Weigh yourself at most once a week.

You do NOT want to live and die by the scale. Personally, I weigh myself every day now, just because it’s a habit more than anything. But, I’ve been losing weight for over a year now and won’t be discouraged if I gain 2-3 pounds overnight (which is possible with eating a big meal the night before, storing a lot of fluids, etc.). If you’re just starting out on your weight loss journey, you need to step off the scale and just concentrate on losing weight.

Have healthy friends.

I’m not saying to ditch all your friends that are overweight, but what I am saying is make new friends with people that are healthy — this should come naturally if you’re at the gym or performing some sort of group physical activity. Hanging around people that have the same habits that you’re trying to achieve is a good way to pick them up.

Read: I’m not saying to ditch all your friends that are overweight, but what I am saying is make new friends with people that are healthy — this should come naturally if you’re at the gym or performing some sort of group physical activity. Hanging around people that have the same habits that you’re trying to achieve is a good way to pick them up.Read: Effective ways to Lose Belly Fat

Buy smaller clothes.

You obviously need to buy clothes that are smaller as you lose weight, but you should also buy clothes that are smaller than you need when you buy them. The next time you buy some new clothes, buy them a size too small (works especially well with pants). You want to be able to fit into them, but they should be tight — force yourself to lose another 5 or 10 pounds to fit into them how’d prefer. It’s cruel, but it really works.

Set realistic goals.

You won’t lose 150 pounds in a year. You might. I know people that have with ease. I know people that have tried for years. More than likely, you won’t and you shouldn’t let that stop you. You’ll lose weight at your own pace; ignore the pace of those around you.

Buy a digital scale.

I know times might be tough, but digital scales are usually more accurate and they can more closely monitor your weight than an old analog scale. Get with the times, grandpa.

Find an accountability partner.

You don’t have to find thousands like I did (creating the blog), you just need to find one. You need to find someone you can call and encourage you when you’re feeling discouraged and someone to update your weight loss progress with to keep you motivated and accountable. If you start sliding back into your old unhealthy ways, this person should help stop you.

Take before and after pictures

Sometimes the scale is misleading and even if it does show a large loss it still may be hard to notice any difference in the mirror as change occurs so gradually over time. Take a before shot, even if you don’t publish it anywhere. You can refer back to it as you progress on your journey for any changes.