by Joan Inong

Created on: November 14, 2009

Generally, many people think that losing weight is difficult. They know that there are many reasons for putting weight loss off, and obstacles, stemming from daily life, exist to inhibit or at least slow down the weight loss process. However, much our obstacles are self-made, and by changing the way that we see weight loss, we can decrease its difficulty.

Create incentives

After you have created your weight loss goals and plans, you will need to create incentives. These rewards will help keep you motivated, so that once you start losing weight, you will continue to lose weight. Remember, however, that these rewards cannot be detrimental to your plans. Follow these tips when creating incentives:

- Food-related incentives should also follow your dieting guidelines; desserts should be kept to a minimum

- Activity-related incentives are encouraged. For example, going out with friends to see a movie (but not eating popcorn or candy), is a great reward that will keep your mind off of your weight loss plans.

- The best incentives will help you get more out of your weight loss plans. For example, buying a treadmill is a beneficial reward that will keep on giving.

Celebrating milestones

Creating milestones and celebrating them will help you think of weight loss as a process instead of a challenge. Because we naturally think of weight loss as a difficult task, we have to create small celebrations throughout the process that will change that mindset. These celebrations will make weight loss fun. Whenever you lose 10 pounds, you can celebrate by carrying out one of your incentives.

Create these milestones in conjunction with your incentives. For example, a large milestone (losing 30 pounds total) will require a large reward, while smaller milestones (10 pounds each) will only require a small reward. Make the reward fit the achievement.

Losing with friends and others

When you are losing weight with others, it becomes a game rather than a difficulty. You will be able to share recipes and weight loss tips with one another. You can go jogging with each other, and you can celebrate milestones together. It is not difficult to see why weight loss becomes less of a chore when you are doing it with someone else.

Losing weight does not have to be a difficult task. As long as you follow the tips above, you will be able to lose weight with a smile on your face and a skip to your steps.

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