Beginner's Guide to Dieting

Video Transcript

RACHAEL RICHARDSON: Hi. I'm Rachael Richardson, and I'm a registered dietitian and a licensed nutritionist. I'm from Nutrolution, Inc., and we are located in Miami, Florida. In this clip, we're going to talk about the beginner's guide to dieting. The first thing that I'd like to remind people is that I don't like to use the word dieting, and the reason is because diet implies that it's something that's temporary and most people that want to change their diet actually want to do it long term. So it's great if you start off by saying that this is a lifestyle change that you plan to be lasting. So one of the most important things is that you set a goal, and believe it or not that's something that not everyone does and it's incredibly important. Your goal should be smart, meaning that it's specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time measurable. And what I suggest that you do is that when you set your goal, you actually write it down and that you post it in several places that you're likely to see every single day. So places like your refrigerator, places like your mirror in your bathroom, your steering wheel or at work, all these places, so that you're continually reminded of what your goal is and that you stay in track. It's very important that you remember that the longest lasting changes are the ones that take a little bit longer to implement, so it's okay to take two steps forward and one step back knowing that you're moving in the right direction. Another really important objective that you should have is to anticipate your obstacles before they occur and develop ways to overcome those obstacles. So, you know, it goes back to what Einstein said which is that if you keep doing what you've always done, you're insane if you think that you're going to get different results. So make sure that you remember the different obstacles that you've experienced in the past and that you create ways around those obstacles, so that this time it will be a success. So the five most important parts to remember are: this is a lifestyle change, not a diet; post your goal; set realistic goals; plan to succeed; and implement changes for success.