Have you ever felt like you are one big diet failure because you can never seem to actually lose any weight no matter how many times you try? I know I sure did. If this is how you feel, take heart because there is a way to quit failing at losing weight and start succeeding. It’s not easy or quick but it is possible, and you can start right now.
1. Choose The Right Diet
One of the most common reasons for failing at your diet is picking the wrong one. Let’s be real. Fad diets don’t work for anyone. They set you up for being a diet failure.
Think carefully about what type of diet will work for you. If you want structure, choose a diet like Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers. If you want to have more freedom, put together a diet based on healthy eating guidelines and track your food intake regularly. Stick to a low-calorie diet and you will lose weight no matter if you eat low-carb, high-carb, low-fat, or something in between.
2. Ditch Bad Habits Completely
Bad eating and exercise habits contribute to diet failures. Identify your top five bad habits and vow to get rid of them. When trying to figure out what your bad habits are, ask yourself these questions:
Do I eat in secret?
Do I overeat from stress, boredom, or happiness?
Am I consuming too many calories in the evening?
Are snacks a large percentage of my calories?
Am I eating fast food more than once a month?
Do I say I will exercise but never do?
3. Prepare Your Surroundings
One of my challenges to succeeding at losing weight was cleaning up my surroundings. Not the dust bunnies that lived under the couch but the chocolate bunnies that were living in the pantry.
Take a look at your kitchen and pare down any unhealthy foods you have around to reduce temptation and make way for healthier options.
4. Get The Right Mindset
Start your diet with a winning mindset. Tell yourself that you can do this, you will succeed, and you won’t give up no matter what. Write down these positive affirmations and repeat them to yourself regularly.
5. Set High Expectations
Sometimes when people diet, they aim too low and expect too little from themselves. Don’t expect failure but instead set high expectations for yourself in terms of sticking to your diet and not giving up. If this seems impossible, think about how children often rise to the expectations of their parents. Set the bar high for yourself and reach for your goal.
6. Expect The Unexpected
Don’t expect that everything will go smoothly during your diet. When an unexpected roadblock pops up, just go around it and keep going. For example, if you have bad news that makes you want to eat or an injury that prevents you from exercising, don’t give up on your diet. Just take the steps necessary to make your diet work by being flexible and creative.
7. Don’t Skip Exercising
Exercise can’t replace a bad diet, but exercise holds an important place in dieting success. Not only is it good for a calorie burn and your health, but when you exercise you affirm to yourself that you are worth the effort it takes to work out and get to a healthy weight.
8. Prepare In Advance For Maintenance
A common reason for dieting failures is not thinking about weight maintenance when you are still losing weight. It can be frightening to realize that someday you will hit your goal and need to maintain your weight loss.
Do some reading on weight maintenance, cement good habits into your life, and find ways to stay accountable once you reach your goal weight.