When it comes to dieting, too many people set themselves up for failure before they even start the process. They are literally afraid to continue their diet and plan for the setbacks they will encounter along the way before starting the process. Sad to say but true, most dieters plan their first Rocky Road crash while eating the last bowl of Rocky Road before the big event.
I have no idea why we tend to do this to ourselves, but it's something I've seen in dieters everywhere. The very popular view is that one should eat the most liked and enjoyed foods before starting the dieting process because they must be completely eliminated in order to lose unwanted pounds. If you're honest with yourself, nothing could be further from the truth. Moderation is a concept most of us hate to embrace.
For any diet you adopt to be successful, you must change the way you think about food and your personal taste in it. Food is not the enemy. And that's something that not enough people really understand. Even 'delicious' food is not the enemy. The enemy is your personal inability to properly portion the food you eat. The problem is, most of us eat the wrong foods much more often than we eat the right foods. This is where the problems lie.
Our body needs nutrients that we lack by not eating the five servings of vegetables and three servings of fruit that we should consume every day. Our body knows that something is missing and we feel hungry or deprived. If we were truly consuming the right balance of fruits and vegetables each day, we would find that we are much less likely to feel hungry and crave unhealthy foods. This means that we will be much more likely to enjoy them in moderation as they should.
Portion control is another problem. We live in an “up sell” society. Super-sized fries and gallons of empty calories from your favorite Coke are served with almost any fast food meal available for purchase. You must learn to say no to these things and avoid situations where you might feel tempted to join these big orders.
To be truly successful in dieting, you need to embrace the process of building a healthier you rather than depriving yourself of something. Don't think of your weight loss plan as something negative, but as a positive force to make changes in your life for the better. When you have negative thoughts, don't lead them to your diet. When you feel deprived, remind yourself that you are depriving your bones of carrying that extra weight. Remind yourself that you're depriving your wardrobe of bulky garments designed to hide bulges. Remind yourself that you are depriving your body of the bulges of years and bringing back the body of your youth.
Don't get so caught up in the dieting process that you forget to enjoy some of the good things life has to offer. Watching your weight and counting your calories doesn't mean you can never exceed the amount you give. But the goal is to find balance. If you learn to properly divide your meals, be in moderation, and incorporate enjoyable calorie-burning activities into your daily routine, you may be surprised at the results.
Dieting for weight loss and health only deprives you if you let it. If you can't control yourself when it comes to pampering, definitely avoid pampering. However, if you can learn to incorporate these little treats in moderation into your routine and burn those extra calories as well, you should find yourself a happier and more successful dieter than ever before.
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