Many people make their New Year’s resolution to lose weight. While they start out with good intentions, far too often the weekly drudge of sticking to a diet can wear thin quite quickly and before they know it their good diet intentions have fallen away. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to stick to your diet resolution without giving up before the excess weight goes away.
One of the most important things you can do to ensure that you stick with your weight loss goals is to write a contract with yourself, promising to stick with the resolution that you have made. If you want to lose a specific amount of weight within a certain amount of time, be sure to include this in the contract along with what you specifically plan to do to lose the weight. Post the contract somewhere you’ll be sure to see it everyday.
Setting goals is an excellent way to make sure that you stay on track with your weight loss plans; however, it is important to ensure that your goals are manageable and not too broad in scope. Due to the fact that dieting can become tiresome very quickly, you may find it helpful to energize your diet with a new goal each week. This gives you something to work on, and even look forward to, each week. Examples of small goals you can set for yourself include starting an exercise routine, cutting out sodas, drinking more water, etc.
Small goals are also a great incentive to work your way up to larger goals, an important component of sticking to your diet plans. Rather than saying you plan to lose weight this year, instead make it a point to commit to losing a specific amount of weight within a definite time frame. This helps to ensure that you do not put off your weight loss plans indefinitely.
As with any major change in your life, it’s generally always easier to accomplish your goals when you have the help and support of friends and family. Make a point to inform those close to you that you are dieting and what you hope to accomplish. In addition, it’s always a good idea to let them know exactly what you’re doing to lose weight so they do not unintentionally sabotage your diet plans. The presence of a weight loss buddy who can keep you on track and motivated will significantly decrease the chances that you’ll give up before accomplishing your goals.
Most people function well under a rewards system and losing weight is no different, provided that you ensure your rewards support your diet and do not undermine them. While you may look forward to enjoying an ice cream sundae after reaching a weight loss goal, think of other rewards that you would enjoy and keep your diet intact. Consider rewarding yourself for every milestone you reach, such as every five pounds lost. Positive reward examples include a manicure, massage, new book/CD/DVD, new shirt, etc. Significant weight loss goals, such as 25 pounds or 50 pounds, could warrant a larger reward such as a weekend trip or something else meaningful.
