How can i stick to a diet

Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Make a game plan and stick to it. You can stay motivated by setting goals and keeping them throughout the course of your diet.

If your goal is just to "lose weight," then you won't be nearly as motivated as you would be if you had a specific goal and a plan for how you would reach it. Here's what to do: First, figure out how much weight you want to lose, and how quickly you want to lose it. Make sure to set realistic goals. You can't lose 50 pounds in a month, but you can lose five pounds in a month if you stick to your plan. Your end-date could be a specific time like your wedding, your friend's beach barbecue, or the start of a new school year.

Understand where you are now. What is your starting point? You can go visit a physical trainer for a fitness assessment or measure your waist, hips, and thighs so that you can compare your later progress to where you are now. Set a game plan for each week. How much weight do you want to lose per week? Pick one day to weigh yourself each week. Don't weigh yourself every single day or you will become obsessed with your weight.

Set a workout routine for each week. Though you can't plan your workout schedule months in advance, at the beginning of every week, plug a few workout dates into your schedule. You can stick to your plan by keeping a log of what you ate, how much you worked out, and how much weight you've lost each week. The log can be helpful, but make sure it doesn't make you obsess over every single thing you eat. This will help you get in touch with yourself. Stay mentally strong.

Whenever you begin to slip, you should remind yourself why you're dieting. Do want to get in shape for bikini season, or is your weight loss seriously affecting your health? Do you just want to lose those pesky 20 pounds you gained since college?

Whatever your reason, keep telling yourself that you're determined to stick to your plan so you can reach your goal. Here are some ways to stay mentally strong when you feel like giving up: Keep an image in your head of what you are planning to change about yourself, like mental before and after photos.

Some people have an old photograph of themselves from when they were their desired weight. Stick a photo or representation of this goal on the fridge to motivate you. If you ever think you can't be bothered to go to the gym, or want to splurge on a tub of ice cream, just remember your goal image.

Keep motivational quotes on your computer or posted above your desk. This will help you remember to stay focused on your reasons for dieting. If you're trying to return to your former weight, you can keep a picture of that time period on your desk. Keep an index card that lists your reasons for dieting in your purse or wallet, so you can read it any time you forget why you're doing the diet in the first place.

Reward yourself for good behavior. It takes a lot of mental strength to stick to a diet, and you should remind yourself that you're doing a great job from time to time. If you reward yourself for good behavior, then you'll be more motivated to continue staying tough and losing weight. Here's how to do it: Reward yourself every five or ten pounds.

Depending on how much weight you plan to lose, you should set up a rewards system every time you reach a new goal weight. You can get a massage or pedicure, buy a smaller pair of pants, or see a movie. If you've been really healthy during the week, reward yourself on the weekends. You can't eat really healthy every day of your life. Don't forget to tell yourself how amazing you are every time you lose a pound. Your rewards for losing weight don't always have to be food related.

You can tell yourself that you'll buy a new pair of shoes if you keep up your diet for a month. Don't diet alone. You'll be much more motivated if you have a diet buddy or other people to share your dieting woes with. This will make it easier for you to stay on track, because you will have someone there to encourage you.

Here's how to make sure you don't diet alone: Find a diet buddy. If you are trying to improve your body at the same time as someone else you know, then you can share tips, work out together and motivate each other.

Setting a gym schedule with that person, or planning weekly healthy meals with that person, can help you stay on the right path. Whether you go to Weight Watchers meetings or just use the online resources, you will be motivated from knowing that there are thousands of people who are in the same boat as you.

Discuss your plans with your doctor to make sure that any weight loss organization or support group you join is appropriate for you and your medical history. If you can't find a diet or workout buddy, find someone you can confide in, such as a friend or significant other.

That person can help you stay focused and can listen to you if you're having a hard time following your diet. Part 2. Make sure you eat three meals a day. If you start to cut meals out, then you'll just feel tired, sluggish, and hungry, which will make you loose motivation.

Choose foods like oatmeal for breakfast which keep you full for a long time, preventing unhealthy snacking before lunch. Eat dinner soon after getting home from work or school so that you don't pig out when you get in. Remember that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. If you skip it, you will be much hungrier when you eat lunch and dinner and will eat more. This will actually get you more off track. If you have a busy schedule, try to plan when you'll have your three meals in advance.

