How To Stick To Your Weight Loss Diet

Struggling to stick to your diet?  What do you do if you're struggling with your diet, or have hit a plateau and feel like giving up?  Here are a few insights into why most diets fail, and how to make sure they don't happen to you.

By: Ed Scow, NSCA-CPT: Certified Fitness & Nutrition Expert to the True Superheroes - Busy Moms & Dads and author of Fat Loss To Go

Everybody starts weight loss diets…everybody.

Most people fail…and most fail within the first couple weeks.

Why do you think that is?

Why do so many people set out to lose fat and stick to a weight loss diet, but fail?

One of the biggest reasons people fail is they let themselves get too hungry, and then give in to the first temptation that crosses their path.

For me it’s chocolate and burgers. I love burgers and I love chocolate and those are the first things I crave when I start to get hungry.

But I don’t let myself give in (usually) and that’s because I never let myself get to the point where I feel as though I’m starving, or I’m depriving myself of food.

Most people that go into a diet think that it has to be about deprivation and eating rice cakes instead of real food and that is the first mistake, and usually the fatal mistake.

You cannot cut your calories so low that you let yourself get to that point.

You need to cut calories when on a weight loss diet, that’s obvious.

However you need to plan your days out so that you can have snacks planned throughout the day (low calorie, fiber and protein rich snacks) and plan your meals out at regular intervals so that you never let yourself get to the "I’m starving" talk.

Personally, I plan my day out the night before. I get my breakfast ready (which is always a smoothie that’s loaded with berries, flax, and protein powder), get my snacks packed up, and set them somewhere I won’t forget in the morning.

That way, when I’m between clients, or if I’m out running errands, I won’t be tempted to grab the first tasty treat that crosses my path.

My snacks always include raw nuts, fruits and maybe even a vegetable (my favorite is broccoli).

But time and time again, when I’m meeting with new clients, or talking with existing ones about the troubles they’re having with their weight loss diets, not being prepared with fat burning snack foods is always number one on the list of problems.

You simply cannot expect to stick to your weight loss diet if you aren’t prepared to fight the temptations that you will inevitably have.

If you’re a desk-bound cubicle jockey, and the vending machine calls out to you on a daily basis, make sure you have some healthy, fat burning snack foods at your desk so you never let yourself get to the point where you’re rummaging for change or running to the break room to grab a donut or bagel.

If you’re a stay-at-home mom or dad and you find yourself shuttling kids all over or constantly running errands, having fat burning "on the go" snack foods is imperative if you want to stay away from the drive-thru or resist the temptation of the checkout aisles.

Do that and you will succeed with your diet. 

Other Weight Loss Articles:

Weight Loss Cardio Myth  | Weight Loss Diet Foods  | Weight Loss  | 3 Weight Loss Diet Foods  | Weight Loss For Moms   | Weight Loss Workout  | Long Lasting Weight Loss Secret  | Weight Loss Plateau  | Is It OK To Cheat When On A Weight Loss Diet?  | Is Cardio Overrated?  | 1 Diet Tip To Lose Weight Fast  | Will Fruit Make You Gain Weight?