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There are posts about how to lose weight, but sometimes it is much easier to say it than actually do it. I was saying for years the so-called popular phrase “I will start my diet tomorrow” and it kept me in a trap for those years.

However, today I know there are 2 major concerns with this promise, they are TOMORROW and DIET.

So today I am not sharing fancy food pictures and exercises, but I will do something much more meaningful.

I will dig deeper into the psychology of losing weight by summarizing the evidence-based steps regarding how to get out of the “I will start my diet tomorrow” trap.

All the opinions that are shared here are believed to be accurate according to the best discernment of the author based on personal experience and also on the best data available at the time of writing. The opinions are provided for general informational purposes only and not with the intention of curing any medical condition or giving any medical advice. If you have or had any medical or mental issues make sure you consult with your therapist or a healthcare professional before following any of the steps that are shared within this post.

1.Set realistic goals

One of the biggest problems in our society is that we usually want to accomplish big goals right away.

But if you think about it this does not really make a lot of sense.

The woman in the picture above wasn’t able to do that jumping challenge after practicing a day, a week, or even a month.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day” so don’t expect your weight-loss journey to be accomplished within a day or a week.  

So the number one tip on how to get out of the “I WILL START MY DIET TOMORROW” trap is to set realistic goals.

The reason why you should set realistic goals is that you don’t want to end up stressing over a goal that is not realistic and could be unhealthy.

There are science-based reasons why stress prevents you from losing weight. The best way to set and accomplish realistic goals (1.) is to make the small changes that are discussed below.

2.Make small changes

A great way to set realistic goals is to make small changes. And why?

Because since they are smaller changes they will also be more achievable for you.

LET’S TAKE AN EXAMPLE!

If you eat a chocolate bar every day, which of the following ideas seems to be more achievable for you?

1. Giving up sugar starting tomorrow or
2. Shifting to only two bars of chocolate per week

There was a time in my life when I ate a bar of chocolate every day and I tried the idea of totally giving up this habit. And guess what happened? IT DID NOT WORK!

Now, I am not saying giving up chocolate won’t work for you, and I don’t think eating 2 bars of chocolate a week is actually healthy, especially if it is not dark chocolate.

But we are talking about realistic goals here.

And from my experience, if you are having issues with skipping even a day when it comes to chocolate-eating, then I do believe that you may have an easier and more successful time in the long run by making a smaller change.

3. Give yourself enough time

Another important way to stay realistic with your goals is to give yourself enough time for the transition.

And I know that most of us want to lose weight quickly, however, the quicker you pursue this goal the more sacrifice you have to make regarding your daily diet. ->That’s why there will also be a higher chance that you might gain the weight back if you are not careful after the weigh-loss process.

Instead of saying I will lose 25 pounds next month, make a decision to lose it in six months because that is a more attainable and healthy goal. 

If you weigh less than 200 pounds you should not lose more than 1or 2 pounds a week, because according to studies losing 1% of your actual weight weekly is considered to be healthy (2.). This step also helps you to slow down and release stress which is important for successful weight-loss.

4. Stay away from the “10 pounds in 7 days” type of diets

A very helpful way to be successful with your weight loss is to stay away from the fancy-looking and promising “10 pounds in 7 days” type of diet.

YOU PROBABLY KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE THERE ARE A TON OF THEM. They are promising, but mostly that is all they are.

I was fascinated by these promises in my early twenties, and that is why I was able to be trapped by them for a long time. The other reason why I believe that they are not helpful in that you mostly see them in the form of an article in a magazine.

AND WHY? Because a responsible and certified fitness program would not stand by these unrealistic targets.

Actually, one of the most awakening moments for me regarding this matter was when I was talking to the main editor of one of the wellness online magazines. The editor actually told me that the main purpose of the “5 pounds in 5 days” type of article is to attract attention. So keep this in mind when you see these types of diets.

But after talking about what you should avoid let’s mention somethings that you actually should do.

5. Focus on a manageable healthy-eating plan

So there are two important factors that MUST be highlighted here:

1. HEALTHY and
2. MANAGEABLE

Both of those factors are equally important. For weight-loss, you should attain healthy-eating habits, and also be able to stick to it for a long period of time. So it must be manageable, which means you have to be happy with this daily routine. If you are happy with it then it means you won’t end up being in the same old “I will start my diet tomorrow” trap.

Basically, if you follow the first three tips you are on a great path to tick the manageable box.

