How to Make a Weight Loss Inspiration Board: 14 Steps

This article was co-authored by Claudia Carberry, RD, MS. Claudia Carberry is a Registered Dietitian specializing in kidney transplants and counseling patients for weight loss at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Claudia received her MS in Nutrition from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2010.

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It’s easy to lose motivation when trying to lose weight or get in shape. Day after day of following a diet or new eating pattern can be difficult or get boring after a while. The job of an inspiration board is to inspire you, motivate you and keep you focused on your goals. Looking at your inspiration board regularly can help you to keep to your weight loss schedule in an inspired and mindful way.

Steps

Designing Your Inspiration Board

1. 1Visualize you at your goal weight. Prior to starting your inspiration board, spend some time visualizing yourself at your weight goal. This will help you decide what to put on your board.
   • Think about how you will look, how you will feel, the types of clothes you’ll wear or the types of activities you’ll be able to do.
   • Let yourself daydream and have fun with your visualizations. Let anything be possible. These happy thoughts can be inspiring and motivating to you.
2. 2Get sample ideas. If you’ve never made an inspiration or visualization board before, you might want to get some ideas of what to do before making one for yourself.
   • Go online and search for “vision boards” or “inspiration boards.” Many blogs, websites and pictures will come up that you can use to get an idea of how to design your own board.
   • Inspiration boards are becoming more popular lately. Ask friends, family members or coworkers if they’ve made one before. They may share theirs with you or be able to give you some ideas.
   • You can also talk to the staff at craft stores or scrap book stores for ideas on supplies you’ll need and items you can put on your board.
3. 3Gather supplies. Before starting your inspiration board, stock up on some craft supplies. This will help make sure that you can put your board together exactly as you want.
   • Head to a craft store or find an online site that sells craft supplies. They might even have ideas or products (like cork board or a dry erase board) that are designed for inspiration boards.
   • Purchase items like: glue, construction paper, scissors, tape, thumb tacks, stickers, or colored pens and pencils.
4. 4Choose your board. Decide what sort of board you want. Each type of board will give you different options.
   • Choose between cardboard, hardboard, pin board, or even a dry erase board. If you want to make a board that you can change or update think about choosing a dry erase board or pin board.
   • Also choose an appropriate size. Think about where you’ll be hanging your board and purchase a board that will fit.
5. 5Collect inspiring pictures. When choosing images, think of the things that will inspire you most.
   • You may choose to put up pictures of inspiring people, clothing, or motivational phrases.
   • You can even post pictures of what you want to do or feel like when you’ve reached your goal weight.
   • By all means use pictures of bodies that you aspire to look like but be realistic. Photos of celebrities or models may present an unrealistic ideal that can’t be obtained. Choose role models who have a healthy weight and look healthy.
   • Choose images that inspire you now and that you connect with. Remember that whenever you’re feeling down, you want to be able to look at these pictures and remember what you’re aiming for rather than feeling like you can’t match up, ever.
6. 6Include a calorie chart for your top 10 food temptations. Pin up photos of healthier substitutes alongside your favorite foods.
   • For example, list hamburgers from a fast food outlet in one column and in the other column, list a homemade burger using healthier and lower calorie products.
   • It’s even better if you can use images and not just words (perhaps take photos of the old food and the new food). In times of temptation, look at this list for inspiring healthier alternatives.
7. 7Add exercises. Weight loss is about both food and exercise. If you want to be inspired with exercising routines, add some shortcut reminders that will help you remember your exercise routine.
   • This could be a series of sports images, a set of URLs for online exercise tutorials or comic-strip like exercise images for an exercise you want to do every single day (such as push ups).
   • You can also post up pictures of activities you want to do when you’re fit – like crossing the finish line of a race.
   • In addition, put up pictures of fun workout clothes, shoes or put the lyrics up of inspiring workout songs.

