Making the commitment to healthy eating is easy---sticking with that commitment is the tough part. Many people start off well with a diet or healthy eating, but whether you lose motivation after a month, a week or even an hour, most people have difficulty maintaining their motivation to diet and eat healthy. But, healthy eating is a commitment that's worth the challenge---you just have to figure out ways to stick with it.
Step 1
Variety is the spice of life---and the diet. A big reason why it's so tough to stick with a particular diet or a healthy eating plan is boredom---it's easy to get tired of eating the same old thing. So make sure you keep plenty of variety in your diet, but be sure to mix it up with healthy foods. Experiment with different vegetables and exotic fruits (maybe avocados, jicama, carambola or mangos).
Step 2
Snack often. It's easy to give up on a diet when you're starving, and turn to fast food or a tempting dessert. However, if you eat frequently and avoid starvation, you're more likely to stick with the healthy foods that are part of your diet. Snack on vegetables, fruit, fat-free pretzels or air-popped popcorn to keep you satisfied, not starved. It's also important to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated to prevent overeating or eating when you're not hungry.
Step 3
Establish goals that you want to meet. It's important to set goals that you want to achieve to help keep you on track with your diet. Whether you want to fit into a particular pair of pants, look toned, lose 20 pounds or get back to your 25-inch waist, write it down and check your progress. Keep weighing, measuring or trying on those clothes to see how close you're getting to your goal---it will keep you from splurging on pizza and derailing our diet.
Step 4
Weigh yourself often. It's easy for an extra pound or two to get away from you, but that's a minimal weight gain that you can quickly remedy. If you gain 10 or 15 pounds because you avoid the scale, that's much harder to get rid of. Weigh yourself weekly by stepping on the same scale, and record your results. Seeing the pounds drop off will motivate you to keep up with your healthy eating plan.
Step 5
Take your time. Don't rush into your diet or healthy eating plan and burn yourself out. Make gradual changes that are easy for you to stick with, rather than making radical changes that are difficult to maintain.
Tips and Warnings
- Try rewarding yourself at steps along the way---get some new clothes or treat yourself to a little pampering. Choose something other than food as a reward.
- Don't completely deprive yourself of the foods you love. Indulge in your favorite foods, just don't eat large portions or treat yourself often.
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