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Remember - if you pay attention to portion sizes, count those calories and fat grams, and eat things in moderation, you can enjoy all of your favorite foods on your diet.
Even better - if you make permanent changes to how you eat, you can end dieting forever and simply live a healthy and weight-managed lifestyle. Now... that does sound good!
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| Swearing Off |
So, now that you've decided to diet, you've sworn off chocolate, cakes, pies, pizzas, sodas, or some other food(s) for the rest of your life. You are never going to eat or drink that again! Not ever! Well, why not?
The simple fact is that a small helping of chocolate cake now and again won't kill you or your diet. Neither will the occassional soda, slice of pie, or indulgent chocolate candy. Eating a whole pie or cake is another story, but you already know that.
Swearing off favorite foods is a perfect set-up to fail on your next diet or lifestyle change. Instead of promising never to eat or drink something again, promise yourself that you'll be reasonable, moderate, and treat that "no-no" food as a special item reserved for occasions that call for it.
Many carb counters, calorie counters, and fat counters (some count everything!) actually lose weight and maintain healthy weights by indulging occassionally in the "forbidden" foods. Be sure to count the calories, carbs, or fats (whatever the case may be for you) and enjoy it when you have it! Moderation is the key.
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| Binges |
Well. Now you've done it! Instead of just having a taste of the chocolate cake you made for your daughter's birthday, you ate three huge pieces. That's it then. The diet's over. No hope now.
This is a common occurrence when dieting. You spent years developing poor eating habits and when you make one little slip, you throw your diet out. Don't do it! Everyone falls off the wagon once in a while. Even those rail-thin models indulge themselves occassionally.
Dieting doesn't mean being angelic night and day for the rest of your life. It means making mistakes, accepting them, and trying to do better. So, don't beat yourself up when you slip a bit. Even if you have a bad week, all is not lost. Just wake up the next morning and start your diet again.
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| Lack of incentive |
Incentive is the drive behind successful diets. If you don't have a clear reason for dieting, or if you aren't convinced of the benefits of losing weight, you will fail.
Having a clear purpose is the key to success in losing weight. Before you begin dieting, be clear about your reasons for doing so. After you have a well-defined purpose, you are on your way to success.
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| Lack of patience |
Most people are unreasonable when setting weight loss goals. They forget that it took three years or ten years or more to reach their current weight. Now that they've decided to lose it, they want it off RIGHT NOW.
Sorry. It doesn't work that way. Although doctors recommended for years that you lose no more than two pounds per week when dieting, they are now more concerned about the health risks of being heavy. They are less concerned with the speed of the weight loss than with your failure to lose it.
Be reasonable with your timeframes. Set your goals to target a two pound loss per week. That is reasonable. However, if you lose more than that, while still eating above the starvation level, all the better. Have a little patience.
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| Unreasonable goals |
If you have to lose 100 pounds, and you focus on that figure, you are setting yourself up to fail. The target is so remote that it will quickly feel unattainable.
Set shorter term goals with more realistic results. For example, say to yourself--I will lose 10 pounds over the next month. After you achieve that goal, set the next goal, and so on, until you are at your recommended weight.
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| Wrong diet |
With hundreds of diet variations out there, and every health professional, diet guru, and actress telling you that they have the diet, how can you find what's right for you.
Simple. Stop listening to what works for everyone else. You are an individual. Your wants and needs are your own. What worked for Betty at the office, or your brother, or your next door neighbor might not work for you.
Why? Betty used the juice diet and only had 10 pounds to lose. Sure it worked for her. It was a limited diet and she didn't have to use it very long. Your brother used the protein diet. He lost 40 pounds. He looks and feels great and plans to stick to his routine permanently. It works for him because he loves red meat and grilling. Then there's the next door neighbor. She lost 100 pounds using one of those group plans with prepackaged food. She lost all that weight in only a year. It worked for her because she loves groups and those little prepackaged meals took all of the responsibility out of her hands when preparing meals.
So. What is right for you? Consider three things when selecting a diet:
1. What foods do you prefer to eat? If you detest vegetables, chances are high that a vegetable-based diet won't be appealing enough to stick to for any length of time.
2. How much weight do you need to lose? If you only have 10 or 20 pounds to lose, you probably won't be dieting for more than a month or two. But, if you have 100 or more pounds to lose, you need to select a diet you really can live with because you are going to be on it for at least six months or more. Be realistic--you cannot live on juice and pureed carrots for the next year. Keep in mind, too, that selecting a diet program you can live with forever is always preferable. Let's face it. There's no point in dieting, losing the weight, and then returning to your old habits and stuffing the weight back on. Break the cycle and find a program that you can actually live with.
3. Are you fixing meals for a family? If you are, then a highly restrictive diet becomes more difficult as you prepare other foods for the family. Either select a diet that has prepackaged meals for you or choose a varietal diet that includes protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Even though you will eat smaller portions or substitute for some of the family's food, you can still eat some or all of what they eat, just less. Don't put yourself in a position to torture yourself at every meal watching your family eat things you feel you are depriving yourself of. Consider this--a healthy, lower calorie diet might not hurt the rest of the family. If they have developed poor eating habits, your diet is the ideal way to change their eating habits along with yours.
Take your time in selecting a diet program that will work best for you, your goals, and your lifestyle. Be realistic and reasonable. While you can't gorge yourself on chocolate mousse every night, there is no reason you can't enjoy your meals while dieting.
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