20 tips for dieting success

Here are the tips for dieting success.

To commence dieting is not half as bad as sticking to it! As you embark on this journey of self control and petty eating, half way through you will realize that the road to slimming down is indeed narrow.

Tips for successful dieting can be divided into three parts:

PLANNING

1) Achievable target

Nobody knows your limitations better than you. Set targets which are achievable.

It is not only wise to start with targets you know you can achieve but that way the probability of success also goes higher.

2) Short term and long term goals

Break up your total dieting strategy into short term and long term milestones. Decide on the long term objective and break it up into smaller portions, just like your meals! This way the goal won't seem too far away. And as the target has been distributed over a period of time it seems more attainable. Psychologically too, losing 5 pounds a month sounds better than losing 60 pounds a year.

3) Research

Now that you have a dieting plan in place, start doing your research. If you don't know your food how will you decide what to eat and what to avoid? All information you need is now available at the click of a mouse, so what are you waiting for? Find calories, pros and cons of your food. Simply following a diet regime without any knowledge of food will give you short term success, knowing the food you eat will help you for life.

4) Meal planning

The best way to stick to a diet program is to plan your meals in advance. Chart out weekly menus. Order, cook and freeze or prepare them fresh every day, depending on your convenience. The advantage of planning meals is that there will be no gap. The meals will be fixed and so will your calorie intake.

5) Grocery shopping

From grocery shopping starts the implementation of your actual diet plan. Make a list beforehand keeping in mind your diet restrictions. Next, stick to the list. The objective here is pretty simple; you shouldn't be buying what you shouldn't be eating.

6) Substitutes

Being on diet doesn't mean staying away from your most loved foods. When it comes to food resisting temptation is easier said than done. I would suggest, don't resist it, find an alternative. If want to eat food which doesn't fit in your diet system, look for low fat or healthier substitute. For example you can substitute tofu for ricotta or cream cheese.

EATING

7) No fasting

Not eating is not the answer. Often, dieting has been confused with refraining from food. Fasting or not eating

to lose weight has serious consequences. Never attempt it.

8) Balanced meal

It is important to eat one balanced meal a day. Our body needs certain essential nutrients to function properly. For dieting success make sure you don't miss out on the balance part. Your meal should contain the necessary amount of carbohydrates, protein, minerals and fats too. Remember, it is all right to cut down on food but never on nutrition.

9) Small meals

Dieting is about changing what you eat and how you eat. Advice on dieting always emphasizes on a number of small meals instead of the usual big lunch and dinner. Portions play an important role in dieting success. Eat small to achieve big success in dieting.

10) Snack time

When we talk about frequent meals, snack is what comes to our mind. Do not assume that all snacks are fattening. There is a lot you can snack on without worrying about calories. Whole grain crackers, low fat yogurt and fruits like raspberry make excellent snacks. They also curb hunger pangs between meals.

11) Eating out

A diet plan which excludes eating out altogether may not be the most practical. Instead, incorporate "eating out" days in your dieting. Decide on what and when you can eat outside home. You can either eat to whatever you want to and compensate over the next few days or stick to the diet plan and eat accordingly. What you don't do however is impromptu eating out. That will give you less choices and more deviation from the dieting.

12) Herbal tea/warm water

Though none have proved to incur weight loss by themselves, it has been mentioned often that they aid dieting. It has been said that the Japanese and Chinese drink green tea or warm water with their meals and after so that the fats from the food do not cling to their body. This ancient tip definitely looks like worth a try.

13) Add fruits to your diet

Eating fruits is a smart way to stick to your diet. Fruits like banana have enough nutrition packed for a whole meal and other fruits like berries carry antioxidants which keep you healthy.

AUXILIARY

14) Cookbooks

Ask people who are on diet and they will say there is nothing worse than counting calories before eating, not to mention the kind of food. So get yourself some cook books. There are tons of books which will tell you how to be creative with diet food. These books give recipes for delicious food with minimum calories, just what you need.

15) Exercise

Food is not the only factor for successful dieting. Exercise

plays a supplementary role. Whatever you lose by dieting may very well come back when you stop dieting. An everyday work out ensures that this does not happen. Exercise regularly with dieting to obtain best results.

16) Stay healthy

Weakness, fatigue and nutrition deficiency are common side effects of dieting. What you really need to do is boost up the immunity system so that your body is able to adjust to all the dietary changes.

Stay healthy so that you don't have to drop your dieting plans half way.

17) Support group

People who are with you on this will understand and support you better. Dieting demands a lot of endurance. Every person has a weak day when he is tempted to let go. It is at those times that a support group can help. Your friends, family or people who have been through the grind can pull you out and help steady yourself when the going gets tough.

18) Prepare yourself

Dieting is all about control. So in a way it is more of a mental than a physical test. Food cravings arise from your mind and affect your stomach. Before you start dieting prepare yourself for the challenge. Don't think it is going to be easy and don't take it lightly.

19) Determination

Perseverance pays. Consistency is the key to success. Dieting for some is not a temporary solution. It is a way of life they choose to adopt for a slimmer look and a healthier living. If you are one of them, learn an important lesson right from the start, never give up.

20) Reward yourself

At the end of the whole exercise reward yourself, you have earned it. You did a good job and must be credited for it. It also works the other way round. Set a reward for yourself and work towards it. My cousin promised herself a pair of branded boots if she stuck to her dieting and managed to lose some pounds. Sure enough, she got her boots.

The success of dieting doesn't end once you lose the desired number of pounds. It concludes when you are able to keep it stable at that point and don't have to start hunting for a new diet plan.