Whether you’re a first time dieter or one who has been going around and around the track for years, you’ll be happy to know that it is possible to pick a diet plan and stick to it until you get to the weight you want to be.

The first tip is to try to choose a diet plan that’s not too strict for you. You know the kind – some have special limits on carbs, protein, or anything that’s the color white. The ones who lose weight long-term have to learn to live in a world where nothing is off-limits, but moderation is key.

Other diets have plans where you’re supposed to start and stop again and again until the weight comes off. This can get tedious and send you on extreme highs and lows emotionally and physically as your body is forced to adjust to the new circumstances.

Instead, try to find a plan that shows you how to eat healthy for a lifetime. If you know it’s okay to sometimes have a special treat, or indulge in a glass of wine, then you won’t have to go from one end of the spectrum to the other – you’ll be on a balanced course that’s safe for your body and easy on your emotions.

Fasting and binging (even on healthy foods) is a sure way to develop poor eating habits and it can confuse your body because it’s being given mixed messages. One minute you’re devouring pound after pound of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean protein, and carbs – and the next you’re surviving on nothing but hot water with honey and red pepper mixed in.

Before you choose any diet, evaluate it for a lifetime plan. Could you exist without ever eating another morsel of sugar again in this lifetime? Could you turn away bread at every meal for the next thirty years?

Some diets make it seem like their rigid plan is one you could adhere to forever, but caving in could cause you to regain more weight if you get discouraged and give up for good. No diet plan is 100% comfortable when you’re used to being able to eat with freedom from careful consideration.

Still, there are many plans that offer sensible ways to eat where you never have to leave an entire food group off of your plate. Don’t follow a fad – instead, follow your heart and make up your mind to you feel comfortable implementing into your life.

]]> http://fat-loss-tips.com/blog/how-to-choose-a-diet-you-won%e2%80%99t-give-up-on/feed/ 0 http://fat-loss-tips.com/blog/seven-simple-rules-to-lose-weight/ http://fat-loss-tips.com/blog/seven-simple-rules-to-lose-weight/#comments Mon, 02 Jul 2007 22:09:00 +0000 Sandy http://fat-loss-tips.com/blog/?p=86 Seven Simple Rules toLose Weight

1. Eat breakfast. This meal gets you off to a good start in lots of ways. It’s been shown the people who eat breakfast while on a diet, lose more weight than ones who don’t. Your breakfast doesn’t have to elaborate. Have a half a bagel spread with low fat cream cheese or peanut butter and a piece of fruit. Two hard boiled eggs, a glass of skim milk and a few crackers. A fruit smoothie made with nonfat yogurt, fresh strawberries and orange juice.

2. Make lunch your big meal and dinner a light supper. You need energy to get you through the busiest part of the day. Food eaten in the evening just sits in your tummy and makes you feel heavy. Make it a rule not to eat after 8 PM every evening.

3. Exercise before you eat. Exercise boosts your metabolism and decreases your appetite. You don’t have to go to the gym, a brisk 20 minute walk will do it. You can exercise inside as well. Try going up and down the stairs, running in place, doing 15 minutes of Pilates or your favorite exercise regime. Take your break at work and use it to stretch.

4. Eat every four hours. That means three meals and two snacks for most of us. Keep the snacks low calorie. The idea is to keep your blood sugar on an even level. You won’t be starving and give in to the candy machine.

5. Decrease the level of stress in your life. Stress causes an increase in the hormone cortisol, which is linked to fat storage. When you feel stressed take a time out to meditate, practice deep breathing or just think about a happy memory.

6. Make sure you’re getting your vitamins and minerals, taking a daily supplement to boost what you’re getting from your food can be a good idea. There are studies that show calcium has fat blocking properties and vitamin C helps with insulin production.

7. Picture yourself at the weight you want to be. Don’t belittle yourself with the weight you haven’t lost but congratulate yourself with the weight you have lost. Keep a positive body image.