12 Ways to Stay Motivated on Your Weight Loss Journey

Getting motivated and staying motivated on your weight loss journey can be two very different things. What worked when you first began may not help you the further along you get. 

But being kind to yourself while building and maintaining motivation can help you stick to your weight loss plan, making it enjoyable as well as sustainable.  

We’re here to guide you through the highs and lows of weight loss motivation, from working out what you want to achieve at the outset to finding support during tough times. 

Three key takeaways

• Instead of following a rigid plan, build a flexible routine with realistic, specific goals that fit your lifestyle and bring you joy.
• Don't just watch the scale. Celebrate "non-scale" victories like having more energy or cooking a healthy meal, and reward yourself when you hit smaller milestones.
• Avoid feeling guilty about setbacks, lean on loved ones for support, and remember that being kind to yourself is the key to long-term success.

Getting motivated

You’re about to embark on a huge challenge with life-changing results. Here’s how to build motivation and break your goals into manageable chunks.

1. Identify what you want from your journey

Work out what you want your main target to be. That doesn’t have to be a number on a scale: fitting into an outfit, building up to a special event like your wedding, or completing a fitness challenge can all give you a goal to work towards.

Remember, weight loss isn’t a goal in itself, but a means to an end. So, think about what that end looks or feels like. You might benefit from your goals being SMART:

• Specific: Put a particular number to your goal, rather than a vague target. “I will lose 4kg in the next six months” is more specific than “I will lose weight next year.”
• Measurable: Not everything you want from your journey will be measurable (like having more energy or feeling more confident), but have some aspects, like a daily calorie intake or steps you’ll walk every day, that you can measure. This will help you track progress.
• Achievable: Set goals that you can actually see yourself achieving. You can always adjust the goal later if you smash it and want a tougher challenge.
• Realistic: Have realistic expectations for your weight loss journey, be ready to adjust them to account for barriers, and set a manageable number of goals.
• Time-phased: Give yourself a set time frame to achieve your goal.

Setting mini-targets, such as specific goals based on certain foods (“I will swap out my bag of crisps for unsalted nuts at lunchtime”) or exercise (“I will walk 10,000 steps each day for the next week”) can also help you stay on track without getting overwhelmed by the bigger picture.

2. Create a routine that works for you

Sustainable weight loss involves building and sticking to a new routine that suits your lifestyle. But you don’t have to give up everything you enjoy eating or doing.

And you don’t have to find a new routine immediately – making small changes and trying new things can help you find new foods and activities that bring you joy. Trying to change everything about your food and exercise routine straight away may make it harder to sustain your routine.

Remember, this is your journey to own. Friends, family, and health influencers might offer helpful (and less helpful) recommendations, but your routine only needs to work for you. It also needs to allow for flexibility, and the ups and downs of everyday life.

Food-wise, you might want to start by focusing on the following:

• Individual food swaps – say, switching your sugary breakfast cereal for a whole-wheat alternative or homemade porridge.
• Meal planning for at least three meals over the next week.
• Download a meal planner app and stick a shopping list to the fridge to support your planning.
• Add healthy ingredients to your shopping list, like fresh fruits and veg, lean proteins like fish, chicken, or beans, and whole grains.
• Prep one or two simple meals from scratch per week.
• Bookmark one or two new recipes on your phone or web browser to try.

These steps keep your eating changes small, manageable, and exciting.

When it comes to exercise, a slow, steady build is the best way to stay motivated:

• Stand rather than sitting where possible.
• Park a little further away from destinations to encourage walking.
• Take the stairs rather than the lift.
• Walk up escalators.
• Cycle or walk to work if possible.

Over time, you can build a fitness routine by finding activities you enjoy, tracking your activity using a fitness tracker or app, and getting your friends involved. And remember, dancing, gardening, walking, and carrying groceries all count as movement, so you can fold physical activity into your daily routine easier than you think.

3. Track and celebrate your milestone moments

The end goal isn’t your only goal, and you’ll hit plenty of milestones and achievements along your weight loss journey. Take stock of your smaller wins using a tracker app or diary and celebrate them. This can help you notch up regular wins and stay motivated.

Weight loss success doesn’t only look like losing three stone. That first pound shed is also vital. So set yourself smaller milestones – 1lb, 5lb, 10lb, and a stone shed, for example – and give yourself a treat, whether that’s a soak in the bath, a nice massage, or a day out with loved ones.