This will help you avoid tempting foods that you may come across during the time of a skipped meal. Get rid of the unhealthy foods in your house. Though you shouldn't have to throw out all of the foods in your fridge and pantry, if you minimize the unhealthy foods in your home, you will be less likely to eat them. You can go through all of the unhealthy foods in your home and decide if you want to throw them out, make a family member eat them, or bring them to work and give them away.

For example, if you eat a cup of peanut butter, you won't be helping your weight, but if you resolve to only eat a spoonful of peanut butter with celery at a time, you can keep the food. You can also get rid of the unhealthy foods in your house by making a shopping list that only contains the healthy foods you want to eat on it.

When you go shopping, you can be determined to only buy the foods on the list so you don't come home with new unhealthy foods. Replace your unhealthy foods with healthy ones.

Get rid of your ice cream and replace it with yogurt or fruit popsicles. You should still always keep some snacking options in your home. Manage your eating when you're out. The trick is to not think, "Oh, I'm going out tonight, so I'm going to completely break my diet and pick it up again tomorrow. Here's how to stay on track while you're out: [5] X Research source Eat before you go out to a party. If you're going out to a party where you know you'll see a lot of delicious snacks, eat a solid meal before so you're less likely to get hungry and grab a snack.

This can be as a reward for achieving a small goal, or just because you need it. Self care can do wonders for your resolve and your stress levels. It is often said, that we are the sum of the people we surround ourselves with. And even better, some studies suggest hanging out with others who make healthy decisions can influence you to make healthier decisions as well, and vice versa 8.

If you're not surrounding yourself with friends and family who support your goals - it's okay to find new support systems who will. No, I am not saying drop your current friend group, but it may be helping to add a new member to the crew, one that helps hold you accountable or is willing to make a change with you. Or at least have a heart to heart with those who are maybe holding you back.

Turn your home and surrounding into a healthy sanctuary for yourself. Go through your house and donate or trash the unhealthy options that will tempt you the most. And if you've got a co-worker or certain area of the office where treats are constantly being displayed - avoid walking past it and take the long way to the bathroom.

Studies have shown that mindful eating can not only help you lose more weight, but can also help you have a better relationship with your diet overall 9 , Mindfulness can range from meditating to reduce pain and anxiety to just living in the moment and slowing down a little, but any level of mindfulness you can get is going to help improve your willpower.

The trick is to just try and be more aware of what you are doing in each and every moment. Savor your food, enjoy every bite and sensation. And when you're not eating, pay attention to how you feel and you're surroundings. Is something triggering you to want to abandon your diet?

Are you really hungry? Learn to love yourself and all your quirks. And research suggests that all the energy going towards acting a certain way is draining your self-discipline, making it harder for you to stick to your goals in other areas of your life This is why some people all of a sudden snap when always trying to put on a happy face.

Instead, let your hair down and be your own weird, true self whenever you get the chance. It will not only build your self-confidence but can also strengthen your willpower and help you to be happier and more successful in general. Now what? Just remember to get back on track, back to your regular routine, and leave it in the past.

Don't go to the gym and overtrain, or under eat the next meal. Remember why you began eating healthy and return to your usual diet plan. Researchers studying data from over 3, couples found that when one person made a positive lifestyle change, such as increasing physical activity, the other was more likely to follow their lead Having a partner join you in making healthy lifestyle changes can increase your chances of success.

In one study, overweight women who consumed at least 30 grams of protein at breakfast felt more satisfied and ate fewer calories at lunch than those who ate a lower-protein breakfast Researchers have found that it takes an average of 66 days to make a new behavior a habit Eventually, eating healthy and exercising regularly will become automatic. Do your best to stay motivated and focused while you adapt to a healthy lifestyle.

It takes 66 days to make a new habit, on average. Weight loss methods that work for some people are not guaranteed to work for you. To lose weight and keep it off, find effective strategies that you can stick to in the long term. These include mindful eating, keeping unhealthy snacks out of sight, carrying healthy snacks , and managing your expectations.

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Written by Franziska Spritzler — Updated on April 17, Eating healthy can help you lose weight and have more energy. It can also improve your mood and reduce your risk of disease. Yet despite these benefits, maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle can be challenging.