Deciding to go on a diet is not enough: you also have to stick to the plan. If you've been on a diet for a few months or weeks and can't keep motivation high, here's how not to get discouraged.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Keep yourself motivated
Step 1. Make a plan and stick to it
You will be able to keep yourself motivated by setting a specific goal. Always remember the reason you are on a diet. If your goal is vague "losing weight," you can lose motivation right away, but if you have a specific purpose, you won't lose focus.
- To begin with, decide how much weight you want to lose and in how long. Make sure you set realistic goals. You can't lose 20 kg in one month, but 5 can. You can lose weight for your wedding, a beach party, or the start of the new school year.
- Determine a weekly plan. Decide how much weight to lose in seven days and weigh yourself once a week. Don't do it every day, or you will obsess about it.
- Determine a weekly exercise routine.
- Write down what you eat, how long you exercised and how much weight you lost. Having a journal is useful, but don't get obsessed.
- In the diary, compare your goals with the reality of the facts so as not to lose sight of the purpose.
Step 2. Maintain mental strength with your motivation in mind
When you start giving in, you should remind yourself why you are on a diet. Do you want to get back in shape for the bikini test or for health problems? Whatever the reason, stick to your plan to achieve the goal. Here are some useful methods for not giving in:
- Think often about how you want to become, imagine "before and after" photos. Remember this when you don't feel like going to the gym or when you want to empty the refrigerator.
- Write some motivational phrases and put them on your desk.
- If you want to get your weight back, put an old photo of yourself on the desk.
- Make a list of the reasons you are on a diet and put it in your purse or wallet so you don't forget.
Step 3. Reward yourself when you cross a milestone
A great deal of willpower is required to stay on a diet, so it can be helpful to remember that you are doing a great job. Reward yourself for commitment, so your motivation will grow:
- Reward yourself for every 2-5 kg lost. Indulge in an ice cream or your favorite dish and you will immediately feel better. You can also treat yourself to something.
- If you eat healthy during the week, make a few exceptions on the weekend, so the sacrifice will be less.
- Don't forget to compliment yourself on every pound you lose. Rewards don't always have to be related to food, but you can buy a new pair of shoes, for example.
Step 4. Don't diet alone:
if you share this experience with a partner, you will feel much more motivated and encouraged.
- Find a friend to eat a low-calorie diet with. Compare your diets, eat together often and hit the gym together.
- Join a dedicated weight loss organization like Weight Watchers. You can attend the meetings or use online resources to motivate yourself, as you will find that there are many other people in the same boat as you.
- If you can't find a diet partner, confide in a friend or partner so you can always talk to someone when you feel less motivated.
Part 2 of 3: Avoid Temptations
Step 1. Eat three meals a day
If you don't eat, you will feel tired and hungry and lose motivation. Eat oats for breakfast, which will keep you full until lunchtime, and have an early dinner.
- Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you skip it, you will arrive hungry for lunch and dinner.
- Don't skip a meal just because you feel guilty about a cheat - this will take you further off the trajectory to success.
- If you are always busy, still try to respect the meal times, otherwise you will go astray because of hunger.
Step 2. Get rid of the unhealthy foods you have around the house, so you won't have any temptation at hand
Don't throw them out: give them to a family member, friend or colleague.
- Some foods commonly considered unhealthy are actually only so when consumed in excess. Peanut butter is an example. If you don't overdo it, you can indulge in a little bit of everything once you reach your target weight.
- Make a grocery list so you know where to go at the supermarket and won't be distracted by unhealthy foods.
- Replace unhealthy foods with healthy ones. Replace ice cream with yogurt, so you still have a mouth-watering snack.
Step 3. Don't overeat when you eat out and plan to catch up the next day
Here's how not to give in to temptation at a party:
- Eat before you go so you won't go hungry. You can also eat a little more than usual, the important thing is to eat healthy foods.
- Bring some healthy snacks with you. If you go to the movies, bring a bag of dried fruit with you so you can stay away from popcorn.
- Choose the healthiest options at the restaurant. You can eat grilled chicken, brown rice, or a salad instead of the higher calorie, fatty dishes.
- If you're at a party and can't resist the food, opt for the healthiest foods on the trays.
Step 4. Eat as much as possible at home and cook yourself so you can keep your diet under control
It is the easiest way to avoid temptation. When eating out, you can choose the healthiest options, however you won't have full control over your diet.
- Become a master chef so you will enjoy experimenting with new recipes.
- Invite your friends over for dinner instead of going to a restaurant to eat. It will be cheaper and create a more intimate atmosphere.
- If you have lunch in the office, prepare the food the night before: when you're busy, it's easy to give in to the temptation of fast food, so bring along a sandwich filled with vegetables or a salad.
Part 3 of 3: Don't Punish Yourself
Step 1. Love what you eat
Don't choose foods you don't like just because they will make you lose weight. Try them in different sauces to learn how to enjoy them and cook the foods you love differently. When you're on a diet it doesn't mean you have to eat disgusting food, but you should discover new healthy foods that are helpful for shedding a few pounds:
- Go to the greengrocer and try different types of fruits and vegetables, incorporating them into your delicious recipes.
- Avoid the foods you hate, don't torture yourself.
- Eat the healthy version of your favorite dish. If you love spaghetti with meatballs, use wholemeal pasta and vegetarian meatballs - you won't notice the difference.
Step 2. Train with pleasure
Try dancing or try your hand at your favorite sport. That way, you won't get lazy.
- Sport should not be an obligation. If you hate running, don't do it, but walk more often.
- Try workouts you've never experienced before. Dance and do yoga or Pilates.
- Mix up your workouts. If you do sports three times a week, on the first day you can go for a run, on the second day you can go yoga and on the third day you can go swimming. Keep your body and mind active and you won't get bored.
- Do not overdo it. You don't have to exercise every day, just let your body rest, so train three times a week.
Step 3. Don't go hungry, otherwise you won't last more than a week
If you feel tired and in a bad mood, choose the right foods:
- In addition to your usual three meals, eat a couple of snacks a day. Don't fast for more than five or six hours straight.
- Of course, snacks must be healthy.
- If you know you're going to have lunch or dinner late, take a snack with you so you don't hit the vending machine.
- Do not starve. If you are a woman, do not consume less than 1200 calories a day and, if you are a man, do not consume less than 1500. Not only will you feel tired, but you will also endanger your health.
Step 4. If you are constant, you can make some exceptions from time to time, so the effort will be less:
- If all of your friends go out to eat at a less-than-healthy restaurant, don't avoid going out just because you're on a diet. Go with them - you can try healthier foods, or make an exception but run a little more the next day.
- If you have cravings every now and then, don't ignore them, otherwise at some point you won't be able to diet anymore.
- Make a deal with yourself: Decide that you can make an exception for every 5-10 healthy meals. In this way, you will respect the diet because you know that soon the time will come to give yourself a whim.
Advice
- Having a diet partner will be of great help to you.
- Treating yourself to treats will not make you lose motivation, on the contrary you will feel less pressured.
- Small changes make all the difference. Use smaller plates, so the portions will seem larger. Eat slowly so you feel full sooner and won't need to continue eating.
- Don't leave forbidden foods in plain sight. Hide them to limit temptation.
Warnings
- The diet helps both aesthetically and healthily, but don't starve to be thin, otherwise your body won't get the nutrients it needs.
- Eating a healthy diet is good, but obsessing over and being on the verge of an eating disorder is not. If you are at risk, talk to a psychologist.