Acknowledging how far you’ve come might not even look like numbers on a scale. If you hit your step goal for a few days in a row or make yourself two meals from scratch in a week for the first time, that’s also a huge achievement.

4. Don’t just focus on the scales

“It’s vital not to get hung up on your goal weight. A balanced lifestyle is about more than body weight. If you have a week where the number doesn’t change much, focus on how you feel or your energy levels to stay motivated.

“Keeping a journal can help you take stock of the benefits of your weight loss journey, like how much more you can move compared to two months ago or how much better you fit into your clothes.”

Jason Murphy, Head of Pharmacy at Chemist4U

5. Prepare for your emotional journey

Weight loss is emotional as well as physical – and it’s not just the highs of small wins. Building a toolkit to help you process lows can help you stay motivated on more challenging days.

Research has found that looking after your mental health while you lose weight can help you prevent weight regain once you’ve reached your goal.

Plus, studies suggest that losing weight can also reduce your risk of mental health problems like depression in the long run.

Mindfulness methods, for example, can help relieve stress. This might include deep-breathing meditation, yoga, or tai chi: anything that involves sitting silently and paying attention to the physical sensations of breathing or how different parts of your body feel.

Mindful eating can be particularly helpful for feeling full or managing stress-eating. These methods can help you truly slow down and savour the taste, smell, and feel of a piece of food in your mouth.

Being kind to yourself with positive self-talk and steering clear of a punishment mindset are also crucial. You aren’t punishing yourself for previous decisions by depriving yourself of treats: you’re treating yourself to a life where you feel good and have energy.

6. Share your journey with loved ones

“Weight loss can feel lonely if you’re prepping meals, weighing in, and logging foods in your app on your own. But your support network can be one of your most important motivators.

“Even if the people you love aren’t making the same diet choices as you, they want for you what you want for yourself. So, get them involved with fun, physical activities, invite them over to try your new meal ideas, and call them when you’re having a bad day.

“And share your achievements with them: they want to celebrate your wins, too.Who knows, you might also be inspiring them to make similar changes.

“You’re behind the wheel. But they are your pit stop team who can send you to the finish line refuelled and in pole position.”

Jason Murphy, Head of Pharmacy at Chemist4U

Staying motivated

When you’re starting out, you haven’t yet had to face plateaus and setbacks, and you’re kicking off with fresh goals in your head. Staying motivated later on can sometimes be even harder than getting motivated in the first place.

Here are some tips for riding out setbacks and managing your mindset as you get deeper into your plan.

1. Reset your goals

Your weight loss and health goals don’t need to stay the same throughout your journey. You can adapt them to fit your changing body and lifestyle.

Some people relish a greater challenge and might want to set new benchmarks along the way. Others might find that their original goal was out of sync with what they wanted or expected.

Your goals can also adapt to unforeseen circumstances. It won’t be plain sailing, and job changes, stress, personal circumstances, and unexpected illness or injury can all be bumps in the road. There’s no shame at all in adjusting your goals to reflect your life.

Let’s say you’ve succeeded at Couch to 5K, so you can join your friends at Parkrun on a Saturday morning. You might find yourself curious about trying a 10K. Or, you might injure your knee and have to change to a lower-impact exercise like swimming.

Take a step back to reflect on why you started your journey, what changes have taken place, and how your goals can respond to these changes while still nudging you along the road to progress. This can help you keep your motivation as your life changes around you.

2. Remember what you’ve already achieved

While it can be helpful to set new goals, don’t forget to look back at your achievements. From your first pound lost, first healthy meal swap, or first day hitting your step target, you’ve been racking up wins.

Take a minute to enjoy how far you’ve come, even if you’re having a tough week at the moment. And remember that all the milestones you’ve hit so far have already shown you can do it.

Weight loss is a journey, not a destination. And you’re well on your way.

3. Shake up your routine

Just as your goals can change, so too can your routine. A weight loss plan should allow for flexibility and changes in motivation. And if a routine no longer works for you, try new foods and new ways of moving during the day.

For example, if you decide to walk to work but it’s making you late, or you’re arriving flustered and sweaty, you might feel more stressed when you start the day. This can increase pressure on your diet: you might reach for a quick, unhealthy snack rather than taking the time to prep a nutritious lunch.

