After eating nothing but candy since Halloween it's time for me to make some changes in my diet. Instead of dieting like I have in the past, I would like to change my lifestyle so that I can keep my weight down all year. Here are some tips to move you in the right direction.

Weight Loss Motivation

1. Set a small, specific goal. Stick it on the fridge or your bathroom mirror.

2. Use your scale as a gauge to track your progress and not as a body-shaming device

3. Take before and after pictures. You won't believe how much real proof motivates.

4. Buy a new outfit that you want to rock. Hang it where you can see it daily for a visual reminder to stick to your goals. Or reward your small wins with new workout gear!

5. Focus only on losing the next two pounds. Whether you want to lose 10 pounds or 100 pounds, focusing on micro-goals can keep you from feeling overwhelmed. Think two pounds at a time.

6. Try on your jeans once a week to gauge how you are doing.

7. Surround yourself with support. Support can be friends, family, inspirational images, a fitness app, or all of the above.

8. Make a list of what works for you and keep doing those things. Now you have your own little success list.

9. Visualize the way you want to look.

10. Cancel negative thoughts and replace with positive thoughts. Practice the positive and build it up over time like a muscle.

11. Find someone to be your accountability partner.

12. Celebrate your small wins and share your progress with a Facebook post, Tweet or Instagram pic.

13. Practice self-compassion. Stop beating yourself up for missing a workout. Stop regretting what you ate. Practice kindness and understanding with yourself and simply make a better choice next time. Guess what? You are human and that's okay.

Exercise

14. Vary up your workouts. Don't Groundhog Day your workouts. Avoid having each day look the same.

15. Incorporate strength training and focus on specific muscle groups. Avoid exercising the same muscle groups two days in a row.

16. Track your exercise. You can use an app like MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper, or you can go old school and write it down on a calendar. Logging your workouts gives you an immediate sense of accomplishment.

17. Warm up. You will accomplish more and stay injury-free.

18. Have a workout DVD ready to go for those days when it's dark, rainy, snowy or cold and you don't want to venture out or to the gym. Now you've got your Plan B in place.

19. Download a new fitness app. Try my free e-book about my eight favorite apps.

20. Aspire to sweat from exercise at least three times a week.

21. Don't overtrain. Signs of over-training include irritability, tension, restless sleep, aches and pains and a decline in athletic performance.

22. Do some bodyweight exercises weekly.

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