It can be so easy to get caught up in all of the fad diets that are swamping the book stores, magazine stands and infomercials these days, and lose sight of some of the most important aspects of dieting. These impractical diets make it very easy to fail at losing weight because they are based on unrealistic goals promising unrealistic and unsustainable loss in a short amount of time. Take a deep breath, get grounded and read these five easy dieting motivation tips that will keep you motivated and on the path to smart dieting.
1. Make Small, Simple Lifestyle Changes
To begin with, know that you don’t ever need to go on a diet; you just need to make a few small changes your lifestyle. The Majority of diet programs tout a, say, “six week” or “three month” diet program to lose say 20 pounds. But what happens after the three months? One goes back to old unhealthy patterns of behaviour, and as a result gain all the weight back and feel even more unhappy because the plan effectively failed. Instead, try and incorporate real lifestyle changes that you can stick to in the long term.
2. Avoid Unrealistic Goals
Setting realistic goals is the second most important factor to consider. If you are twenty lbs overweight, then you can realistically reach your goal in just over two months time. It is realistic for you to plan on losing 2 lbs per week. You can pick an event that is three months down the line and say to your self ‘I will look fantastic on that night!’. By doing so you will have a time frame that is practical and a goal to drive you to work towards attaining.
3. Use Rewards
Remember to reward yourself. The clincher here is to choose something other than food as your reward. For example, after you lose five pounds treat yourself to a pair of shoes or a facial so you and your body get rewarded for all the hard work. Once you lose your 20 pounds, reward yourself with a new dress that will make you look and feel fantastic in. Part of the challenge with diets is that you can often feel deprived of your favorite foods and these are the foods that aren’t so good for you. By deciding to treat yourself with something that makes you feel good about your body you can also eliminate one bad food habit.
4. Eat What You Love!
Now that you are beginning to take the step towards eliminating unhealthy foods, the fourth key to maintaining your dieting motivation is to change your focus towards healthy foods that you love. There are likely many foods that you love that are also healthy, so the key is simply to find and eat more of them. Pick out the meals that can support your weight management plan and that you also relish eating.
5. Make Your New Habits Permanent
Lastly, and most cruicially, these small changes will lead to significant weight loss – but only if you make them a habit. So, it is important that you progress slowly with these changes to make sure they become a lifestyle choice that you will carry along for a lifetime; not just a “diet” that you are on temporarily. Start small and build, and your maintaining your motivation to lose weight – together with your weight loss success, will be virtually guaranteed.