Diet Eating – Plan for dieting eating success.

There is so much information on the web about dieting and diets and how to loose anything from 4 to 400 pounds in three seconds that I had no idea where to start looking for some easy steps to get me on the road to a healthier weight through diet eating. That’s why I started doing some research to find out what steps would help me to Diet Eating success.

These are some of the keys I’ve found to diet eating success:
1. Decide why you are dieting
2. Choose a goal and a reward.
3. Choose a diet.
4. Work out a plan
5. Work out a weekly menu
6. Reward yourself
(Visit my blog for the articles above)

4. Get a plan

If you’re like me, then you just rush into a diet without much planning. This is one of the biggest reasons for my failure most of the time. When I plan … I get a date to start, get my list of things I can eat, go shopping and stock the fridge with the “good foods” and get rid of the baddies, and then when I start the diet, I am ready and I tend to follow through.

I have the will power of a squirrel so if I don’t do those things, the first time I want a chocolate I go into the cupboard and have one, no matter how many times I told myself I wouldn’t … I’d be strong. It’s easier for to be weak and wish I had the chocolate but not able to eat it because it isn’t in the house, rather than try to be strong and avoid the baddies in the cupboard.

Steps I’ve found help me plan.

1. Set a date to start.
I find this gives me a target to work towards because starting a diet can be hard. It sounds easy but I need to figure out what to pack for lunch for work, how long some dishes take to make for dinner … those kinds of things. All this needs to be done before I diet or I know the diet won’t last long. I also tell people that I am going to do this. I’m always surprised how many people are willing to support me and help me and have good advice.

2. Get to know the diet you’re on.
Once I’ve chosen a diet, I make sure I know how the diet works. If its counting calories, or points like weight watchers then I make a list that I can easily refer to – for those times at work when that unexpected craving hits… cocktails, etc. This means I don’t end up cheating just because I was unprepared.

3. Set up a menu.
I find setting up a two week menu of foods helps me to plan my week, and also helps me not to cheat while I’m on the diet. I work out a shopping list as well and then replace ALL the food in my cupboard with the food on my list that I’m allowed to eat. I take the food from the cupboards that are not on the list and I pack them up in boxes and leave them at my sister’s house. I know it sounds radical but this really helps me avoid temptation and with the will power of a squirrel I need all the help I can get.

Do you have any planning tips for when you go on diet?

Hope to hear from you.

Brigitta