Instead, consider driving to work and parking a little further away. Perhaps get your walking done after work or at lunchtime. Or, set your alarm a little earlier and do some light stretching or a home bodyweight workout before you go.

If your routine feels like a rut or a burden, it might hold you back rather than help you. So don’t be afraid to explore new foods and exercises. There’s no one routine that trumps the rest.

4. Find a weight loss partner

Your journey might feel lonely sometimes, and that’s understandable – you’ve taken on something not everyone chooses to do, which is amazing. But you’re far from alone. Finding a buddy or even a community who are also losing weight can keep you on track.

For example, in 2022, 45 out of 100 adults in the UK were on a weight loss journey. So, whether it’s someone you already know, a person from an online weight loss community or support group, or people you meet naturally over the course of moving more, you can help support each other.

To make the most of a weight loss partner, you can:

• Swap recipes and meal prep strategies.
• Work out together or go on walks.
• Chat on rough days to pep each other up.
• Celebrate each other’s achievements.
• Share tips on navigating social situations, such as controlling alcohol consumption at parties.
• Hold each other accountable, leaving space for check-ins and updates.
• Discuss urges and roadblocks without judgment.
• Set new goals together and cheer each other on.

A weight loss partner can give you a boost and help you understand what you’re going through.

5. Be kind to yourself

You’re making a huge change, and as you adapt, give yourself the kindness you expect from others to stay motivated. This isn’t a rigid journey, so allow yourself the flexibility to be gentle with detours from your expected route.

You might not stick to the plan on stressful days, your weight might plateau, and you’ll have celebrations and days where you fancy a treat. You’re allowed to enjoy yourself. There is no such thing as a slip-up when you’re losing weight.

For example, if you have a slice of birthday cake at a sibling’s birthday party, don’t beat yourself up about it. You can account for the extra calories across the rest of the week.

6. Reach out for help

A weight loss journey can bring up self-esteem issues and body image concerns, while creating a sense of pressure on yourself. If you’re struggling with your mental health, reach out to your GP, a mental health professional, or a dedicated organisation.

You can refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies for help with depression, anxiety, difficult feelings, and eating disorders. They can connect you to mental health professionals who specialise in therapy approaches including counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and guided self-help.

NHS Every Mind Matters and Mind can also provide you with information, support, and tips to help you manage your mental health day-to-day.

And if you feel like you’re really struggling and need urgent help, call Samaritans on 116 123, NHS 111, or 999 (or go straight to A&E) if you feel like you’re in immediate danger.

You are doing something tough but remarkable, and that can take its toll. But you don’t have to do it alone.

Frequently asked questions about weight loss motivation

What is the 30-30-30 rule for weight loss?

The 30-30-30 ‘rule’ suggests eating 30g of protein within 30 minutes of waking up, then doing 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise. But that’s one of many ways you can work in diet and movement changes. Find an approach that fits your interests, routine, and lifestyle.

Which body part loses fat first?

There’s no way of knowing where you’ll lose fat first. Factors like your age, sex, diet, starting weight, and genetics can all play a role. Aiming for long-term fat loss rather than looking for immediate changes can help you stay motivated.

What are the first signs you are losing weight?

These vary from person to person and might not be obvious to you or others at first. But you might have more energy, your clothes might start to fit differently, or you might feel full sooner after meals. You might also notice that your mood and sleep have improved.

Sources

• Association of changes in mental health with weight loss during intensive lifestyle intervention: does the timing matter? (2018). Obesity Science & Practice. [Accessed February 7, 2026]
• Goal setting (obesity service). (n.d.). NHS. [Accessed February 7, 2026]
• Health Survey for England, 2022 Part 2. (2024). NHS. [Accessed February 7, 2026]
• How do I maintain my weight loss? (2025). NHS. [Accessed February 7, 2026]
• How to be more active. (n.d.). NHS. [Accessed February 7, 2026]
• Making a plan that works for you. (2026). NHS. [Accessed February 7, 2026]
• Tips to help you lose weight. (2023). NHS. [Accessed February 7, 2026]
• Weight loss methods and risk of depression: Evidence from the NHANES 2005-2018 cohort. (2025). Journal of Affective Disorders. [Accessed February 7, 2026]