14 Ways to Stay On Your New Years Diet
It’s easy to feel motivated at the start of your diet: you’re
taking steps towards better health, you’re enthusiastic about a new
goal, maybe other people in the office are joining in … and the
first few weeks go brilliantly.
But then, your weight loss slows down, life gets busier, and your
diet and exercise routine become monotonous. Your motivation is
disappearing almost as fast as the chocolate hobnobs in your desk
drawer…
Here’s
14 ways to keep up your motivation for your diet:
1. Give yourself a break
If you’re tempted to give up altogether, try taking a weekend
off your diet instead. Don’t go completely mad, but eat whatever
you fancy, and stop once you’re full. A couple of days of not
dieting won’t make much difference to your long-term weight loss …
but it could well save your diet. (Be positive)
2. Look at how far you’ve come
Do you have a photo from “before” you started dieting? Dig one
out, and remind yourself how well you’ve done so far – whether
you’ve lost three pounds or three stone. If you recorded your
starting weight, then think how much you’ve lost. Or look at your
diet diary and see how much healthier your choices are today compared
with a few months ago.
3. Read some great quotes
Some writers and speakers have the knack of giving pithy,
uplifting, or funny quotes which can distract us from thinking about
what’s in the fridge. You can place the quotes on your mirror,
doors etc.
4. Blog
it.
I know that blogging is new
to a lot of people, and can be scary. Few women would willingly talk
about their weight loss plans online, right WRONG. Woman are blogging
about weight management concerns. Do a Google search. You'll see that
there is a huge community of bloggers who are cheering each other on,
and sharing their progress.
Feeling fat, isolated and
depressed can make it difficult to reach out to people in your own
community. Our own families are often unable to motivate us to make
the life changes we really want to make. Having a place to record
your thoughts, connect with other people who face similar challenges
is crucial to your success. Build a community of your own and share
your thoughts and Ideas from someone from Cleveland Ohio, Dallas
Texas or even San Francisco California.
The
internet is a fantastic place to find support, information and
friendship. Free blogs are available through www.blogspot.com on
Google and a zillion other sites.
5.. Treat yourself to something nice
When you’ve worked hard, it’s good to reward yourself. Give
yourself a little present for how well you’ve done with your
healthy living plans so far – it doesn’t matter if you’ve not
even lost a pound, so long as you’ve made changes to your
lifestyle. How about buying a novel by one of your favorite authors,
enjoying a long soak in the bath, going to the cinema, or buying some
new clothes to show off your improved figure?
6.
Expect some failure and learn from your mistakes.
Rules were made to be broken,
and sometimes you just need some cheesecake. If you fall off the
dieting wagon, never fear. Once you surface from your sugar-coma,
acknowledge that you overdid it, and take note of how your body
feels. That sluggish feeling that follows overeating isn't a good
one. Rather than punishing yourself with more
overeating, or a drastically sparse day featuring only iceberg
lettuce, take a deep breath and go back to the planned menu. If you
spiral out of control on vacation, or if stress causes you to lose
control, remember that they don't crown winners for losing weight,
nor is anyone keeping score to make sure that you never step out of
bounds. Take a deep breath, and start again but don't ever give up.
7. Set small goals and celebrate each one.
When you have lots of weight
to lose, the thought of all those pounds can discourage even the
peppiest of optimists. My client is two months into this, and has
only lost 8 pounds. It's frustrating him to the extreme. His goal was
to lose 85 pounds. He mentioned to me when I reach 10 pounds lost,
I'm going to get a some new running shoes. He refused to focus on the
whole 85 pounds - I've got two pounds to go, and then I'll work
on that next ten. That's how you celebrate
8) Drink plenty
of water or other calorie-free beverages.
Before you tear into that bag of potato chips, drink a glass of
water first. People sometimes confuse thirst with hunger, so you can
end up eating extra calories when an ice-cold glass of water is
really all you needed. If plain water doesn't cut it, try drinking
flavored sparkling water or brewing a cup of fruit-infused herbal
tea.
9) Eat protein at every meal.
Protein is the ultimate fill-me-up food -- it's more satisfying
than carbs or fats and keeps you feeling full for longer. It also
helps preserve muscle mass and encourages fat burning. So be sure to
incorporate healthy proteins like seafood, lean meat, egg whites,
yogurt, cheese, soy, nuts, or beans into your meals and snacks.
10) Include fiber in your diet eat more
vegetables and fruits.
Fiber aids digestion, prevents constipation, and lowers
cholesterol -- and can help with weight loss. Most Americans get only
half the fiber they need. To reap fiber's benefits, most women should
get about 25 grams daily, while men need about 38 grams -- or 14
grams per 1,000 calories. Good fiber sources include oatmeal, beans,
whole grain foods, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. The best
"diet" is one where you get to eat
more food, not
less. If you eat more fruits and vegetables, you shouldn't feel as
hungry because these nutrient-rich foods are also high in fiber and
water, which can give you a feeling of fullness. Snacking can be a
good thing as long as you choose smart snacks.
11) Lose weight slowly.
If you're losing weight but not as fast as you'd like, don't get
discouraged
. Dropping pounds takes time, just like gaining
them did. Experts suggest setting a realistic weight loss goal of
about one to two pounds a week. If you set your expectations too
high, you may give up when you don’t lose weight fast enough.
Remember, you start seeing health benefits when you've lost just
5%-10% of your body weight.
12) Celebrate success (but not with food).
You lost five pounds this month and walked every other day? Time
to celebrate! Rewarding weight loss success really can encourage more
success, so revel in your achievements. Buy a CD, take in a movie,
and set a prize for the next milestone. Just don't celebrate with a
sundae or deep dish pizza.
I had a client who would by colorful
ribbons whenever she lost weight and it became a conversation piece
whenever her friends would come by.
13) Get help from family and friends.
Getting support can help you reach your weight loss goals. So tell
family and friends about your efforts to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Maybe they'll join you in exercising, eating right, and losing
weight. When you feel like giving up, they'll help you, keep you
honest, and cheer you on -- making the whole experience a lot easier.
14.) Create a recipe
club.
Share your thoughts and ideas with
friends online or at home. Healthy Recipes can go a long way when you
have support.
