How to Stick to a Diet Even When YOU DON'T WANT TO

I am often asked: “How did you stick to such a crazy diet? You must have been miserable all the time!” My answer usually was: “Well, I had a big motivation” or “It wasn't so bad, I really liked the foods that I ate”. The diet that most people are talking about when they address me with these questions is a grueling figure competition diet, where my big motivation was to win a competition. For the average person, the nutrition program doesn’t need to be nearly as demanding, but the motivation should be real. That motivation is usually a fitter physique or a healthier body. Two very big motivations if you ask me!! If all it takes is simply staying motivated to watching and following your diet, then anyone can do it! Diet Basics Tip #1: Do not diet like a fitness competitor Like I mentioned, the diet of the average person that is looking to lose some weight, or become a healthier individual doesn’t need to be this insane schematic of macronutrients and numbers that a figure competitor may follow 12 weeks before a contest. This is only going to throw one off course. It’s also not necessary. What healthy weight management is about is adapting healthy eating habits. Some of these can even become a game. For instance, when going out to dinner, or going to a holiday party (dietary dangers and pitfalls are abound in this situation), I make it a point to pick the healthiest, most tastiest thing I can. I will ask questions, change things around, and take things away to make my meal as fitness friendly as possible. In the end, if I was able to sit through everyone else eating whatever they wanted, and still stick to my nutrition goals, I win. Simple game, yet very effective. I even go as far as telling myself that it wasn’t that bad, and you know what? It wasn’t! I was able to have a whole grain roll out of the opening bread basket, a delicious piece of perfectly grilled salmon with a beautiful array of colorful steamed vegetables. I even had dessert, a refreshing bowl of mixed berries with a little sugar substitute sprinkled on top. Hardly sounds like dietary prison to me! Not quite a burger and double fudge flourless cake, but not quite 1500 calories either and the subsequent water retention and frustration that follow the day after! Tip #2: Eat healthy foods you enjoy, toss the ones you hate. Another key element to sticking to healthy eating is centering your diet around foods that you like, not just ones that you THINK you should be eating. Who would really stick to eating broccoli and chicken if they don’t LIKE broccoli and chicken? There are too many other choices out there that are equally as nutritious, and would fit perfectly into a sensible regime. It’s a matter of doing a little research, and making substitutions. Find out what different types of proteins, carbs and fats are part of a sensible and healthy diet, and work with the ones that you enjoy eating. If you’ve heard that salmon is loaded with essential fats (which the body needs to function properly) and is a superior protein source, but you hate eating it, then don’t eat it! There are many other varieties of fish that are just as good for you. You don’t need to suffer! Tip #3: Develop Healthy Recipes Another saver for me is that I’ve developed some great recipes through experimentation. If I’m craving something sweet that I can bite into, or something crunchy, I’ll brainstorm some ideas of how to turn those foods that I’ve included as part of my diet into what I’m craving. One of my favorites, which I actually stumbled upon by mistake, is frozen protein powder (check out my website www.jennifersearles.com for recipes). I actually make “ice cream” out of protein powder and water. I even add peanut butter sometimes. It absolutely SAVES me during times of severe diet stress! No sugar, healthy fats in moderation and tons of protein and taste! Knowing that I have a few concoctions that I really enjoy make it so that I don’t need to stray from my healthy eating as I have my yummy creations to look forward to. Motivating Yourself to Eat Healthy An obvious motivator is seeing the results take shape. After weeks of making healthy choices and changes, one is bound to see the difference in the way you look and feel. Once you are able to see the fruits of your effort, it fuels you to keep going, and really makes it seem effortless. Whenever I start seeing changes, I always think to myself, “Wow! So this is why I’m doing this!” Even if the results aren’t coming as quickly as I hope, just the tiniest change noticeable is enough to keep me going. Any change means that what I’m doing is working, and that I am achieving my goal. Lastly, and the biggest motivator of all, is experiencing how great I feel when I know I’m doing something good for myself. I cannot stress enough how wonderful it feels to make the conscious effort to take care of your body. Knowing that I have taken the time to create a world of healthy choices and habits is more motivating than fitting into a favorite pair of jeans (although, once the jeans fit, it sure is fun to wear ‘em!) Conclusion What it boils down to is this: In order to keep to a healthy eating plan, you have to be motivated. It really is not hard to find that motivation within yourself if you dig. The most difficult part is initially finding it. Once you have it, the process becomes part of your life and even second nature. There are so many ways to help yourself succeed in building a healthy and satisfying eating plan. These that I’ve mentioned are simply a few ways to do it. Once you start, I bet you’ll come up with some of your own, and you’ll be teaching ME how you did it! Now go and have some fun with your new diet plan!