Session 16
Celebrate & Stay Motivated
Congratulations! You’ve completed the core 16 weeks of UPrevent. You now have the tools and information that are essential to live a healthier lifestyle. The secret to continued success is staying motivated to preserve and build on your new healthy lifestyle.
As we complete this part of the program, think back to the first session, and be proud of all the changes you’ve made:
If you have met your goals — GREAT!
If you are still working on them — GREAT! Just don’t give up!
You have what you need to succeed. Remember, you are part of the most successful program known to science for helping people prevent type 2 diabetes.
Celebrate Your Success
Celebrating your success can help you stay motivated. Here are some healthy ways to celebrate.
Give yourself a small, non-food reward for reaching each goal.
Make a graph of your progress over time (weight, steps per day, clothing size).
Compare “then and now” photos of yourself.
Share your success on social media.
Thank friends, family, and coworkers who support you.
Try on your “before” clothes.
Start a success journal. Jot down your daily small successes as well as your milestones.
Support someone else to make healthy changes.
Staying Motivated & Moving Forward
A key part of keeping on track with healthy habits is staying motivated. Over the next 6 months, as you move into the monthly phase of this program, you will use the skill you’ve learned to keep watching your weight, eating healthy, and being physically active. You will also receive more in-depth information and develop strategies to help you transition towards building life-long healthy habits.
Stay focused on your goals, remember how far you’ve come and remain committed to working through challenging times.
Here are some ideas on staying motivated that have worked for others. Try these out and find out what works best for you.
Ways to Stay Motivated
Stay aware of the goals you've already reached and set new achievable goals for yourself
- What did you hope to achieve when you first joined this program?
- Have you reached those goals?
- Were there any benefits to being in the program that you did not expect?
- What would you like to achieve during the next 6 months of the program?
Recognize your achievements.
- What changes in your eating and activity do you feel proudest of?
- What was easier than you thought it would be? What was harder?
Add variety to your routine.
- How have your varied your activity?
- How do you vary meals and snacks to avoid becoming bored?
- Can you think of some new ways to vary your food choices?
Keep visible signs of your progress.
- Post weight and activity graphs where you’ll see them everyday (refrigerator door, bathroom mirror, etc.)
- Mark on a chart your activity milestones toward a specific goal.
- Measure waist or belt size once a month.
Identify new ways to challenge and reward yourself.
- Challenges: Should be specific, short-term, and realistic.
- Rewards: Something you will do or buy if, and only if, you succeed in your challenge.
- What are some non-food ways you can reward yourself for meeting a challenge?
Create some friendly competition.
- Set up a friendly contest that’s do-able for all (ie: squat challenge, weight loss etc.) That is, everyone can lose weight, although one person may lose more than others.
Remember, slips are normal
- If you do slip, focus on how to get back in the game. Stay motivated.
Look to others for help in staying motivated.
- Set up a friendly contest that everyone wins. That is, everyone will lose weight, although one person may lose more than others.
- Contact a family member or friend for encouragement and support.
Continue Keeping track of your weight, eating and activity.
Paul has been working hard to make lasting lifestyle changes for the last 6 months. As a result, he has reached his weight and activity goals.
Strangely enough, once he reaches his goals, Paul doesn’t feel quite as motivated. He starts sliding back to some of his old habits.
This is actually quite common. How can you prevent the same from happening to you?
Ways to Cope with Challenges
No matter what level of success you’ve had, you may encounter challenges to staying motivated. These are some challenges that people commonly face:
I lost motivation once I reached my weight goal.
● Remind yourself of the other benefits of eating right and being active.
● Set a new weight goal.
● Set other goals besides weight loss eg: new fitness goal, lower cholesterol level.
● Set a new weight goal.
● Set other goals besides weight loss eg: new fitness goal, lower cholesterol level.
My weight loss has slowed down.
● Build muscle.
● Burn more calories.
● Take in fewer calories.
● Begin tracking again.
● Burn more calories.
● Take in fewer calories.
● Begin tracking again.
I’ve made less progress than I expected to.
● Celebrate the successes you have made.
● Look at how far you’ve come.
● Make a new action plan.
● Make sure you are tracking the right way.
● Look at how far you’ve come.
● Make a new action plan.
● Make sure you are tracking the right way.
I’ve gotten off track.
● Stay positive.
● Try this five step process to problem solving:
1. Describe your problem.
2. Come up with options.
3. Choose the best options.
4. Make an action plan.
5. Try it.
● Try this five step process to problem solving:
1. Describe your problem.
2. Come up with options.
3. Choose the best options.
4. Make an action plan.
5. Try it.
Create A Positive Action Plan
In the next weeks I will: