Dieting can be the most tedious or most rewarding experience depending on how dedicated you are to sticking to your health and fitness plan. All too often diets fail because the dieter hasn’t committed, hasn’t planned, and hasn’t prepped themselves for success.
The following article provides fail proof tips (see more) to help you understand how to stick to a diet.
Set Realistic Goals
Telling yourself you’re going to lose 10 pounds during your first week of dieting is not only unrealistic, it can be unsafe. To set realistic weight loss goals you need to:
1. Decide exactly how much weight you’d like to lose (chose a goal weight)
2. Decide how hard you want to work seriously (do you want to cut out all sugar, or be able to have a cheat day every now and again)
3. Start out by saying you’ll lose 2 pounds this week (then if you succeed, you’ll know you can do it again next week or even up your goal)
4. Set a date that you want to lose the weight by
Although this concept seems elementary it is the first step in developing a diet plan you can actually stick to. By setting realistic goals that allow you to see small results, you are more likely to stay on the weight loss path than if you had set unrealistic goals and come up short.
Put a Plan in Place
Because dieting is a process that requires discipline and hard work it’s important that you set yourself up for success by putting a plan in place. Decide how many calories you should be consuming daily and plan your meals and snacks accordingly. Then look at your calendar or planner and decide exactly what days and what times you’re going to exercise. Finally, go through your kitchen and pantry and get rid of all tempting foods.
By mapping out exactly how you’re going to succeed, you’re more likely to actually reach your goal.
Prep, Prep, Prep
Dieting in such a way that you’re going to be able to sustain your eating habits even after you’ve hit your goal weight (rather than participating in an impossible crash diet) requires some preparation on your part.
The foods that are the quickest and easiest to grab on the go or when you’re hungry are often the most processed and calorie packed choices. To avoid this trap, it’s important that you prep healthy snacks so that you have a choice when you’re heading out the door. Some healthy, yet filling snack ideas include:
· Walnuts and blueberries (only ¼ cup of walnuts)
· Almonds and raisins (only ¼ cup of each)
· Cut up fruit (cut up pineapple, peel oranges, slice peaches and put them in sandwich baggies)
· Sliced veggies (cut up raw bell peppers, cucumbers, snap peas, and cauliflower and put them in sandwich baggies too)
· Almond butter on a brown rice tortilla
· Home-made protein bars or energy bites (you can make these in bulk and then store them in your fridge or freezer depending on how fast you want to eat them)
Keep in mind, the higher in protein the snack is the more full it’s going to keep you. If you’re just running out the door to run an errand or need a mid-morning pick-me-up in between classes then fruit and raw veggies are your ticket but if you need something to sustain you for several hours we suggest including some protein (nuts are good, filling sources of protein and healthy fats).
Additionally, cooking healthy meals takes a little extra time than throwing something together quickly. No longer can you whip up side dishes from boxes or freezer bags, everything should be fresh.
A way to set yourself up for success in this department is to pick a day of the week (weekend days are the best) where you have several hours to cook. The best items to make in bulk are: brown rice, chicken breasts, quinoa and bean salads, protein bars, and items that don’t involve veggies and sauces that need to be served fresh. By making food for the week on a Saturday or Sunday, you won’t have to worry about what you’re going to eat when you come home from work hungry and you won’t be tempted to turn to the crackers and cereals that you used to turn to in these situations.
Try a Supplement
Most diet pills are designed to aid in reaching your weight loss goals by suppressing the appetite, boosting the metabolism, and regulating blood sugar. When using in conjunction with a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise, a good diet pill like one of our favorites, Apidexin, can help you see weight loss results fast.
The diet pills that you can trust are derived from all-natural ingredients that have been clinically tested and proven to aid in real weight loss. Additionally, natural products aren’t usually associated with any negative side effects so you can make sure you’re feeling healthy, happy, and energized as you drop pounds and get in shape.
Ready, Set, Go
Sticking to a diet plan doesn’t take rocket science, it simply takes dedication and preparation. If losing weight is truly important to you then you need to make a commitment to yourself and to your health to stick to a plan you put in place.
If you cheat, don’t fall off the bandwagon feeling you’re a failure, instead, hold on tight, review your goals, and get into the kitchen and prep your meals for tomorrow.