How to lose weight and stick to it

Take the time to write out your weight loss goals and motivations for weight loss. This process helps develop a concrete plan that you can refer back to down the line. As you work on your goals, start by answering these questions:. Weight loss affects everyone differently. If you know the specific weight loss benefits that you'd like to achieve, use them as fuel to motivate you towards healthier choices.

Revisit your plan throughout your weight-loss journey. Add new goals or adjust your methods as your body continues to change. For most people, experiencing the benefits of healthy eating, exercise, and living an active lifestyle can bring about new reasons to stay the course. Eating a healthy diet is usually easier when you're at home or by yourself. Social situations bring about different challenges. At parties, happy hours, and even in the workplace lunchroom, you might find yourself surrounded by treats and snacks that you wouldn't normally keep in your home.

Although the occasional indulgence won't negatively impact your ultimate goals, it's important to learn how to make healthy choices in a variety of settings. Use these tips to stick to your plan regardless of your environment.

It's not easy to change our habits, especially when it feels like no one else is trying to follow a healthy path. With some planning and savvy tricks, we can enjoy social events while still making progress towards our personal goals. Don't be afraid to make your own rules and do what's best for you. If you're out for dinner, pick the healthier items on the menu, like grilled chicken, brown rice, or salad, instead of the most greasy or high-fat options.

You can still be healthy while eating out. Choose healthy snacks over unhealthy ones.

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If you're at a party where there are a ton of snacks, snack on the foods in the veggie tray or pita chips instead of the plate of brownies or nachos. Eat at home as much as you can. Eating at home is the easiest way to make sure to avoid temptation. If you're cooking at home, you can control everything that goes into your menu. When you're eating out, though you can choose healthier options, you won't have as much control over what you eat. Here's how to make the most of eating at home: Become a master chef.

If you develop a love of cooking, you'll be more motivated to cook and will be excited to find new healthy recipes. Invite your friends to eat in instead of going out.

Once you develop your cooking skills, if a friend asks you out to dinner, you can offer to stay in and cook instead. Not only will this be cheaper, but you'll be able to eat healthy in a more intimate atmosphere. Try to eat lunch at home or pack your lunch as much as you can. It's easy to splurge on fast food, especially if you're in the middle of a busy work day, but if you pack a simple sandwich or salad with you in the morning, you'll be less likely to want to eat something unhealthy.

Part 3 of Love what you eat. There's no point starting a diet with the intention of eating foods you don't enjoy just because they'll make you skinny. Try out different recipes, and do little things to change your fat intake. Being on a diet doesn't mean that you should eat foods that you normally hate, but that you should discover new and healthier foods that can help you shed some pounds.

Here's what to do: Go to your local farmer's market or the produce section of your grocery store.

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Make a goal of picking one new fruit and one new vegetable a week, and learning how to include it in a delicious recipe. Avoid the foods you hate. If you just can't stand the taste of tofu or just really hate brown rice, don't torture yourself by making yourself eat it. Find a way to put a healthy spin on your favorite meal. If you love spaghetti and meatballs, try a whole wheat pasta with veggie meatballs instead. Try adding extra vegetables to the sauce as well. Find a workout that you love. Try a dance class, or different types of sports like tennis or swimming.


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If you find something you enjoy, then you're much more likely to do it often. If you like running, it could be a way to get some sun and enjoy a pretty view. Here's how to do it: Don't do anything that feels like torture. If you've always hated running, you don't have to do it. Try making a goal of walking for twenty minutes a day instead if you like doing that. Try new workouts that you've never done before. Take a dance, yoga, or pilates class and see if you've found a new passion.

Mix it up. If you don't mind running but don't want to do it three times a week, you can run one day, do yoga another day, and swim on a third day. This will keep your body and mind active and won't make you feel bored through a workout. Don't overdo it. You don't have to exercise every day, or even five or six times a week, to get a great workout.

Let your body rest if you're tired and you'll enjoy your "on days" even more. Don't go hungry. You won't be able to stick to your diet if you find yourself so hungry that any food at all sounds appealing. If you're hungry, then you're much less likely to make rational decisions about what to eat next. Being hungry will also make you feel cranky, weak, and tired, and generally negative. Here's how to avoid being hungry: Make sure to have a meal or a light snack every few hours. Don't go five or six hours without food.

Always keep healthy snacks with you wherever you go. If you know you'll be having a late lunch or dinner, factor a snack into your day or you'll be too hungry by the time the meal arrives. Don't starve yourself. Generally speaking, starving for women means eating less than 1, calories a day and for men, it means eating less than 1, calories a day. Not only will this just make you feel weak and lightheaded, but it is also dangerous and difficult to keep up on a long-term basis. Indulge once in a while.

How to Stick to Your Diet and Lose Weight for Good | Shape

In addition to rewarding yourself for a job well done every once in a while, you should just take little mini-breaks from your diet and indulge every once in a while so you don't feel so trapped in your new routine. As long as indulging doesn't send you on a downward eating spiral, it will only make you feel better every once in a while. If you really want to see your friends, just try to find a healthier option, or to enjoy the unhealthy food and just go to the gym later. Indulge your cravings once in a while. If you're really craving a chocolate chip cookie, it's much better to just eat one than to eat everything in your cabinet that isn't a chocolate chip cookie.

Eat an "off meal" once in a while. Tell yourself that after every five or ten healthy meals, you'll get to eat whatever you want. This will keep you focused on staying healthy for the most part. Healthy vs.

No More Excuses! 10 Tips to Stick to Your Diet

Unhealthy Diets. Food Diary Template. What if you're an overweight kid who wants to lose weight but finds it hard to because you have to deal with school and other things?

It is important to have a healthy diet as a teenager.