Kickstart your diet



So, you have decided to go on a diet? You want to eat healthier food, cut calories and lose weight. Just making that decision is a good beginning. But you might feel confused about the kind of foods you should eat, the quantities and the calorie count. You might start, say on Monday, only to get bored and frustrated by Friday and you fall off the wagon for the weekend, only to start again on Monday and so this vicious cycle goes on and on until you give up. Very understandable. Changing your eating habits for good (and that's what you'll have to do to get slim and stay that way) is very difficult and takes a lot of determination and discipline. So, instead of going cold turkey at the beginning, here are a few things you might try to get you started and to motivate you to keep going.

Don't cut out, cut down.

The first week or two, don't change anything in your diet, but simply reduce the quantities you eat. This way you will get used to eating less but it won't seem as hard as if you had embarked on a completely new way of eating.

For breakfast, eat half the quantities of cereal, take less bread and try to reduce the amount of butter, marmalade or honey you put on it.

If you always eat two biscuits or cookies with your morning coffee, have one. Or halve that Snickers bar, Kit Kat or chocolate biscuit.

At lunch, you could have an open sandwich instead of a closed one, which would mean only one slice of bread instead of two. That little tub of yogurt could be replaced by a low calorie one but read the label and make sure there is little or no sugar added. And have an apple or some other fruit, which will keep your blood sugar level and you won;t get hungry again too soon.

Have a cup of tea mid-afternoon with whatever snack you usually take, but again, half that.

One spoon of sugar in your coffee or tea instead of two (you will hardly notice it).

Dinner, the same idea, reduce quantities.

This way, you will have taken in less calories and if you have started moving around more, you will see some results within a week. You will be amazed at how many calories you save by simply cutting down a little here and there.

How to succeed without pain.

Here are a few things to remember that will help you along the way:


  • Remember that you can do it
  • Make sure you are physically active every day.
  • Set realistic goals.
  • Take it one day at a time.
  • Eat slowly
  • Don't keep junk food in the house (if it's not there, you can't eat it).
  • Always shop with a list and when you're not hungry.
  • Never eat in front of the television.








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