Sticking to a Diet

[EagleEye]

Recently I have been trying to go on a diet but find it extremely difficult to stick to it and to not give in to temptations. How do you guys manage it?

[James]

Diets suck. Well any diet that has a stringent set of rules or takes a book to explain. I have done a ton of diets over the years. I even ate so much tuna once that after a few months my finger tips were going numb. Every diet I did though I realized when I was done I just reverted back to my old ways. 

I do not think it is a diet that people are looking for. A diet just treats the symptoms but does not fix the cause. 

What needs to be done is to go examine those unhealthy things you are consuming and you just have to cut them out. Eat a well balanced sustainable diet. Meat, vegetables, fruit. If its not packaged at the store and you can buy it fresh you are good to go. 

Find a way to enjoy eating that way and get rid of the processed crap that we put into our bodies. Drink more water when you feel hungry. 

Food intake is only part of the puzzle though at the same time (I would assume one is looking for a diet to lose weight) start a fitness routine. Start slowly as to build routine you can not pile on to much at one time as it becomes overwhelming. 

When I am getting people started with fitness I typically suggest just walking every day. That is easy. No excuse why it cant get done get used to that routine. Add to that after a couple months.

You need to remember why you are doing these things and when temptation starts to creep in go back to your why. Your brain is evil and will not want to do the right thing it wants to do the easy thing. You need to remind yourself that what is easy is not right. 

[Stacey]

You don't want to "go on a diet". 

Your diet should be what you eat on a day to day basis. Instead of focusing on changing everything, make small positive changes first. Opt for drinking water and tea over soda and juice. Eat less bread. Add one vegetable to every meal. Things like that. Adjust into a healthier diet overall and your body will thank you!

[Sophia]

I have always had trouble with this. My weight has gone up and down since my teens. I am currently looking to lose weight, yet again. I feel like diets set people up for failure, even if they end up reaching their goal. We should be able to enjoy food of all kinds. It is just a matter of allowing yourself those unhealthier foods in moderation. Instead of eating half a bag of chips in one sitting, have just 200 calories worth. I found that eating slowly helps too. Use smaller plates and figure out portion control first. Eat less and add in healthier items as you go. 

[Mila]

Dieting sucks! I think a better approach is to cut calories and still enjoy the things you like, just less in one sitting. If you do want to eat healthier, fill in the gaps with things like cooked vegetables. Snack on fruits and nuts. Just watch your calorie intake and you will be fine. 

[Xavier MG]

On 7/9/2021 at 5:23 PM, EagleEye said:

Recently I have been trying to go on a diet but find it extremely difficult to stick to it and to not give in to temptations. How do you guys manage it?

Commitment to dieting should come from deep within you. Plus, it is a habit like any other. You must start by setting goals. Then break those goals down into smaller achievable chunks. This should be small easy to implement practical daily activities. And don't put so many activities on your list, just prioritize those that you can handle quickly as you move towards your bigger goal. 

[CyberTron]

Try this, when you feel tempted to do soemthing, replace that temptation with a valuable activity that you love doing. For example, when i was trying to quit smoking, whenver i feel the urge to smoke, i take a book i love and read it throroughly until the urge goes. When you are immersed in alternative activity, it will trick your brain to forget about the temptation. For your case, you can have a fruit, or something in your bag. When you feel like eating something unhealth, you take the fruit, take a bite, and the brain will be tricked to believe that you have solved the urge.