What are some tips to actually sticking to a diet?

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   lauren03posted 14 years ago

   Every time I try to eat healthier I end up going right back to the junk food after a couple of days, what are some tips to not go back to my old ways?

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      Sullen91posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      There are no tips, but there is an objective. Stop viewing your health as something to maintain temporarily, and start imagining a different way of thinking it. As long as you do not want to modify your lifestyle, you will fail at every conceivable diet. As long as a drug addict does not want to quit, addiction will consume him/her.

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2. 62

   Kimberly Bunchposted 14 years ago

   Sugar products are addicting!! Mental discipline is needed. Have you ever considered fasting for a day or two? Maybe three days? While only drink liquids??? V8 would be a good starter.
   
   What you need is to change your taste buds however you can. Either by fasting or spend three days just eating vegetables. 'Use fruit as your sugar'.
   
   It's all about changing your taste buds and mental discipline.
   
   Like 'Sullen91' said, you have to really want to cut it out of your life or reduce it greatly; and usually reducing it is to hard at first, because you start craving those empty and addicting sugar products... that are loaded with calories!!

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3. 60

   swapna123posted 14 years ago

   Like others have replied, healthy eating should be a part of the life style. However, I am one of the people who has a sweet tooth and am too lazy to exercise and burn off those calories. So, I occasionally end up dieting to get back in shape. I only follow diets where i don't starve and have total control over myself. I read this somewhere and repeat it in my mind when i am tempted to break the diet.
   What do you do if you have meet with some minor accident and are bedridden? You wait till the wound heals even if that takes a month or two. While you are recovering, what if you happen to see your friends playing soccer (or any other activity that you like) ? You would be unhappy for not being able to join them, but wouldn't you still wait till you are fit enough to play ? You know you can get back at the game when you are fit. The same rule applies to diet.
   There would be temptations. There would be festivals where everybody else in your house is eating sweets. But, if you consider yourself to be sick and that you are getting yourself treated and you can eat them later, the temptation decreases. You are just postponing the desire, not saying a complete 'no' to the junk food.Imagine that you just can't eat those stuff today and that you would throw up if you tried. It works for me.

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   Aiden Robertsposted 14 years ago

   I have always thought that diets are very restrictive, the old saying of "wanting something you can't have" comes into play here.
   
   Psychoogically diets will occupy your mind 24hrs a day and that isn't healthy.
   
   Instead of diets, control portions of what food you want to eat, take a little more excercise if you can and let your body adapt to what it needs, over time it will need or want less.
   
   Being on permanent diets is like being in jail without the bars.

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5. 56

   allison24posted 14 years ago

   Find a diet that you can live with.
   Many diets fail because the limited foods are unreasonable and boring.
   Consider how much you eat at a time.
   Small meals a few times a day are better for you and keep you from becoming too hungry and over-eating.
   There are certain nutrients, etc. that you need for a balanced diet. Get exercise.
   You might also considering talk with your doctor or a nutritionist.
   Only you can control what you eat, how much you eat and when you eat it.

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   Suzie Parkerposted 14 years ago

   If you want to eat healthier, you should really stay away from fasting or only eating fruits and veggies. It is very unhealthy! It also makes your body think that it is in a famine and what it then does is hold on to all the light things and let go of the heavier things. Fat weigh a lot less than muscle and it then breaks down some of your muscle tissue to maintain itself. Doing so also slows down your metabolism and this makes it very difficult to lose weight in the long run. Muscle tissue also burns a lot of calories and fat and it boosts your metabolism. So when you lose muscle tissue you also lose out on calorie burn, while making yourself unhealthy. And a healthy body needs lean muscle mass to protects itself.
   
   Anyway, onto your issue:
   
   The best way to make sure that you stick to your diet is to keep a food dairy. And make sure that you write everything down that you eat. That way you will think twice before eating anything unhealthy. Writing down how you felt at the time you ate something may help you understand why you eat that unhealthy things. Also pack your own healthy lunches and make sure that you always have healthy snacks close-by so that junk cheat foods can't tempt you.

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   Mishaposted 14 years ago

   Actually stick to it...

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   Joy56posted 14 years ago

   some people i.e. me find it so hard to lose weight,  it is just difficult, but i do try.

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   1. 54

      lauren03posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      so do i..

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9. 55

   william22posted 14 years ago

   there are no tips. it's all up to you. if you really want it and you're ready to get into a healthy routine you won't eat junk food again. when you wanna eat a junk food or something unhealthy think of your ideal body and how much you want it. so keep trying and you will understand when you're ready.

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10. 54

    lauren03posted 14 years ago

    thanks everyone. great advices..
    
    looking forward to solve this problem.

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11. 0

    Kathryn LJposted 14 years ago

    I have a horrible photo of myself posted on the fridge and food cupboards.  Every time I get the urge to stuff my face, it looks back at me and I suddenly loose my appetite.

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       lauren03posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       good idea of posting your photo on the fridge.. hehe

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12. 62

    Lisa HWposted 14 years ago

    Sometimes if you're body is craving a little more carbohydrates or fats than your new diet food (especially if it's carrot sticks and celery) offers, it will just keep craving until it gets at least a little of what it needs.
    
    You could adding just a little more fat, protein, and just a few starches (not many - just more than "none") in order that your body gets what it needs, particularly if you're under stress, overworked, or tired (which amounts to stress).  You could always further modify (improve, as far as "healthy" goes) your diet later, but maybe just making sure you have just enough so you don't crave junk foods could help.
    
    Also, this is only my opinion, but I think people are better off staying away from things like "sugar-free" cookies or even low-fat mayonnaise (at least while you're dieting).  Sugar-free cookies give you the same empty calories and fill you up (but don't meet those protein and fat needs), and something like reduced fat mayonnaise can sound good but may not satisfy your body's need for just a little fat.
    
    You don't have to go wild with fats.  Maybe something like a little scoop of tuna with a little mayo added to your salad, rather than trying to live on a small salad and water for lunch.
    
    You could gradually eliminate something like "full fat" mayo after you get through the first part of adjusting to your weight-loss plan.
    
    Carbs don't do a lot for anyone anyway, so really limit those.  You'd be better off using the calories on a small amount of protein and fat. (Again, just enough to satisfy your needs for now, but it usually doesn't take a lot of either to do that.)    You can address the issue of fats and a more ideal, healthy, diet later on.

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    1. 54

       lauren03posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       thanks lisa great post

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