Writing notes in a diary is a great way to keep an eye on what you’re eating. Start a full week before you plan to commence dieting. Make a note of all the things you have, and be scrupulously honest! Look at what you’ve written down, and after a few days you should be in a position to see where adjustments could be made.
Clearly if you’re eating too much fried or processed food, or drinking several glasses of wine or beer, you could start by cutting down on those. But if that’s not the case, and what you’re eating looks OK, then just reduce the amount. Either way, use your food diary as the basis for the changes you wish to make.
Then take the next seven days and write down exactly what you’re going to stick to. Put everything down relating to exercise, food and drink. With regard to food, note what you can’t eat, and what you’ll only eat occasionally. Also write down the alternative food that you do plan to eat.
As far as alcohol is concerned, keep it to a minimum. Write down when it’s not allowed, and when and how much it is allowed. Fizzy sugar-laden beverages must go! With regard to exercise, write down a reasonable routine that you will stick to.
Early in the morning on the first day of your diet, take an accurate reading of your weight. Assess your progress each week, and adjust where necessary. Make a note of your weight in your diary once a week.
You have absolute control when you record everything you do. Useful observations jotted in the diary will help to make the following weeks more enjoyable. Mark down which days you completed your proposed exercises. Monitoring your weight and health is so much more manageable with a personal record.
It won’t happen overnight though. At first, it seems to be all effort and no reward! Try to exercise patience, and do persevere. Staying motivated can be difficult, so it’s important to focus on the rewards and not the effort.
If you do get demoralised with your results, analyse what’s been happening. Could your diet do with a bit of modification? Additional physical activity can help you catch up. Are there any fitness classes you could attend in the evening?
Celebrate your achievements along the way. An extended diet can be too demanding if you don’t. Clothes shopping isn’t appropriate ’til you’ve reached your target weight. However, there’s nothing wrong with a theatre trip to celebrate a milestone.
(C) Scott Edwards. Navigate to WeightLossDietWar.com for smart information on diet foods and weight loss forum.