6 Reasons Why Your Last Diet Didnt Work

If youre at the end of your rope with trying diets and eating programs that arent working, it might be time to face the music. You might be falling into diet sabotage without even realizing it. Diet sabotage can happen to anyone, and usually we dont realize how harmful simple ideas or words can be to our day to day actions until its too late. Here are 6 reasons why your last diet didnt work, and of course, some tips to help avoid these in the future.

You Went In Expecting to Fail

If you go into a diet program feeling skeptical of it, or feeling insecure in your ability to do it, youre setting yourself up to fail. With each new opportunity you approach, you need to feel 100% confident in the process and in your ability to stick to it.

• The wrong mindset: "Ive failed at everything else Ive tried, Im sure this will be no different. But Ill give it a try."
• The right mindset: "This time its going to work because Im going to make it work."

Your Goal Wasnt Realistic

While confidence is crucial to success, over-confidence is not. Going into a diet with the idea that its going to fix all your problems and help you lose half your body weight with a few weeks of better eating is just plain unrealistic. Its also worth mentioning that if your goal involves dropping below a healthy weight, its not realistic. Be sure to check out your BMI while you set your goal, then create a realistic timeline to help you reach your healthy weight. There will be good days and bad days, its all a process and its important to acknowledge the process when defining your goals.

• The wrong mindset: "Im going to lose 30 pounds this month and finally get down to 110." 

• The right mindset: "My goal is to lose 2 pounds per week and get out of the overweight category on the BMI chart by end of the year."

You Didnt Ask For Help

At times you might feel like youre all alone in your weight loss battle, and when youre struggling, that can be hard to deal with. The truth is, youre not alone. Even if none of your friends and your family support you, there are forums and Facebook Groups out there dedicated to supporting people who are trying to lose weight. You can always find encouragement and get answers to your questions when youre struggling. All you have to do is reach out and ask for help.

• The wrong mindset: "No one understands what Im going through."
• The right mindset: "I am going to look for people who can help support me."

You Failed to Plan

If you know you have a huge party coming up or if youre planning around a vacation, you might not want to start a diet until those events are completed. Starting a diet and having to take a break mid-way through and start up again can be really difficult. Its not impossible to navigate events, but it does require planning, including taking lunches or setting a timeline for getting back on track after the event is over.

• The wrong mindset: "Oh, I forgot I have a wedding coming up. I guess Ill just quit my diet now since Ill be eating cake."
• The right mindset: "I know I have a wedding coming up, I need to make sure I eat before I go and avoid the cake table so I can stick to my diet."

You Werent Committed

Commitment issues arent just for relationships. Committing to a diet can be just as tough as finding a lover you can settle down with. Commitment means staying focused on what you want long-term and giving up what you want in the moment. Being committed to your diet means avoiding the doughnut shop on Friday mornings and hitting the gym instead. Just like you wouldnt cheat on your partner, you shouldnt cheat on your diet. If you cant commit to that idea, then you shouldnt start a diet until you can.

• The wrong mindset: "One little cheat wont hurt."
• The right mindset: "I know I want this treat now, but I want to fit into my size 7 jeans even more."

You Werent in it for the Long Game

Its so important to remember that dieting is not a permanent fix. If you go back to how you were eating before you started the diet, youll most likely gain the weight back. Remember that once you finish your diet program, youll still need to make healthy, balanced choices. While it may only take a month or two to reach your goal weight, its going to a much longer commitment to smart choices in order to maintain your weight loss.

• The wrong mindset: "Once I finish this diet, Im going to eat a large pizza all by myself."
• The right mindset: "Once I finish this diet, Im going to make sure I plan healthy meals so I dont go back to eating fast food every night."

Have you done any of these? Remember that you can lose weight. Dont sabotage your own success and always make sure youre mentally prepared before you start. Being involved 100% in your desire to get healthy is critical for success. When you prepare mentally, youll see success physically!

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