Having a Motivation Meltdown?

Having a Motivation Meltdown? We've all been there haven't we? We're cruising along with our health and fitness routine and all of a sudden we get hit with a family reunion that derails our healthy eating. Eventually the gym routine becomes boring and stale. Or for some unexplained reason our progress seems to come to a screeching halt! Frustrating right?

Research shows that 25 percent of weight-loss plans fall by the wayside within two weeks. Sometimes the smallest obstacles can really break our motivation and focus. Lawrence Perlmuter, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Carolina, said: "Doing something for 30 days ingrains and strengthens the brain's neural pathways, so you're likely to keep that behavior going on autopilot." So what can we do to help avoid motivation meltdown? I've compiled a four-week, bail-proof guide to survive the first critical month of a healthy-lifestyle makeover without losing your inspiration.

Week 1: Hang Tough Strategies

• Start Small: Pick something small to change every day. Add one fruit or veggie to your diet. Walk on your lunch hour. Think small but do whatever you can to help whittle away those unwanted pounds.
• Don't Waste Your Willpower: Research has proven we only have so much self-control. So during these critical first weeks, avoid temptations like eating out or avoid the coffee shop that serves up those diet busting doughnuts.
• Change Your Self Talk: Saying you should do something like exercise implies it's a burden. Try a little reverse psychology by telling yourself that you "want" to workout and hopefully it will get you in the right mind-set for the gym.
• Journal: Put your weight loss or fitness goals in writing helps reinforce what you're working toward.

Week 2: Knock Out Cravings

Cravings tend to ramp up in week two because your body just isn't used to running on fewer calories. Some of it is all in our head, treats somehow seem more desirable now that we can't have them.

• Downsize Sweets: Adjust your sweets to just 10 percent of your total calorie intake per day. If you go cold turkey, you might feel so deprived it sends you right over the deep end and with a fistful of cookies!
• S.O.S Tweet: If you like Twitter, tweet your craving and ask for other healthy options. You could use Facebook just as easily. You'll be surprised just how much support you'll receive from your followers and friends.
• Work It Out: Feel like jumping ship and pigging out, hop into those sneakers and hit the pavement. Take a walk, run or hike to get your mind on anything else but eating!
• Picture a New You: Find an old picture of yourself that you love and put it up as your computer screen saver or on the fridge. Let it be a reminder of what you're working towards.

Week 3: Find Support

Start by spreading the word to your family and friends about your goals. Putting it out there makes you feel more accountable.

• Find Fit Friends: Find a gym buddy to help keep each other accountable and share your struggles.
• Get Competitive: Bike or run with people who are a little faster than you are or get next to workout nut whose in every class to help push you a little harder.
• Tech Yourself Out: Set alarms on your cell phone or computer so there's a constant reminder of when it's time to workout or even when it's time to eat. Eating frequently helps steady your blood sugar levels, keeping energy up and appetite down.

Week 4: Solidify Changes

• Think Back: List all the changes you've made in the last three weeks and note the ones that were easiest to maintain. Change the ones that were too difficult and keep the ones that you can live with permanently.
• Create an Exercise Alter Ego: This one was brought up in a Nutrition Class by one of our members and I thought it was a great idea. Calling yourself a runner, swimmer, cyclist, etc., can make it easier to stick with an activity because its now a part of your identity. And, surround yourself with like-minded people.
• Plan for Real Life: Slips ups are bound to happen. It's how you respond that matters. One skipped exercise class or pig out at dinner does not undue all your hard work. Don't beat yourself up. It will happen, so face it, accept it and get right back up on that horse!
• Believe In Yourself: You have to believe in yourself even when it gets tough. Start out believing in yourself and reinforcing your new healthy behaviors by constantly "talking to yourself" in a manner that is positive not negative. If you wouldn't talk to your kids that way, then it's a good sign you shouldn't say it to yourself either.