So you've decided to start dieting. Maybe you've told yourself "I can do it this time. It just takes willpower." What you may not be aware of is that ongoing willpower requires many different things. Willpower is fueled by commitment, belief in yourself, awareness of your problem, good information, common sense, and hope. These are among the things you need in order to keep up your "willpower" and reach your weight loss goal.
Before you take one bite of your first diet meal on Monday morning, ask yourself the following essential questions. The answers you give will inform you and give you the strength you need to stick to your decision about dieting.
1. Can I envision a better life for myself once I've lost the weight?
If you can focus on how good your life will be when you reach your
weight loss goal, it will strengthen your motivation and commitment.
Strong motivation and commitment are critical to successful dieting.
2. Is this a good time for me to start dieting?
Some times are better than others for making important changes. Be sure
to look ahead. Are there things that might make it harder for you at
this point? Are you in the midst of a crisis? Is it holiday time? Or is
this a quiet time, a time when you can give dieting the attention it
needs?
3. Should I do this myself or should I get some help?
Of course, it is you yourself who must lose the weight, but many women
feel the need for extra support. This can come from people close to you
or from a diet group or from one-on-one counseling. Think about whether
this is something you need. If it is, arrange for that extra support.
You can always rethink this as you go.
4. Do I know what went right and what went wrong with my last two dieting attempts?
Answering this question will reveal a lot that is helpful. Take a good
look at all that surrounded those last two diets, especially your own
behavior. You can learn from what you did right and prepare yourself
better this time by anticipating what might go wrong.
5. Have I chosen a weight-loss plan that is particularly good for me?
There is a new diet trend every year — low carb, low fat, low cal, etc.
These plans are alluring and some are very good. If you can pick what
will fit best into your own life, you will have an excellent chance of
succeeding on your diet.
6. Do I know how to keep a cheating episode from ruining my diet?
Studies have shown that learning from mistakes is an invaluable tool
for change. There simply is no real personal change without making
mistakes. During dieting, you'll need to find ways to accept your
cheats, understand why they happen, and use this knowledge to lessen
your number of cheats in the future.
7. Am I willing to make changing my eating a priority?
Can you put dieting and all that it entails at the top of your list?
If you want to be a successful dieter, you need to do this. Give your weight-loss plan and all that goes along with it a real importance in your
day-to-day life.
8. Do I believe in my ability to change?
Past dieting failures may have really cut into your belief in your ability
to stick to your diet. You may not know that you really can change.
Begin to think about all the strengths you have that will contribute to
your dieting success. Write them down and add to your list whenever you
think of another strength.
9. Can I let go of old patterns of behavior?
Changing anything about ourselves is hard and sometimes even
frightening. For instance, the automatic response of reaching for food
when you're under stress is an important thing to address. You will
need to concentrate on establishing healthier, more life-affirming
patterns.
10. Do I have a workable strategy for maintaining my weight loss after I finish dieting?
Maintaining all the changes necessary for weight loss is difficult, but
most important. You need to prepare yourself to keep to these changes,
even in difficult situations. You also need to plan for lapses — those
times when you might slip back into old behaviors.
These are key issues that need to be dealt with along with your selection of a weight-loss diet plan. Don't try to do it in a one-sided way. If you just start dieting without much thought as preparation, you will lessen your chances for weight-loss success. Get yourself thinking in the right direction before you start and you'll be half-way there.
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