Whether you’ve been overweight your whole life or just recently, losing weight can be frustrating. One of the more frustrating aspects of dieting is finding that “stick-to-it” mentality that you need to succeed. As someone who has tried more diets than I can count, I know firsthand the importance of learning how to stick to your diet. Here are some of my best tips for sticking to your diet and not giving up.
Before I share my tips with you, I want to encourage you. It is perfectly normal to find it hard to stick to a diet.
Why?
A weight loss diet is something new and different than you have done before and is often hard to follow. When you decide to lose weight you are committing to eating differently from many of your friends. You may feel deprived of your favorite foods and see slow progress on the scale. It’s no wonder you have a recipe for giving up.
That being said, if you don’t stick to your diet you will never reach your goal. So don’t give up on yourself; take advantage of these tips to help you develop a stick-to-it attitude.
1. Weight Loss Doesn’t Happen Fast
When I was on the Dr. Oz show several years ago he asked me what advice I had for women who needed to lose weight after pregnancy. I told him, “They need to have patience and perseverance.”
It’s the same thing with sticking to your diet. You didn’t gain the weight overnight and you won’t lose it overnight either. You have to have patience with the process and the perseverance not to give up no matter what.
2. Try On Smaller Clothes
If you find yourself faltering and cheating on your diet, pull out some clothing items from your closet that used to fit but are currently too small. Try them on. Look at yourself in the mirror. Remind yourself that fitting into smaller clothing sizes is one of your goals.
If you don’t have any smaller clothing items in your closet, try on the next smaller size jeans at a store and assess how much more weight you need to lose to make them fit. Sometimes this can be very motivating and help you stick to your diet.
3. Have An Eating And Exercise Schedule
Although it is fun to be spontaneous, spontaneity can lead to problems with your diet. Stick to a schedule of eating and exercising at certain times and days of the week. When you schedule your meals and plan them carefully, you will find it easier to eat a well-balanced diet that has the right number of calories.
4. Don’t Expect Perfection
You may be the type of person who wants everything to be just right. While that is a noble goal, it can cause problems with your diet. Let go of perfectionism in eating and be satisfied with making good choices 80 to 90 percent of the time.
When you let the perfectionism go, you will be more forgiving of eating mistakes and less likely to just give up after a day or two of poor choices.
5. Know What Hunger Feels Like
In today’s culture of 24-hour food, it can be difficult to truly identify hunger. Teach yourself what hunger feels like to you by allowing several hours to pass between meals instead of snacking continuously. Sometimes you might find it hard to stick to your diet because you are eating too frequently and not waiting until you are slightly hungry.
