.

However, focusing only on outcome goals can derail your motivation. They can often feel too distant and leave you feeling overwhelmed.

Instead, you should set process goals, or what actions you’re going to take to reach your desired outcome. An example of a process goal is exercising four times a week.

A study in 126 overweight women participating in a weight loss program found those who were process focused were more likely to lose weight and less likely to deviate from their diets, compared to those who focused on weight loss outcomes alone.

Consider setting SMART goals to set strong goals. SMART stands for:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Achievable
  • Realistic
  • Time-based

Some examples of SMART goals include:

  • I will walk briskly for 30 minutes five days next week.
  • I will eat four servings of vegetables every day this week.
  • I will only drink one soda this week.

SUMMARY:

Setting SMART process goals will help you stay motivated, while focusing only on outcome goals can lead to disappointment and decrease your motivation.

4. Pick a Plan That Fits Your Lifestyle

Find a weight loss plan that you can stick to, and avoid plans that would be nearly impossible to follow in the long term.

While there are hundreds of different diets, most are based on cutting calories.

Reducing your calorie intake will lead to weight loss, but dieting, especially frequent yo-yo dieting, has been found to be a predictor of future weight gain.

Therefore, avoid strict diets that completely eliminate certain foods. Research has found that those with an “all or nothing” mindset are less likely to lose weight.

Instead, consider creating your own custom plan. The following dietary habits have been proven to help you lose weight:

  • Decreasing calorie intake
  • Reducing portion sizes
  • Reducing frequency of snacks
  • Reducing fried food and desserts
  • Including fruits and vegetables

SUMMARY:

Pick an eating plan that you can stick to long term and avoid extreme or quick-fix diets.

5. Keep a Weight Loss Journal

Self-monitoring is crucial to weight loss motivation and success.

Research has found that people who track their food intake are more likely to lose weight and maintain their weight loss.

However, to keep a food journal correctly, you must write down everything you eat. This includes meals, snacks and the piece of candy you ate off your coworker’s desk.

You can also record your emotions in your food journal. This can help you identify certain triggers for overeating and help you find healthier ways to cope.

You can keep food journals on pen and paper or use a website or app. They have all been proven effective.

SUMMARY:

Keeping a food journal can help you measure progress, identify triggers and hold yourself accountable. You can use a website or app as a tool for tracking as well.

6. Celebrate Your Successes

Losing weight is hard, so celebrate all your successes to keep yourself motivated.

Give yourself some credit when you accomplish a goal. Social media or weight loss sites with community pages are great places to share your successes and get support. When you feel pride in yourself, you will increase your motivation.

Moreover, remember to celebrate behavior changes and not just reaching a certain number on the scale.

For example, if you met your goal of exercising four days a week, take a bubble bath or plan a fun night with friends.

Additionally, you can further improve your motivation by rewarding yourself.

However, it’s important to pick appropriate rewards. Avoid rewarding yourself with food. Also, avoid rewards that are so expensive you would never buy it, or so insignificant that you would allow yourself to have it anyway.

The following are some good examples of rewards:

  • Getting a manicure
  • Going to a movie
  • Buying a new running top
  • Taking a cooking class

SUMMARY:

Celebrate all your successes throughout your weight loss journey. Consider rewarding yourself to further boost your motivation.

7. Find Social Support

People need regular support and positive feedback to stay motivated.

Tell your close family and friends about your weight loss goals so they can help support you on your journey.

Many people also find it helpful to find a weight loss buddy. You can work out together, hold each other accountable and encourage each other throughout the process.

Additionally, it can be helpful to involve your partner, but make sure to get support from other people too, such as your friends.

Furthermore, consider joining a support group. Both in-person and online support groups have been proven to be beneficial.

SUMMARY:

Having strong social support will help hold you accountable and keep you motivated to lose weight. Consider joining a support group to help boost your motivation along the way.

8. Make a Commitment

Research shows that those who make a public commitment are more likely to follow through with their goals.

Telling others about your weight loss goals will help you stay accountable. Tell your close family and friends, and even consider sharing them on social media. The more people you share your goals with, the greater the accountability.

Moreover, consider investing in a gym membership, package of exercise classes or paying for a 5K in advance. You are more likely to follow through if you have already made an investment.

SUMMARY:

Making a public commitment to lose weight will help you stay motivated and hold you accountable.

9. Think and Talk Positively

People who have positive expectations and feel confident in their ability to achieve their goals tend to lose more weight.

Also, people who use “change talk” are more likely to follow through with plans.

Change talk is making statements about commitment to behavioral changes, the reasons behind them and the steps you will take or are taking to reach your goals.

Therefore, start talking positively about your weight loss. Also, talk about the steps you are going to take and commit your thoughts out loud.

On the other hand, research shows that people who spend a lot of time only fantasizing about their dream weight are less likely to reach their goal. This is called mentally indulging.

Instead, you should mentally contrast. To mentally contrast, spend a few minutes imagining reaching your goal weight and then spend another few minutes imagining any possible obstacles that may get in the way.

A study in 134 students had them mentally indulge or mentally contrast their dieting goals. Those who mentally contrasted were more likely to take action. They ate fewer calories, exercised more and ate fewer high-calorie foods.

As seen in this study, mentally contrasting is more motivating and leads to more action than mentally indulging, which can trick your brain into thinking you have already succeeded and cause you to never take any action to reach your goals.

SUMMARY:

Think and talk positively about your weight loss goals, but make sure you are realistic and focus on the steps you must take to reach them.