However, if you want to tick the other box you might want to learn more about healthy-eating such as:

• cutting back fast food and refined carbs
• giving up sugar
• watching your calorie intake and outtake
• starting an exercise routine

Let’s discuss the last two habits a little bit more.

6. Write down what you consume (EVERYTHING)

To lose weight it is essential to be aware of your calorie intake. The easiest way to do that is to take notes about EVERYTHING you eat.

You can utilize a notebook, but there are free apps available that are really helpful for this purpose. “Lose it” was my favorite one, which you can download from Apple Store or Play Store.

Keep in mind that I wasn’t the one who invented the wheel regarding tracking your calorie intake, I benefited from using it a lot.

37 studies with 16,000 participants revealed that in cases where calories were tracked the weight-loss was 3.3 kg more per year (3.)

7. Add An Exercise That You LOVE

Exercising is an important part of your weight-loss journey.

However, if you are trying to overcome the anxiety of not being able to stick with a weight-loss routine which includes exercising you might want to utilize the benefits of an exercise that you are personally very much interested in.

I have always been a person who prefers group fitness or exercise sessions over-exercising solo at a gym. But that’s me. Or perhaps you too. 😊

Maybe you are the type of person who loves being outdoors and dancing. Then an outdoor Zumba class twice a week might be the right choice for you. Maybe you are into spirituality, but you prefer dynamic movements then hot yoga or Bikram yoga studio classes might be the right choice for you.

However, during the Covid-19 epidemic, these classes are taught online. But the good thing is that it is possible to be a part of a community and exercise online as well.

The most important thing is to enjoy the exercise which you are about to do.

It is much better to do an exercise that you like than trying to fight with yourself to go to the gym every week and instead end up staying at home. Not to mention that YOU CAN ALSO REACH fitness goals with Dancing, Yoga, Pilates, or Martial art lessons.

8. Add a fun or creative hobby

Since we are talking about establishing a lifestyle that not only supports your fitness goals but also makes you happy we have to discuss what options you have to do that.

According to my own experience in order to create a healthy lifestyle and also be happy, it is important to not constantly think about health and fitness. If you are constantly agonizing over the weight-loss goals that won’t help you to get out of the “I will start my diet tomorrow” trap.

And what better way to do that than to add a new hobby or activity that you enjoy and gives you excitement.

Have you been thinking about taking knitting or singing lessons or have you always wanted to learn french? Then pursue these aspirations as a part of your healthy lifestyle.

9. Only measure yourself 2 to 4 times in a month

Measuring yourself with tape more than once a week might not be helpful at all.

From my experience, after I stopped measuring or weighing myself more than once or twice a month I have had better weight-loss results.

WHY measuring or weighing yourself too often can be detrimental for your health and fitness goals?

First of all, there is no reason to weigh yourself more than once a week because your body weight can change daily as a result of daily water fluctuations. But the main reason I do not believe going on the scale more than once a week is a good idea is because your weight can fluctuate daily and the scale might disappoint you and stress you out.

I have already discussed the fact that there is scientific evidence to support the fact that stress can be detrimental to your healthy lifestyle or your weight loss program. But the good news is that if you only weigh yourself once a week and you follow the previous steps it is very likely that the scale and tape won’t disappoint you.

10. OCCASIONAL REWARDS

Besides measuring yourself between 2 and 4 times per month it is also important to celebrate your achievements.

Rewarding yourself is important because it gives you satisfaction which will give you the feeling to look at this process as an exciting journey and the strength to continue it.

Make up your mind that if you lose 5 pounds you will treat yourself with a spa day or a special message in a wellness center. But the reward can be anything that is meaningful to you.

I might add one note here. If your reward happens to be ice-cream, cake or something sugary make sure you only do that ONCE after you lose 5 pounds. 😊

As you know sugar is something that you want to minimize in order to establish a healthy lifestyle. The good news is that there are great snacks that can satisfy your “sweet needs” and that are also healthy.

So these are my 10 strategies to overcome the “I will start my diet tomorrow” trap. They worked for me, so I believe they should work for you if you take the strategies seriously, but please don’t be too serious. 😊

 This is just something I have learned along the way.

Setting up a weight loss plan alone can be a challenge sometimes especially with a stressful and time-consuming job or business. Click on the image below to register for my free webinar about losing weight with a sedentary job!

Stay healthy and happy,

Eszter

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