What are YOUR tricks to sticking to your diet?

PixieGoddess

I eat my veggies first at every meal. That way I don't get to the end of the meal and then skip them because I already stuffed myself with meat and grains/potatoes/whatever other side I had. They also tend to taste better when eaten first, because my taste buds haven't already been triggered by the fats and whatnot in those other foods.

Cassierocksalot

Like most people have said, I plan out my food choices ahead of time and log them in for the day as soon as I get to work in the morning so I don't have any surprises. That being said, weekends have always been difficult for me. BUT we rescued a new dog last week and this weekend, everytime I sat down to eat, she would sit at my feet and stare at me (our older dog is trained to go lay down on his bed while we're eating). It makes you a little more consciencous of how often you sit down and snack during the day when you have that furry little reminder. That, along with the bonding exercises we put our now 2 dogs through this weekend helped me to lose a pound and a half!

ashleydmassey

I am constantly planning, but also constantly discovering new ways to eat/love foods. I find the foods I eat now to be as equally gratifying as what I ate before...but without overdoing it

ell0324

I do the same thing! I make my lunch as soon as I get home, every day, so it's all done and I don't have to worry about it. Then I go into MFP and input all the things I put in my bag, so it's all set. It's a great idea. I also lay out the clothes and jewelry I'm going to wear the next day, but that's something else...

You think that's bad? I pick out all of my clothes on the weekend for the entire week! lol

I also plan a month's worth of dinners at a time. Maybe I'm a little too organized...

Alairissa

I have a small idea of how clothes might fit better when i lose weight so i use that to motivate me. :P in all seriousness though i just log what i eat and slowly make changes if need be.

Rivers2k

No trick just sick and tired of being fat. When I am tempted I think about my children and don't want to see another man raise them because I had a heart attack. whats more important a cheeseburger or the smile on my daughters face when I come home from work.

zillah73

I make my meal plan for the following week on Friday or Saturday. On Sunday, i get up early and go get all my groceries for the week. I pre-cook, measure and pack up as much as I can so that each day I can grab-and-go as much as I can during the week. I love cooking so I will usually make something that has a little prep work each night for dinner.

Also, I have learned what works for me. I love sweets, I love dessert. If I don't have a little something at the end of the day I will start obsessing, feeling deprived and set myself up for an epic overdose on sweets. So I just budget my dessert into my meal plan. If I still want more after my planned dessert, I brush my teeth. Nothing tastes good after that.

I don't have anything in the house that is not part of my meal plan (the obvious exceptions being condiments and some bean/grains). There is just nothing here for me to eat without eating tomorrow's food. I suppose I could go to the store or go out to eat, but that's enough of a pain that I don't do it.

CaffeinatedGlitter

My trick? Get naked.

I got into the habit of not really looking at myself when I put on weight, so I didn't have to acknowledge that it was happening. Now that I am making a conscious effort to be healthier, I find that when I am home alone if I cook/clean/whatever naked I am forced to see what I've let happen. Also I look in the mirror when I get out of the shower instead of waiting until I have clothes on to look.

And when I'm home alone is when I am most likely to mindlessly snack; if I have to go into the kitchen naked I have to pass two mirrors and that makes me remember why I'm trying to make changes and stops the snacking most of the time.

ETA: this clearly would not work for all living situations heheh. I happen to live alone with my boyfriend and he certainly doesn't mind but even if you have kids or something, take one look in the mirror a day at all the things you are and aren't happy about and I bet it'll help

This is actually a neat idea, although I dont have trouble eating right I so have trouble exercising and being in my sports bra and spandex does engrouage me more than if I was in my baggy sweatshirt and hubby's sweatpants lol

Timshel_

Few things that work for me and my family:

We all try new things no matter how they look (healthy alternatives, recipes, etc)
We do not keep less healthy food around the house much, if at all.
We do have tons of healthy snacks and meals.
All of us understand the basics of eating healthy and keep each other accountable (from our 8 year old up).
We keep each other active and support each others endeavours.