10. Plan for Challenges and Setbacks

Everyday stressors will always pop up. Finding ways to plan for them and developing proper coping skills will help you stay motivated no matter what life throws your way.

There will always be holidays, birthdays or parties to attend. And there will always be stressors at work or with family.

It’s important to start problem solving and brainstorming about these possible weight loss challenges and setbacks. This will keep you from getting off track and losing motivation.

Many people turn to food for comfort. This can quickly lead to them abandoning their weight loss goals. Creating appropriate coping skills will prevent this from happening to you.

In fact, studies have shown that people who are better at handling stress and have better coping strategies will lose more weight and keep it off longer.

Consider using some of these methods to cope with stress:

  • Exercise
  • Practice square breathing
  • Take a bath
  • Go outside and get some fresh air
  • Call a friend
  • Ask for help

Remember to also plan for holidays, social events and eating out. You can research restaurant menus in advance and find a healthy option. At parties, you can bring a healthy dish or eat smaller portions.

SUMMARY:

It is crucial to plan for setbacks and have good coping practices. If you use food as a coping mechanism, start practicing other ways to cope.

11. Don’t Aim for Perfection and Forgive Yourself

You do not have to be perfect to lose weight.

If you have an “all or nothing” approach, you’re less likely to achieve your goals.

When you are too restrictive, you may find yourself saying “I had a hamburger and fries for lunch, so I might as well have pizza for dinner.” Instead, try to say, “I had a big lunch, so I should aim for a healthier dinner”.

And avoid beating yourself up when you make a mistake. Self-defeating thoughts will just hinder your motivation.

Instead, forgive yourself. Remember that one mistake is not going to ruin your progress.

SUMMARY:

When you aim for perfection, you will quickly lose your motivation. By allowing yourself flexibility and forgiving yourself, you can stay motivated throughout your weight loss journey.

12. Learn to Love and Appreciate Your Body

Research has repeatedly found that people who dislike their bodies are less likely to lose weight.

Taking steps to improve your body image can help you lose more weight and maintain your weight loss.

Furthermore, people who have a better body image are more likely to pick a diet they can sustain and try new activities that will help them reach their goals.

The following activities can help boost your body image:

  • Exercise
  • Appreciate what your body can do
  • Do something for yourself, such as getting a massage or manicure
  • Surround yourself with positive people
  • Stop comparing yourself to others, especially models
  • Wear clothes you like and that fit you well
  • Look in the mirror and say the things you like about yourself out loud

SUMMARY:

Boosting your body image can help you stay motivated to lose weight. Try the activities mentioned above to improve your body image.

13. Find an Exercise You Enjoy

Physical activity is an important part of losing weight. Not only does it help you burn calories, but it also improves your well-being.

The best kind is exercise you enjoy and can stick to.

There are many different types and ways to exercise, and it’s important to explore different options to find one you enjoy.

Consider where you want to exercise. Do you prefer to be inside or outside? Would you rather work out at a gym or in the comfort of your own home?

Also, figure out if you prefer to exercise alone or with a group. Group classes are very popular, and they help many people stay motivated. However, if you don’t enjoy group classes, working out on your own is just as good.

Lastly, listen to music while you work out, as doing so can increase motivation. People also tend to exercise longer when listening to music.

SUMMARY:

Exercise not only helps you burn calories, it also makes you feel better. Find an exercise you enjoy, so it can easily become part of your routine.

14. Find a Role Model

Having a role model can help you stay motivated to lose weight. However, you need to pick the right kind of role model to keep yourself motivated.

Hanging a picture of a supermodel on your fridge will not motivate you over time. Instead, find a role model that you can easily relate to.

Having a relatable and positive role model may help keep you motivated.

Maybe you know a friend who has lost a lot of weight and can be your inspiration. You can also look for inspirational blogs or stories about people who have successfully lost weight.

SUMMARY:

Finding a role model will help keep you motivated. It is important to find a role model that you can relate to.

15. Get a Dog

Dogs can be the perfect weight loss companions. In fact, studies show that owning a dog can help you lose weight.

First, dogs can increase your physical activity.

A Canadian study in dog owners found that people who had dogs walked an average of 300 minutes per week, while people who did not have dogs only walked an average of 168 minutes per week.

Second, dogs are great social support. Unlike your human work out buddy, dogs are almost always excited to get some physical activity.

As an added bonus, pet ownership is proven to improve overall health and well-being. It has been linked to lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure and reduced feelings of loneliness and depression.

SUMMARY:

Dogs ownership can help you lose weight by increasing your physical activity and providing great social support along the way.

16. Get Professional Help When Needed

Don’t hesitate to consult professional help to aid your weight loss efforts when needed. People who feel more confident in their knowledge and abilities will lose more weight.

This may mean finding a registered dietitian who can teach you about certain foods or an exercise physiologist to teach you how to exercise properly.

Many people also enjoy the accountability that seeing a professional provides them.

If you are still struggling to get motivated, consider finding a psychologist or dietitian who is trained in motivational interviewing, which has been proven to help people achieve their goals.

SUMMARY:

Professionals such as dietitians, exercise physiologists and psychologists can help boost your motivation and knowledge to help you reach your weight loss goals.

The Bottom Line

Being motivated to lose weight is important for long-term weight loss success.

People find different factors motivating, so it’s important to find out what helps motivate you, specifically.

Remember to give yourself flexibility and celebrate the little successes along your weight loss journey. And don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed.

With the proper tools and support, you can find and stay motivated to reach your weight loss goals.

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