Do any of you have tips for staying motivated in other ways? Is there a way that weight loss can play a positive roll without creating unhealthy thoughts?

I'm not completely clear, but I think you mean that body positivity means you can't work towards a different body, because working towards a different body means you don't like your current body.

That's not true. Although it might seem that way, you don't have to dislike who you are right now to work on yourself. Back when you were in the first year of school, you wanted to finish school. That means you wanted to improve yourself, but that didn't mean you hated yourself for being in the first year, right?

My preferred mindset is not to think about the past too much. The best thing you can do, given the current moment you are in, is to keep moving in the direction you want to go.