4 Small Steps to Help You Stay on a Diet and Lose Weight

Getting on the latest diet is easy, the hard part is staying on it to lose the weight you want. The very word “diet” makes some people feel hungrier and crave for things that are a no-no their diet. What can you do to help yourself? Here are four small steps you can take to stay on a diet and help you lose weight:

1. Alter your mindset: One of the biggest problem for dieters is the way they view a diet, their mindset. It seems like a big sacrifice or losing your freedom like a prison sentence. May be you feel that you are depriving yourself. It helps to reframe your idea of what you’re really trying to do. It is not just to lose the weight but to gain a healthier lifestyle.

Change how you view your diet so you can stick to it. If you’re too restrictive and never allow yourself to have the things you enjoy, you won’t be able to stay with it. Cut yourself some slack once in a while (see the next tip).

2. Give yourself a break: Don’t kid yourself, there will be times that you don’t live up to your own dietary expectations. Instead of using that as an excuse to blow off your diet completely, just give yourself a break.

No one eats a healthy meal every day of their lives. You’ll need to allow yourself a few treats here and there. If you eat too big of a meal, get over it and cut back on the next meal. Make healthier choices the next time.

3. Set smaller goals. Setting smaller goals will help you to monitor your progress and keep youself motivated. Most people set weight-related goals that are not realistic. And when the scale doesn’t show them immediate results, they quit. Instead, set goals that closely match your diet plan.

For example, set a goal to drink 7 to 8 glasses of water every day, take a multivitamin, or eat fruits and vegetables for at least one meal. Then when you reach those goals, you can reward yourself with a small treat for a job well done.

4. Find a diet pal: Working with a partner can help you to share your shortcomings as well as your successes. You can bounce ideas off your diet pal and hold each other accountable for sticking with your respective diet plans. You can swap recipes, trade meal ideas, and help each other enjoy the process of dieting instead of dreading it.