DIET SUCCESS
The most important diet ingredients are:
- Goals
- Rewards
- Encouragement
- Diet Buddy
Setting goals has been talked about so much, but if you haven’t set a goal, how do you know where you’ve been or where you’re going? Even if you don’t really write it down, you kind of know where you want to be when you finish. Right? For now, let’s stick with a short term goal of “I want to lose 5 pounds in 5 weeks. Is that a goal you think is OK for you? Maybe it’s only 3 pounds or 2. Just keep it simple and doable.
Rewards. It’s important that every goal you reach is rewarded, no matter how small. Take a long snooze in your favorite PJ’s, hang a DO NOT DISTURB sign on the bathroom door and soak in that great smelling bubble bath or take the kids on a bike ride if that fills the bill; just do something nice for yourself. Write down what your reward will be for each goal you reach. Weight Watchers use to give out colored paperclips as a visual reminder of each pound lost. As the chain grew longer, it became quite impressive! Simple, but effective.
Encouragement. Be brave about letting other people know what you’re doing and how well you’re doing. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Taking a step to just talk about eating right, losing some weight, and letting others know about it will give you a feeling of taking control of your life. It will give you a sense of power. People will stop taking advantage of you; they will actually start respecting you. You’ll see a positive difference in all areas of your life. Try it for a while and post a comment if it works for you. I just bet it will. You will have the confidence and the courage to move forward in your quest to conquer the next meal. And, isn’t it all about just getting through the next meal? It is for me. Just make it through one more meal, and then the next. Just one more, and then one more.
Diet Buddy. If you haven’t found a diet buddy, I encourage you to look around for someone that you can trust. It’s a real boost to have someone to call on when chocolate calls your name or when you think you just can’t do this anymore; someone who really understands how disgusting we feel sometimes and how depressing it can be.
And, you’ll need that person to help celebrate your successes! Because you will be successful!! Don’t forget to celebrate your diet Buddy’s success, too! Before you know it you’ll be celebrating together so often you’ll both be smiling much more than you could ever imagine!
Remember, it’s not about being thin…although that will be a nice result. This is all about being mentally and physically healthy, feeling better, and living a longer, happier life.
