5 Tips to Keep Your Diet on Track

Dieting can be very overwhelming when you first realize how much effort goes into being precise about what you put in your body. It’s always easy to eat what youre craving or what you think tastes the best but the real challenge is being in control of your body and thoughts. I'm glad you've made the decision to better yourself, it's the first step down a long worthwhile journey you won't regret. Thankfully your journey doesn't have to be alone, we're here to help you down the path to a better lifestyle.

Small consistent meals

Now I know what you’re thinking, “I kinda figured that...since it's a diet?”. Well you’re right, but the thing is if you have 4-5 smaller meals a day consistently spread out you won't be haunted by those terrible hunger pains. The goal isn't to starve yourself, it's not healthy, we just want you to plan your meals and make them smaller than normal. You're still going to eat as much but it will be spread out in the day so your body can properly process the food. Studies have also shown you will feel more full throughout the day compared to eating only 3 meals a day, so give it a try!

Slow and steady wins the race

A big misconception with diets is that you will instantly lose weight in a couple weeks or a month. Again, that wouldn't be healthy, and you would end up gaining that weight back if it is done too rapidly. The key to keeping those pounds off is to slowly widdle them off, I know that's probably the last thing you want to hear but wouldn't it be worse if you lost all that weight just for it to come back in a month? As a little mile marker system, weigh yourself every week and document how much you have lost. This is a great way to motivate yourself to have that number keep going down with consistency and commitment. Even if you don't notice those results in the first week or two, keep going!! Set a healthy goal of 1-2 pounds a week, it only takes losing 5-10% of your body weight to have major health benefits.

Food Diary

You’d be surprised how much you can eat in a day or week. Writing down what you ate and when can give you some major insight into how much you’re actually eating. It sounds small but just writing down every time you have a snack or a meal can really help you stay on track. A study was done with a group of people keeping a food diary for 6 days out of the week compared to a group only recording 1 day out of the week, and the group who recorded more was found to have lost almost double the weight to the other group.

Keep active

Again doesn't sound like anything new to you, but going for that 20 minute walk or just doing stuff around the house can be tremendously beneficial to you. Instead of sneaking that candy bar in because you’re just craving something sweet, get up and move around for a little, it can be anything just move! This has been shown to help reduce cravings while promoting eating healthier. You’d be surprised but once you start burning some calories you won't be craving a sweet treat, but rather a nutrient dense snack or some fruits and veggies.

Don't get discouraged!

I know it is hard especially when you aren't seeing the results you want too, but remembering why you started has always helped me personally. On average it takes 66 days to form a new habit, if you are consistent and committed, being healthy will turn into something you won’t give a second thought to. Also finding a partner is a great way to be held accountable to your diet, even if they aren't on it with you, just ask them to check up on you to see how the progress is and make sure you’re doing what you planned on doing.