So you’ve decided to lose weight and go on a diet program. There are many things you should know before going on a diet that will really help you succeed at your goal of losing weight. Most fat loss diets and diet programs only talk about working out, diet food and quick diet meals and yet place no emphasis on what people feel emotionally and the changes they need to make in lifestyle in order to stay thin and not gain the weight back. Here are some important things you need to take into consideration these interesting pre-diet questions.
Do you eat out a lot?
Do you have a problem eating a good home cooked meal? Do you find yourself eating out at restaurants, if so are they restaurants that have a diet friendly menu and do you have the option to order smaller portions of food?
You need to be 100% honest with yourself.
Dieting involves much more than just saying “I want to lose weight”. You need to realize that going on a diet means that you may be introducing foods and activities that you are not used to and you may not like. If you do not like eating breakfast, you may need to get used to eating breakfast to lose weight. Before starting your diet, make sure that you will give 100% to the diet and realize that when following a proper diet program, it’s all or none.
Do you realize that going on a diet is for life?
Dieting is about creating change and long term weight loss. So many people have often gained the weight they lost on a diet because they started eating like they did when they were fat, thinking they will never get fat again. Make sure you realize that once you start a diet program it means eating healthy and working out for life.
The lifestyle of other does affect your diet.
Are you surrounded by people who are active and eat healthy, or are the people around you lazy and eating fatty junk food all day. Studies have shown that people who surrounded themselves with others who practiced a healthy lifestyle kept the weight off longer than those who were surrounded by people who were overweight. If you friends and family are sedentary in nature, then you need to realize that you will need to overcome this challenge and not fall into their behavior.
You everyday habits will change.
You need to understand that your everyday habits need to change. No longer will you spend Saturday nights looking for a good fast food joint to eat at, nor will you spend the weekends sitting in front of the television watching your favorite TV shows. You will need to change the way you spend your time, it will be tough at first, but you can be assured that you will love your new habits as they will lead to a skinnier you.
Have the right tools to help you lose weight.
Many diets involve cooking your own meals as a way to control what you eat. In order to cook the meals you need to lose weight, you will need the proper equipment in your kitchen. Make sure you have Tupperware, a blender, and a freezer to name a few of the kitchen items you will need to prepare your weight loss meals.
You will need to change you eating habits.
Do you eat only packaged food, only in front of the TV, in your car or on the bus? What types of foods are you eating, are they truly healthy diet choices or are they bad weight loss foods? You will need to accept that you will be eating proper food from the moment you start your diet.
Build a healthy home.
Do you have room in the fridge, a place to eat your meals, a proper kitchen to cook your meals? You will need to build good dieting habits, and it all starts at home.
You will need to stand firm on peer pressure.
Just because you are on a diet does not mean that you cannot go out with your friends and family for a good time out. The difference is now you will have to stick with your diet; that means eating the right meals when going out and avoiding fat foods. Be prepared with friends who may try to take you down with them.
There are always things that you cannot change.
There may be people who are going to criticize your going starting a diet, well the best thing is to realize they won’t change and you need to just ignore them. Try not responding verbally but in actions – this means keep on with your diet and lose the weight you want to lose. Actions are always louder than words.