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.
Patently if your record shows a higher consumption of alcohol or fatty foods than you’d realised, you might begin by reducing those initially. However, if you’ve only written healthy food and drink down, then it’s probably just a case of decreasing the portions. Either option will reveal what you need to change to achieve your desired weight loss.
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.
If you enjoy alcohol, decide on a small quantity that you will allow yourself at the weekend, and write it down. Sugary fizzy sodas are banned! And on to exercise - make a note of the daily activities you plan to fit into your week.
Accurately weigh yourself the morning your regime starts. Each week, repeat the process, modifying your plan according to the results you’re achieving. It’s tempting to get on the scales every few days - don’t. Keep it to once every seven days, first thing in the morning.
With a plan like this, you’re in complete control. Add little observations to remind yourself how you feel. Also enter the exercise you’re doing, to make sure this isn’t getting left out. It’s amazing how much easier it is to stick with something if it’s all written down.
It’s important not to expect too much too quickly. In the early weeks, it may be difficult to see much change - but the groundwork is all taking place. A little perseverance and patience will count for a lot. Don’t think about what you’re missing out on; think about what you’re going to gain as a result of your weight loss.
Should things start to go backwards, make haste to get back into the diary regime. Perhaps the plan needs a little adjustment. There are some relatively easy ways to introduce more exercise. A thirty minute routine three times a week is a good habit to get into.
Acknowledge your accomplishments. Quantifying the results you achieve makes dieting a great deal easier to maintain long-term. A lovely new suit should probably wait until your full weight loss is realised. But an evening at a show would be spot-on to toast a ten pound loss!
(C) Scott Edwards. Hop over to WeightLossDietWar.com for logical ideas on weight diets and fast weight loss diets.