When Should I Start My Diet?

 
Tomorrow? On Monday? Next week? As soon as I get home from vacation?Haven't we heard this sooo many times, or perhaps we have said it ourselves.
So when do you start a diet?

NEVER!! If you start something then that means you will stop. Losing weight can't be something you just do for a while. It requires making changes to your lifestyle and sticking to them. And I don't mean doing hardcore workouts and dieting, I am talking about the small things we do throughout the day that make big differences.

First thing to do is get rid of the "I'm on a diet" jargon... just saying this or hearing it is like fingernails on a chalkboard. How often do you hear this said with excitement or enthusiasm? It is more like how Eeyore would sound if he said it. By getting rid of the "diet thing", we can actually move forward with making some changes to your everyday life.

Another important process to do before embarking on your journey is to go ahead and picture yourself already there and how you will look and feel WHEN (not if) you achieve your goal weight. Really try to get the feeling of how things will be for you, like energy levels, self-image, and overall outlook on life. By doing this you are making it REAL, not just something that might happen, but something that will happen.

I find the best way to keep this a reality is to focus on today and the small things you can do to get there. Tell yourself this little affirmation every day, "The only thing matters are what I do today and the big picture, anything in between I am not going to worry about".

Start adding a few new things to your day, like:


Add some ice to your water... 8 glasses of ice water will burn about 100 calories a day.

Watch something funny on TV or YouTube... 15 minutes of laughter burns 50 calories.

Use a smaller plate for dinner... this can cut around 25% of calories.

Only drink half of a 12 oz. soda... cuts about 110 calories from your day.

Hang out with the family and play some Wii or Kinect games... you won't believe the amount of calories you burn playing these games. Or get Fido out of his dog bed and go for a stroll around the neighborhood.


I know some of these things may seem small and un-important to losing weight, but they really do make a difference. Just look at it as basic math... adding up all the small things equals bigger loses. Easy enough? This is truly a guaranteed way to lose weight and keep it off for good.