CAROL’S CORNER

Welcome to the Saturday night edition of Carol's Corner. Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Tonight was dancing night for me, one of the highlights of my week. It really helped up my step count without having to do a second workout. I've named this outfit “Tropical Breezes”, because of the beautiful large flowers and the flowing sleeves and swing type skirt.

This is another of my favorite FitBit bands. I like that I have been able to wear it with a lot of different outfits.

And the coordinating BandCuff matches perfectly as does the jewelry that I also made.

Tonight we're going to discuss how to stay motivated throughout your weight loss journey, something that becomes a problem for many. I'm using material from a website that has a very strange name but the material is good. Its weightloss.allwomenstalk.com. I see there is also an app for this. It's titled 10 Ways To Stay Motivated To Lose Weight”. So let's get started.

If you're in need of some inspiration in order to stay motivated on your continued journey of weight loss, and who doesn't, here are 10 simple suggestions to help you stay on track. So if you think you're losing steam, this may just be what you need.

1.) RETHINK WEIGHT LOSS

One of the best ways to stay motivated to lose weight is to rethink the way you think about weight loss. Don't turn it into an all or nothing situation where you have to lose a certain amount of weight or the attempt was a failure. Everyone can benefit from living a healthy lifestyle, and when you focus on eating healthier and getting moving to do your body good, it doesn't feel like such a daunting task anymore.

2.) SET SENSIBLE GOALS

Make sure you set reasonable goals for yourself during your weight loss journey. If you don't you are setting yourself up for failure. You know yourself better than anyone else. If you know you hate salad, don't make it a goal to eat one everyday. Find an alternative that works for you. The same goes for wanting to lose too much too fast. If you set a reasonable goal like 2 pounds per week, you will see success instead of what you view as failure. It also is good to set both short term and long term goals. Reward yourself with non food rewards when you reach short term ones.

3.) MAKE WORKOUTS STYLISH

Cute workout clothes can be great weight loss motivators. Working out in drab sweats and faded baggy t-shirts is easy, but there is nothing like wearing some cute coordinated gear that'll help you get motivated to work out and feel good doing it. When you wear form fitting clothes it seems to make you push yourself harder. You don't have to drop tons of money either. Targets, Forever 21,even Walmart and K Mart have great sections of workout clothes. I totally concur with this writer on this. It does make a lot of difference, especially in how you see yourself. I try to look good no matter where I am. It just makes a difference. Try it and you'll see.

4.) CELEBRATE YOUR VICTORIES

Any victory is significant when it comes to healthy eating and weight loss. It can be so easy to choose processed food over a home-cooked meal, and we jam pack our days with so much it can be hard to fit in a workout. Don't forget to celebrate small victories. Treat yourself to something nice like a manicure or pedicure, or maybe that new shade of lip gloss you've been wanting, Or that new book you've been eyeing. Not only do you deserve it, you can look forward to your next reward, and it show's you're one step closer to your goal. This is another tip I totally concur with. When you make yourself a reward system you are going to want make it to the next set of rewards, and you will find yourself working harder to reach them.

5.) CHANGE OF SCENERY

This is a rather interesting one. Another subtle and easy way to motivate weight loss is to change your plates. You've all heard about the trick to use smaller plates so you eat less, but there is more to it. According to color expert and author Elizabeth Harper, the color blue, has been known to suppress your appetite , whereas the color red makes you hungry. So try using blue plates when you eat along with a smaller plate and see what happens.

6.) READ ALL ABOUT IT

Another easy way to get weight loss motivation, is through social media. There are lots of apps that can track workouts and meals. You can invite friends to keep track of each other's goals. Then there are all the great Facebook groups where you can get support, post your progress, and enlist the help of other's. Of course I am biased but my own Facebook group, ” Carol's Inspiration Station” is filled with many amazing and caring women. If you're not already part of this, come join us. You won't regret it. All these things can help you stay accountable as well as motivated.

7.) BE CAREFUL WITH THINSPO AND FITSPO

OK, now had to start reading to understand what this tip could mean. Pretty funny once you see what it means. Some people find that looking at pictures of super skinny models motivates them to lose weight , but it might not be such a good idea. A study in the Netherlands studied two groups of women who wanted to lose weight: one group had a food journal with photos of skinny models on the cover and the other just a neutral logo. The second group lost weight while the first one gained. The researchers felt the images of the models discouraged the dieters by creating unrealistic standards. There is nothing wrong with getting inspiration from others, but remember every body is different and you want to achieve a healthy weight for you.

8.) SLEEP ON IT

Well this one is so not what I was expecting, and funny at the same time. Guess it never hurts to try something once,especially when it comes to weight loss. According to Feng Shui expert Donna Stellhorn, writing down a goal on a piece of paper, placing it under your pillow and literally sleeping on it can help you incorporate that energy and help you manifest it quicker.

9.) THINK ABOUT IT

Another way to get quick weight loss motivation is to think about your goals. Definitely agree with this. Whenever you feel like blowing off workouts or think eating unhealthy won't make any difference, ask yourself how your decision will help or impact your health 3 months down the line. While skipping a few workouts or indulging in treats every now and then won't undo all your hard work, blowing off all of your new weight loss habits now, will mean starting over. So think long and hard before you do.(my words)

10.) TAKE IT EASY

In order to stay motivated on your weight loss journey , remember to not be so hard on yourself. Like I tell people, there are many highs and lows along the way, that is just the nature of the journey we're on. Clinical psychologist Joshua Klapow suggests the same thing. When your motivation to stay on the path gets low, don't be too hard on yourself, it's only natural. Motivation has a natural rhythm and if your motivation gets low, maybe you just need a short break to regroup( my words). So take a short break and then get right back at it.

Everyone finds motivation in different ways and different places. Explore what motivates you and use that arsenal of ideas every chance you get. I leave you with this.