Successful Dieting Psychology

It may seem a bit early to be talking about summer but spring is just around the corner, which is followed closely by bathing suit season. If your January 1st resolution has come to a halt, now’s the time to get back at it. It's no secret that most people will diet at some point in their lifetime, and some people will diet more times than they can count often with limited or short-lived success. The Center for Disease Control states that at any point in time, two-thirds of adults are on a diet (29% men, 44% women) and out of those, only 5% will be successful at keeping the weight off! Often when dieters don’t see the results they want, they stop eating healthily completely until they become so fed up, they start the process again. And so the cycle continues. In order to truly be successful with weight loss and reach your goals, there are important aspects to consider that extend far beyond what’s on your plate.


First off, I’d like to address the term “diet”. "Diet" actually refers to a person’s day to day eating habits. However, for this discussion, I’m going to use the term “diet” as most people think of it: as a change in eating habits that are slightly more extreme than usual, intended to be followed for a temporary period of time in order to reach a weight loss goal.

A big mistake that a lot of people make is thinking that losing weight is just a matter of will power. Of course motivation and drive are a huge part of it, but the fact is that no diet is going to be successful if you’re not mentally prepared. It’s important to plan out your diet and goals thoroughly. Make a list ahead of time of what you want to accomplish, how you plan to do it, what obstacles you may encounter along the way and have a strategy for how to deal with them.

Mistakes that can lead to failure:

1. Following fad diets: similar to unrealistic goals, fad diets are extreme, unhealthy and unmaintainable. They often leave your body in some sort of nutrient-deficient state which puts you at a much higher risk for binging – the body’s way of fighting starvation. Follow a balanced diet with a moderate decrease in Calories to prevent muscle wasting, metabolism slowing and post-diet hyperphasia (binging) that can undo all your hard work.
   
2. Doing it for the wrong reasons: there are times in the day you may find yourself not caring whether or not you fit into your skinny jeans and beach season may seem too far off to provide motivation. In these cases, think of the heart disease or diabetes that runs in your family, or living to a ripe old age for your grandchildren. Finding a different type of motivation can help give you a fresh perspective.
   
3. Expecting perfection: If you see things as black and white and think one slip-up means you “blew it” you are likely to quit. Remember that no one is perfect and slip ups happen. Add an extra cardio session in that week to make up for it, and keep going!

Strategies that breed success:

1. Make realistic goals: setting a goal to lose 20lbs in one month is unrealistic and is setting you up for failure. Unless you’ve extremely overweight, aim to lose no more than 1-2lbs a week. The slower the weight loss, the more likely it is to stay off in the long run.
   
2. Set mini goals: setting small, weekly goals breaks large, seemingly daunting goals into bite-size pieces. You’re more likely to achieve small goals and they help build confidence to achieve bigger ones!
   
3. Be prepared: as mentioned above, write out your plan for your reaching your goals and overcoming obstacles.
   
4. Be organized: I have seen so many diets crumble because someone forgot to pack a lunch. When we’re hungry we’re more likely to cave in a moment of weakness, ending up going through the drive through and regret it as soon as the hunger pangs are gone. This can all be avoided by packing lunches and keeping healthy snacks in your bag and car for unexpected times of need.
   
5. Surround yourself with supportive people: Plan to go to the gym with a motivated friend who is expecting you to be there. Or hire a personal trainer or nutritionist who you are accountable to. When you are shelling out your hard-earned cash and have someone to answer to, you’re less likely to skip out or go for that dessert.
   

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