If you’re struggling to lose weight fast then you probably know how frustrating it can be.

Maybe you’ve tried weight loss exercises or you’ve placed yourself on a special weight loss diet but just when you think you’re on track to shedding your targeted pounds you suddenly find yourself off track again; at this point you feel like giving up and heading straight for the nearest fast food outlet.

Or perhaps you’re considering the use of weight loss supplements or even weight loss surgery.

Well, here’s the good news.

Losing weight is more than about eating less and living a disciplined life.

Don’t only think about the ways of losing weight. Here are 8 powerful psychology-based tips to keep you motivated and make hitting your weight loss goals a lot easier.

1. Ask yourself why you want to lose weight

So many of us lose weight for the wrong reasons. Or the reasons we decide to lose weight are simply not inspiring enough.

This is why the initial cause for why you want to lose weight is a crucial factor in helping you to stay motivated. Losing weight is challenging enough as it is, and if you don’t have the necessary inspiration you’re going to find it even harder.

2. Think carefully about how much weight you want to lose

Of course, how much weight you are trying to lose also plays a role in the success or failure of your weight loss regime. A target loss of say, 5 pounds isn’t very inspiring and may actually be more difficult to achieve than losing three or four times that amount.

Setting yourself the goal of losing 30, 40, 50 or more pounds of fat is a big undertaking and it’s going to take a lot of work, dedication, diligence, and willpower. It’s a big goal but the reason you’re doing it is also big. Losing five pounds, however, might not even get noticed, and is so very easy to put back on.

3. Don’t set a weight loss goal, create a weight loss vision

Can you already picture the difference losing weight can make in your life? Creating a clear vision of how you’re going to look in the mirror 6 months from now, and a year from now will help you make a substantial and sustainable change.

Remember, you’re aiming for an adjustment to your lifestyle and not just a quick fix. Shedding enough weight from your body will not only just boost your self-confidence in how you feel and look, it will also make a difference in so many other aspects of your life; your relationships and at work. And of course, it will greatly improve your health.

4. Avoid losing weight for the wrong reasons

Bad reasons for losing weight can be because you have a wedding coming up, a high school graduation or a reunion, or any other kind of event where you feel the need to impress other people.

This approach is almost guaranteed to fail.

Okay, it might get you motivated in the short term, but it changes nothing in the psychology of why you are losing weight, or why you keep losing sight of your weight loss vision.

5. Make a list of your top three reasons to lose weight

Sit down and write a list of your top three reasons why you want to lose weight. Ask yourself what is really going to change once you’ve succeeded and write vivid and detailed answers.

Be honest with yourself.

If, for example, you want to get back into the dating scene and think that losing weight will improve your chances of meeting someone then write that down. If you’d like to excel at a certain sport and your goal is to win a trophy, put it on the list. This will help you solidify your weight loss vision, strengthen your motivation and keep you on track when the going gets tough.

6. Be prepared for the long haul

Losing weight takes time. Even though you might have that initial rush of motivation, which is great, but you also need to sustain it because losing weight takes months.

If we’re talking about losing any serious amount of weight then you should understand that shedding more than one or two pounds per week is probably an unrealistic goal, and is certainly an unhealthy one. If you do lose more, then you’re losing water and not actual weight. Also, it will usually take any kind of diet a couple of weeks to kick in before you start to notice the impact.

7. Use quiet time to bolster your weight loss vision

It has been proven that meditation can help you lose weight. But you don’t have to become a yoga guru/master to make your weight loss a reality.

Spend 5 to 10 minutes every morning or evening, or whenever you have some quiet time, to just close your eyes and visualize how you’re going to look in the mirror and in photographs. How are people going to react to the new you? How are you going to feel about yourself and how is your health going to improve?

Whatever your motivations are, picture them in vivid detail. This will get your subconscious into gear and help you create the mindset you need to reduce weight.

Sustainable weight loss not just about exercise and diet, it is also about getting the psychology right. Program your subconscious to align with your weight reduction goals and in a matter of weeks, your body will begin to correspond with what your mind is trying to achieve.

8. Use the affirmation technique to stay motivated

Adding affirmations to your 5 or 10 minute daily visualizations are also a great way of staying motivated. Affirmations are basically short phrases or statements about what you are trying to achieve.

Say them as though you have already achieved your goal. This might at first feel a little silly, but it is a tried and trusted technique often used by professional athletes who want to reach peak performance and when used consistently they really do work.

For example, if your weight loss goal is 170 pounds, then you would say to yourself every morning, “I weigh 170 pounds. I look great at 170 pounds. I feel great at 170 pounds. I like being 170 pounds…” etc. etc.

Repeat the phrase to yourself whenever you picture your future, leaner, fitter, healthier self. Of course, visualization and affirmation on their own will not remove fat from your body.

You’ll still have a lot of hard work ahead of you, including going to the gym, dieting, and you’re going to have to be consistent while doing all that. But affirmations can add a level of certainty to your weight loss vision, and over time they’ll inspire you to keep motivated enough to reach your desired goal.

Conclusion

Losing weight is not easy, and keeping it off is sometimes even harder. It can be a long, uncomfortable process, but like anything else worth striving for, success can have a huge, positive impact on just about every aspect of your life.

Remember, motivation is the reason for the way you behave or act in a particular way. These 8 tips will help build that motivation and keep it going when you really feel like giving up.