Once you start...

Part of what I have been sharing in my weblog have been periodic entries to encourage people to live more healthy lives...start eating right...start exercising.

The hardest part is actually starting, but after getting over that hump the danger is to start losing interest. Or another danger is not seeing any of the benefits quickly enough and giving up. It is easy to digress and fall back into your old lifestyle.

Here are a few pointers to help keep your motivation level up:

1. Set goals. If there are no goals, you really are aimlessly trying to accomplish nothing. The goals will change as you continue. Also, once you accomplish them, you need to set new ones. They don't have to be completely specific, but there must be goals to achieve. My goals have fluctuated a great deal over the past 14 months. Initially, when I started, my goal was to find something to focus on besides what I was experiencing in my life at the time. Then I had a goal weight I wanted to achieve. Now that I have plateaued somewhat in my weight loss, my goal is to lose body fat percentage (somewhere between 12% and 14% is my ultimate goal, but I also have a goal that I would like to hit before the summer is up). Furthermore, I have other goals that revolve around my training as opposed to just my appearance (which helps keep my mind off of the pride factor). I would like to run in a sprint triathlon next spring...so my training is more geared towards building up my stamina.

2. Celebrate when you reach a goal. Part of my routine used to include one meal a week where I did not count calories. I still splurge here and there...but my diet is a little more strict than it used to be. However, now when I have a great week of working out, I will sometimes celebrate with an extra day of rest the next week.

3. Have accountability. This is actually a pointer that I don't practice myself. I have always worked out by myself. Because I have a very people personality, I find that having a workout partner is more of a distraction to me than a benefit. However, most people can definitely find it beneficial to have someone to hold them to a workout regimen.

4. Know that this is a lifestyle change and not just a diet. The wrong mindset can ruin you from the start. You have to be in it for the long haul...not just a set period of time. There are going to be ups and downs along the way, but if you make a change of your lifestyle, it is a lot easier to return to the "ups" if you have a period of "downs". Please see The Practical Way to Lose Fat. I referenced this article in another entry, but it is very insightful when talking about patience and being it it for the long haul.

These are four tips...but there are many more. If you have other suggestions, feel free to share them as well.