Things to do before Starting a Diet

“A mile of run always starts with a single step”, so goes the saying. To go on a diet is to change your lifestyle permanently, a lot of miles ahead indeed. So very critical to start with are your first “steps”. To start making substantially painful decisions, we must have something to help boost our morale and motivate us to get in on. The following tips are suggested to help you get things moving.

1.       Write in bold letters the reasons why you would like to become slimmer. Place them in the back of your room’s door or locker and keep reading this list as often as you can.

2.       Set 0.5 kg weight loss per week. The most achievable goal for most people is to lose 5 to 10 % of their body weight in a week. Steadily increase the amount after 4 to 6 week or after shedding about 3 kg. 

3.       Make a list of your current food favourites, including snack and drinks. Highlight in red the unhealthy ones. 

4.       Start making easy but firm and realistic decisions. If you used to drink cola every day, decide to make it every after 3 days. Make steady action plans as often as you can. Start easy and deal difficult decisions later.

5.       Decide the right time to start the regimen. Better to start at times when slimmest chances of disturbances are imminent. Efforts might be hampered by work schedules, or family activates.

6.       Learn how to portion foods. This is not anymore a job for dieticians or nutritionists. It now your responsibility to appreciate how much is too much food and how small is too little. Example of food portioning are:

·         2 handfuls of nuts is 1 ounce

·         A piece of cheese is 1 0unce

·         1 meat, poultry or fish serving is  3 ounces (about the size of a deck of cards)

·         1 dairy serving is 8 ounces (the size of a container of individual yogurt)

·         1 vegetable serving is 1/2 cup cooked or canned vegetables (about ½ a baseball)