Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Set Your Dieting Rules

Set your dieting rules. What are dieting rules? Dieting rules are a set of guidelines that you will follow to help you achieve your weight loss goals and hopefully, by the time you've reached your goal weight, they become habits and an everyday part of your life.

On average you have to do something 17 times before it becomes a habit. 17. So don't think you're just going to wake up one morning, decide you're gonna lose weight and all your old habits will just fall by the wayside. No, you have give yourself a set of rules to follow to make that transition possible. And remember these have to be things you can live with FOR LIFE. Not just something you're doing until you get fit into the little black dress.

Just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about here are my dieting rules:

T.S. Johnson's Dieting Rules

1. Eat breakfast no exceptions. Even if it is just a piece of fruit.

2. Drink at least a glass (8oz) of water after I eat anything. And I mean ANYTHING. If I chew a piece of gum I've got to drink water.

3. Walk at least 30 minutes a day 6 days a week. No exceptions. If I do other things fine but if can't do anything else I gotta at least walk.

4. Eat 25 - 30g of fiber everyday. No exceptions. Doesn't matter what else I eat...gotta get the fiber in.

5. Don't feel guilty about falling off of the wagon. Recognize it happens and as long as I'm doing Steps 1-4 I should be okay.

So there you have it. Those are the rules I live by and let me tell you it makes a WORLD of difference in trying to lose the weight and sticking to my goals. So if you haven't set you some rules...get to it. It could mean the difference between losing the weight and trying to lose the weight.

Today is a new day. So what are you waiting for?

2 comments:

Tracy said...

Love that last line! Put it in action and watch the results!

Great post!

Nona said...

I love this idea of creating non-negotiable bottom lines for oneself. Yours are really sound and sensible. Number two is the absolute hardest for me. I could go without drinking water for an entire day without feeling thirsty. I really have to force myself to drink water and when I do, I feel like I want to gag. :( I'm working on it though and getting better. I'll try to have 64 oz of water 17 days in a row and hope the habit sticks.