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Using Your Inspiration Board to Motivate You

1. 1Record your results. On your inspiration board add a table or chart to record your progress to encourage you to keep going.
   • Another idea is to add a barometer that goes up as your weight comes down. Use any idea that is easy to add and update.
   • Track progress of your weight, improved eating habits or improved fitness levels.
   • You can also use a cut out of yourself moving along a timeline towards your goal.
2. 2Update and change your board. Over time you may want to make some changes to your inspiration board.
   • This will be especially true if you’ve met your goals, made progress or have changed your goals.
   • Change out pictures or motivational sayings as you’ve progressed closer toward your goal or have met your goal. You might want to change this to reflect maintenance if you need to.
3. 3Use the inspiration board regularly. If you’ve made a fairly interactive inspiration board, be sure to follow up with the tasks you’ve set, or make use of its information to keep you going.
   • Add and remove things from the board as needed; you can paste new things over the top of old if needed. Be flexible, as your weight loss is a journey of a changing you.
   • Place the inspiration board somewhere prominent. Choose a spot where you will see the board daily and be inspired by its content.

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Determining a Healthy Weight

1. 1Talk to your doctor. Whenever you’re attempting to lose weight, it’s a good idea to chat with your doctor first. They’ll be able to tell whether weight loss is safe and appropriate for you.
   • Ask your doctor if your current weight is appropriate for you. He or she may recommend some moderate weight loss or a lot depending on your gender, age and activity level.
   • Also consider speaking to a registered dietitian. They’ll be able to guide you towards a healthier weight and be able to teach you about the proper nutrition to help you reach that weight.
2. 2Determine your BMI. Your body mass index or BMI is a measurement comparing your height and weight. Your BMI can show you if you need to lose weight.[1] X Research source
   • Use an online calculator to determine your BMI. You’ll need to input your height and weight only.
   • BMI doesn’t measure body fat directly, but gives you an idea of how much excess weight you may be carrying.
   • BMI is one of many screening tools that helps healthcare professionals determine if you’re underweight, at an appropriate weight, overweight, or obese.[2] X Research source
   • Use your BMI to help determine if you are an appropriate weight or overweight.
3. 3Determine your healthy body weight. Your healthy body weight is the most you can weigh and still be in the “normal” range on the BMI charts for your height and age. Knowing your healthy weight can help you set goals.[3] X Research source
   • Use an online calculator to help determine what you would need to weigh to have a BMI of 25, which is the highest BMI in the “normal” range. This will be your healthy weight. You’ll need to input your height, age and gender.
   • Subtract your healthy weight from your current weight to get an estimate of how much excess weight you’re carrying. Remember, this is an estimate and should be used in conjunction with other measurements.
   • You can find a BMI calculator by visiting https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm.
   • You can weigh less and still be at a healthy weight as long as you don’t cross into the “underweight” section of the BMI chart.
4. 4Compare your BMI, healthy weight, and your preferences. Finding the right healthy weight for you depends on a variety of factors. Think about all before making a set decision on how much weight to lose.
   • Set goals that will help you lose weight in a slow, healthy way.
   • Also consider what you’re willing to do. You may want to aim for a low weight, but don’t want to exercise a lot or have a very restrictive diet. Be realistic about how much exercise you’re willing to do, and how many changes you want to make to your diet.
   • In addition, consider how you feel in your clothes and how you look in your clothes. Your own opinion of your weight is also important to consider.

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Expert Q&A

• QuestionMy weight loss program started but now my weight is stable. What can I do?Claudia Carberry, RD, MSClaudia Carberry is a Registered Dietitian specializing in kidney transplants and counseling patients for weight loss at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Claudia received her MS in Nutrition from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2010.
  Master’s Degree, Nutrition, University of Tennessee KnoxvilleMaster’s Degree, Nutrition, University of Tennessee KnoxvilleExpert AnswerIt’s best to keep losing weight until you reach your goal. Once you reach your goal, the next challenge is to maintain your new healthy weight for years to come.

Tips

• A word cloud can be a fun way to add something to your inspiration board. Key in the favorite words associated with your weight loss journey, turn it into a word cloud and print it off to paste on the board.
• A white board can be useful where you want to remove and replace information. You could even use a whiteboard with images stuck on it but leaving a writing space for amending as needed.
• There is no reason why you couldn’t create a digital version of this inspiration board, if it’s easier for you to carry it around on your laptop, cell phone or touch tablet. Simply turn it into an electronic document and make it as user-interactive as you wish.

Things You’ll Need

• Board material
• Markers
• Glue or tape
• Scissors
• Printer

References

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Reader Success Stories

• “It motivated me a lot.”