A diet that worked for a friend may not be right for you because of differences in personality. In order for plans to succeed, they should fit your personality type. Pick a plan or create your own based on your strengths and weaknesses, and you'll be more likely to succeed at your weight loss goals.
Step 1
Think about diet plans you may have tried in the past that didn't work for you and determine if they conflicted with your personality. For instance, plans that restrict certain food groups or ban eating at certain times of day may be too rigid for more impulsive personality types.
Step 2
Determine if you have a more structured or flexible personality type and choose a diet plan based on your personality, says Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph.D., founder and director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Weight Management Center. If you like orderliness and tend to be very detail-oriented, she suggests trying a structured diet plan such as South Beach or Atkins. If you're more easy going and adaptable, she points to more flexible diets, such as the Volumetrics plan.
Step 3
If you're a social person, consider a plan that involves support, such as Weight Watchers, or ask friends if they'd like to join you in your weight loss efforts.
Step 4
If you're an emotional overeater, consider joining Overeaters Anonymous or a support group.
Step 5
See a counselor and ask for help strengthening specific personality traits that have been shown to aid in weight loss. A 2009 study in Biopsychosocial Medicine found that self-monitoring and automony are related to weight loss, while instinctive characteristics inhibit successful dieting.
Step 6
Tailor plans to fit your personality type, or create your own plan. Pull certain aspects from multiple plans in order to create a custom-made diet just for you. For instance, the Beck diet plan suggests reading your reasons for losing weight twice a day. If you like this part of the plan but otherwise want to follow Weight Watchers, there is no reason you can't.
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