Nutrition - Keeping up your motivation

Weight control needs healthy eating and healthy exercise, not just for the next few weeks, but also into the future. There are bound to be times when it doesn't go so well, and you might put on a little weight. Think about these ideas:

• Reward yourself for achieving weight loss milestones along the way. Rewards like new clothing, joining a sports club, or a special photo with friends - personal treats that you might have been avoiding.
• Talk with supportive people. Ask your doctor about support groups or counselors who work with weight loss challenges.
• It is useful to get weighed regularly, at least every three months, or at any time you're concerned about your weight. That way, you will know quickly if your weight begins to rise too much. A gain of two to three kilograms shows there is a problem.
• If you're finding it difficult to keep control, go back to your balance sheet, or make a new one. It may help to talk to someone about it. That can help you focus your mind and your efforts again.
• You may like to keep a food diary for a while. This can help you see what's going on over a period of time - things like snacking, are you getting enough fruit and vegetables, etc.? Then you can take action to address areas where nutrition could be better. Click here to download a food diary.
• Try to think about the times when you weren't able to eat or exercise in your usual healthy way. Can you avoid situations like that? Or can you deal with them better? Is there someone who could help?
• There may be times when life is very busy or stressful, and you can't give your health the attention you normally would. You may not be able to lose weight then, but can you at least prevent your weight going up?

• Am I a healthy weight?
• Benefits of a healthy diet
• Getting started
• Tips for maintaining a healthy diet