A diet is more than a change in the foods you eat--it is a change in your behavior on a daily basis. From eating smaller meals to keeping your metabolism fueled to avoiding late-night eating, dieting involves developing good habits that can last a lifetime. Following the shared actions that successful dieters have in common can ensure your personal goals are met.
Don't Look for a Quick Fix
Although it's possible to lose more than 2.5 pounds per week, it's not realistic or healthy to think you could sustain extreme weight loss. Losing weight too rapidly causes your body to enter starvation mode and slow your metabolic rate; this action can cause you to hold on to excess weight. Instead, aim for a slow but steady weight loss, and you'll experience greater results.
Watch Your Fluid Intake
This dieting tip is two-fold. First, drink plenty of water. This means drinking at least 8 to 10 glasses per day, potentially more if you are active. The second is to make healthy drink decisions; this means avoiding high-sugar, high-calorie sodas or juices and high-fat dairy products. Drink more water, low-fat or skim dairy products and diet sodas to cut liquid calories from your diet.
Don't Banish a Food Completely
Defining a food as either "good" or "bad" is problematic, because you feel guilty every time you eat a food you have deemed as bad. Instead, think of foods by frequency; some foods are great to eat all the time, and some are best eaten rarely. Instead of banishing a food completely, which will only make you crave it more, look to it as a reward for a job well done at the end of a successful dieting week.
Practice Portion Control
Part of dieting success depends upon the ability to practice portion control. This means knowing how much a serving of meat, grains, cheese, fruits or other foods are. Educate yourself on proper portion sizes and use this information at restaurants, when packing your lunch or when cooking for yourself and your family to ensure you are not eating more than you should be.
Avoid Stress Responses
Stress can derail your day--and your diet. Especially when you are beginning your diet, it's important to avoid stressful situations whenever possible. This can be accomplished by organizing your schedule or work or home environment prior to beginning your diet and regularly exercising to relieve stress while dieting. Other stress relievers include deep breathing and meditation.
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