NualaTW

I "power cook" on Sundays. I cook enough chicken to last me all week and eat this for lunch and sometimes for dinner.

I do all of my shopping on the weekends too. I make sure I have the food I need for the entire week.

Plan, plan, plan. When I don't plan, that's when I have to eat out or make food choices that are not healthy or make me go over my cals.

This. But I also keep some "healthy" staples in the fridge and cabinets just in case I get caught on one of those "I forgot to plan" days (which usually happens as dinner). I keep stuff like a carton of egg whites, frozen spinach, feta cheese, onions, low-sodium canned soups, dried pastas, jars of pasta sauce. This way I can at least make an egg white/veggie/cheese omelette, some pasta or heat up some soup if I realize that I don't have anything else in the house to eat.

Mcoh01

1. Tea: Sometimes I get tired of water, and tea lets you put some variety in what you drink. I don't put any sweetener in it, and just let the flavor come through (peppermint, green tea...whatever). If I'm hungry, I have a cup of tea first. If I'm still hungry, I have a small snack. Usually I'm fine with just the cup of tea before my next meal.

2. Healthy Recipes: My fiancee and I cook skinnytaste.com recipes for dinner pretty much every night, and they are delicious, easy to make, and easy to log. It's a great way to not get bored with what we eat!

3. Weighing in once a week: I find it too stressful to weigh myself every day: there are good days and bad days, and it should be more about the big picture. I find that working toward that weekly weigh-in helps me stay focused, but is short-term enough that I don't feel like it's too far in the future to matter.

4. Make small fitness goals: It's difficult for me to find time to work out, so I decided not to take the elevator any more (unless I am carrying something heavy). I work on a third floor, park on the second level, and live on the fourth floor, so that's a small change that adds up over time!

ValarieRoman

I have dieted so many times before and the main thing that I am doing different is that I am telling everyone. Before, when I didn't tell anyone, when I failed at it no one knew. Now that I have told everyone, everywhere, I refuse to fail with all these people watching. It works for me.

That is my biggest problem! I have told my sister, but still have a couple more to go. I know that this will motivate me because I want to show them that I can do it!

HoneyIShrunktheMom

I agree with all of you who said planning. If I plan my day from breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, snack I find that I am successful. When I 'wing it' or go off my scheduled plan, I don't do as well.

And number 2, I don't look at this as a 'diet'. This is how I need to deal with food for the rest of my life. The ONLY thing I have given up completely is soda, but that isn't directly related to losing weight. Giving up soda was just the right idea because it was terribly bad for me. The other stuff that I like that's not so good for me I can have in moderation. I could not have soda in moderation. If I had one, I would have 5-6. It was just better to drop it out of my life completely. And it's a whole lot cheaper to drink water, too!

victoriavoodoo

My trick? Get naked.

I got into the habit of not really looking at myself when I put on weight, so I didn't have to acknowledge that it was happening. Now that I am making a conscious effort to be healthier, I find that when I am home alone if I cook/clean/whatever naked I am forced to see what I've let happen. Also I look in the mirror when I get out of the shower instead of waiting until I have clothes on to look.

And when I'm home alone is when I am most likely to mindlessly snack; if I have to go into the kitchen naked I have to pass two mirrors and that makes me remember why I'm trying to make changes and stops the snacking most of the time.

ETA: this clearly would not work for all living situations heheh. I happen to live alone with my boyfriend and he certainly doesn't mind but even if you have kids or something, take one look in the mirror a day at all the things you are and aren't happy about and I bet it'll help

This is actually a neat idea, although I dont have trouble eating right I so have trouble exercising and being in my sports bra and spandex does engrouage me more than if I was in my baggy sweatshirt and hubby's sweatpants lol

Totally! workout motivation is a whooooole 'nother issue for me, and cute workout clothes does the trick! I probably buy more than I need to actually..anyone have a trick for that?

thinMP

Love it!! You're right, this is such a public forum. it is very helpful.