Cyndi’s on a mission. Her son’s getting married in the middle of June, and she’s made it a priority to be able to fit into her favorite dress for the wedding. She has to look good for the ceremonial mother-son dance, after all. (They’ve chosen “You Are My Sunshine” — does it get any better?)

The problem? Cyndi bought the dress in 1998, and she fit nicely into it then. These days, not so much. It’s March, which means Cyndi has two and a half months to drop some serious pounds in order to fit into the dress of her dreams. So, Cyndi’s investing in some major life changes in order to get back into shape.

But as anyone who’s ever tried to diet under a time crunch knows, that’s much easier said than done. You need a little inspiration to keep fighting the good fight, especially in those first few weeks before you’ve fully gotten into a routine. That’s why we’ve put together this list: three great ways to keep motivated during your dieting plan.

Find something that works and stick with it.

Atkins. South Beach. Gluten-free. You might have jumped aboard the trendy diet train in the past, but chances are you gained the weight right back after jumping off again. What you need to do is find a diet plan that works for you and never stray from it. In Cyndi’s case, she could watch every calorie from March until April to fit in that dress but balloon outward again right after the wedding. It’s not good to keep your body guessing all the time, so pick one thing and stay the course. After only a few weeks, you might even learn to love your cuisine options.

Look to supplements for a little boost.

Ever feel the need to buy raspberry ketones? They’re the chemical compounds found inside red raspberries and they may contain powerful properties to help kick-start your metabolism. When you buy raspberry ketones in a bottle and take a dose of 100 milligrams, you’re really working with the power of 90 pounds of fruit — and that’s a lot of fat-burning fuel. Of course, the raspberry ketone diet doesn’t work for everyone, but you could easily find something else that does.

Start walking and don’t stop anytime soon.

Say you’ve learned everything there is to know about raspberry ketones and you’re not convinced. That’s fine. Why not go for a long walk after dinner instead? In fact, try to make it a nightly habit of walking a mile or so after your meal to help your body stay active during digestion. If you keep walking, you might even feel the need to start running after a few weeks, and that’s great progress. Either way, some kind of physical exercise is essential for an effective weight-loss plan.

Whether you’re planning to buy raspberry ketones or just walking around the cul-de-sac a few hundred times, find a way to shed some pounds and stick with it. After all, the more you like it, the more likely you are to reach your goal. Just ask Cyndi.