When you are on a diet or trying to eat healthier, it can be frustrating. You may feel as if you are being deprived or missing out. Dieters can have their cake and eat it too; they just can't eat as much.
Do it With a Friend
Ask a friend, your spouse or someone at work to start a diet with you. Going through the process together will bring you closer, give you automatic support and motivate you to keep going when you feel like giving up.
Try Dessert
You stuck with your diet through the meal, and now it is time to order dessert. Go ahead and order it. Just ask for several spoons. Share it with the rest of the people at your table. Taste a little and take it slow. Know your limits and stop after a small taste.
Take Your Fifteen Minutes
Many of us do not take our 15-minute breaks in the morning and in the afternoon. This adds up to 30 minutes in which you could be exercising. Use your break time to do some quick exercising in your office. Bring a jump rope in or go out and take a walk.
Fill Up Your Fridge
If it isn't filled with healthy selections, you may be more likely to stray from your dietary plan. Load up on the carrot sticks, fruits and vegetables. Make sure you have back up snacks for when you are hungry that are low in calorie and available when you need them.
Eat Your Carbohydrates
Make sure you are choosing whole grains and not eating food with added simple carbohydrates. Whole grain complex carbohydrates are filling, tasty and high in fiber.
Write Down How You Feel
As an exercise, try writing down what you eat throughout the day for a week with the time of day. Add to this how you are feeling. Eventually, you may see a pattern of what you are eating and discover why. Maybe you are snacking at work when you are anxious or eating when you are bored at night.
Taste and Enjoy Your Food
Eat mindfully. Take a bite of your meal and savor the taste and the texture. Take some time between each bite to appreciate the food you are eating. Make sure that when you are eating, it is not a rushed process in which you are careless about what and how much is going into your body.
Eat When You are Hungry
This goes along with making sure you have healthy snacks available when you need them. Do not wait until you are ravenous to eat. Starving yourself can lead to your body storing fat. Have low-calorie, healthy snacks available. Hopefully, this will lead to you eating less impulsively and more strategically.
Reward Yourself
For some it may be buying a new dress. For others it might mean taking a walk. Reward yourself when you make strides in your diet. Come up with a reward system that will help keep you motivated.
Use Technology
Sometimes getting reminders can help us stay motivated. Sign up for a website that helps you track what you are eating, such as Livestrong.com's MyPlate (see Resources). Download an application on your phone with diet tips. Set automatic reminders on your calendar with eating tips.
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