How to Boost Willpower to Lose Weight

You can lose weight if you set your mind to it. Are you ready to take action to achieve the body of your dreams?  The biggest difficulty you face is your self-discipline and willpower.

You may have fallen into a bad cycle. The cycle starts with eating a poor diet full of fats, carbs, and processed foods. These are the kinds of foods that make you feel tired and lethargic all the time. Then, because your body lacks energy, you don't feel like exercising. What's the end result? You end up with a lack of willpower.

Here's a list of things to consider when boosting your willpower: 

1. Don't Wait For Something Bad To Happen. Your willpower is within you and you don't want something bad to happen in order to find it.
 
We've all heard the stories about someone suffering a severe trauma, like a heart attack, and how that life event leads to a permanent change in their habits. You don't need this to happen to you in order to get motivated.

2. Watch Your Portion Size. This is one tip that can allow you to start small. It's hard to muster up the willpower if you're trying to go from one extreme to another. Decide that you're going to have the same meal tonight that you would normally eat - but give yourself a smaller portion size. A good trick is to use smaller plates so the plate visually appears full.

3. Give Yourself A Cheat Day. It'll be an easier transition for you if you allow yourself some fun once in awhile. Tell yourself that next Saturday you can enjoy that pizza for dinner or that chocolate cake for dessert. You'll be less likely to give up knowing that you can eat some pizza next Saturday instead of never.
Your cheat day doesn't mean over-eat day.

Savor the flavors of your food, even if it means having a smaller piece than you're used to. Once you've finished your piece, your willpower should kick in and say "no more".

4. Take Photographs. You can motivate yourself to lose weight by taking some self-portraits. We usually don't have the best idea about how we truly look until we see ourselves in a photograph. Keep a picture with you and look at it when you feel like giving up. Update your photo often and compare them as you start to lose weight.

5. Make A Food List. Write down all the foods you enjoy eating, then choose whether or not these items are healthy. Chances are there are at least some healthy foods that you actually enjoy eating - such as fruits and vegetables. Make sure you start buying these foods for your home.

6. Exercise In Moderation. Adding exercise to your routine can also be a difficult task if you try to jump in too fast. Nobody is telling you that you need to join a gym and engage in rigorous workouts. You'll actually be surprised at how energized you can feel just by taking a 30 minute walk on a treadmill, three times a week.

Set Small Goals

No matter how you choose to approach your weight loss, it's important to take small steps and remain in good spirits. Doing too much, too fast will only set you up for failure. Instead, set small, manageable goals like one pound per week. By focusing on the smaller, more achievable goal, you'll actually see results far more quickly.