If you’ve ever tried to follow a diet in the past, you probably found out extremely quickly that it SUCKS – and not just a little bit either. Let’s be real, restricting yourself from the foods you are used to eating is no fun, and when the cravings hit, all bets are off when it comes to the mood swings that ensue. If you want to succeed with your diet, it shouldn’t be so difficult, right? What if things could be simplified into easy-to-follow steps, like you’re following a trail of breadcrumbs? Well, they actually can be!
For starters, stop following these crazy diets telling you to eliminate carbohydrates or cut out all fat from your diet – it’s nonsense and will absolutely set you up for failure. Instead, utilize the seven ways below to ensure you’ll succeed with your diet and achieve your ideal body weight.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before making changes to your current nutrition plan.
1. Track Your Nutrition
Out of all the ways listed in this article to help you succeed with your diet, this one is going to involve the most work. While it doesn’t take a ton of time to track your nutrition, it’s a method that helps you stay accountable for the food you eat. That means every bite, sip, lick, and nibble. If you don’t track it, you’re only hurting and lying to yourself.
One great tool to consider using is MyFitnessPal. It’s a free app that you can download to your phone and use to quickly and easily log all of your food and meals. This will allow you to see at the end of the day if you were able to hit your required daily intake of not only calories but your macronutrients as well.
2. Use Flavorful and High-Quality Foods
Many people associate diets with bland and boring food. That’s probably why so many give up after a short time. Just because you are dieting doesn’t mean the food you eat shouldn’t taste good – it absolutely should. With the number of various herbs, spices, and seasonings, you can add a ton of flavor to your meals without adding a ton of calories.
Choose fresh foods whenever possible and stay away from highly processed foods that are loaded with preservatives, sodium, sugars, and that have stripped away all of the micronutrients from the product.
3. Don’t Beat Yourself Up or Throw in the Towel If You Slip Up
When people slip up on their diet, they tend to either sulk in their sorrow or they say, “the heck with it” and go on a 24-hour binge – essentially eating anything and everything they want. That’s a major mistake.
If you want to succeed with your diet, know that there will be times when you slip up. It’s ok. Acknowledge the mistake and get right back on the horse and keep moving forward. A slip-up here and there is not going to ruin your progress (just don’t make it a habit).
4. Slowly Eliminate Poor Nutritional Choices
Easier said than done, but if you want to succeed with your diet, you’re going to need to get rid of those poor nutritional habits. That means getting away from fried food, substituting water in place of soda, walking past the donuts in the breakroom, etc.
The key to eliminating these nutritional behaviors is by getting rid of them one at a time. If you’re used to eating a donut every morning at work, eliminate that. Once you can walk past the donuts without the urge, move towards eliminating regular soda, and so on and so forth. If you try to eliminate everything all at once, it’s going to shock your system completely, and you’ll have some intense cravings. Slow and steady wins the race.
5. Look for Alternatives to Unhealthy Foods
Finding alternatives to unhealthy foods can actually be quite fun. For instance, if you love milkshakes but hate all of the calories, you can substitute most of those ingredients with healthier alternatives. A protein shake made with a whey protein isolate powder, some natural peanut butter, a frozen banana, and some ice cubes comes just about as close as you can get to an authentic milkshake, while the nutritional profile of it will be a night and day difference when compared to a regular milkshake.
Rather than donuts and desserts, look for brands that have those items but a healthier version with protein added. Functional foods are hot right now, and with a simple Google search, you can find healthy alternatives to just about anything. Or better yet, make your own healthier version by looking up some healthy recipes.
6. Have a Support Group Behind You
One of the best ways to succeed with your diet is to have a support system behind you. This group could simply be a support system that helps motivate you, or they could join in, where everyone can work together and hold each other accountable.
It might not seem like it would be such a big deal, but having someone there to talk to or confide in through the ups and downs of your journey can mean the difference between throwing in the towel and achieving your goal. Sometimes you just need to vent and talk. A support group can be exactly what you need.
7. Make It a Lifestyle – Not a Diet
When you think of a diet, most consider it a temporary thing. Unfortunately, if you don’t alter your lifestyle, even if you lose weight on a diet, as soon as you stop, you’ll gain the weight right back because your lifestyle hasn’t changed.
That’s why diets (for the most part) have such a high failure rate. Not only do they expect you to eliminate things from your diet, such as carbohydrates, but their demands aren’t realistic. Some diets lower your daily caloric intake to the point you’re nearly starving yourself. Such a diet isn’t sustainable or healthy.
What you want to do is change your lifestyle. So long as you’re in a caloric deficit each day, the number on the scale is going to go down, and you’ll succeed with your diet. For long-term success, your healthy behaviors need to be your new lifestyle. That means exercising regularly, consuming nutrient-dense foods, eliminating unhealthy foods, and only consuming them sparingly, such as during special occasions (think along the lines of birthday cake and ice cream). If you come off a diet and go back to your old ways, you’ll end up back where you started.
Focus on sustainable changes over the “quick fix.”
Author Bio:
Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN, is a globally recognized health, fitness, and supplement industry expert with over 25 years of hands-on experience. He is the founder of Weik Fitness and one of the most prolific writers in the space, known for translating complex science into clear, actionable content. Matt holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Penn State University and multiple industry certifications, giving his work both academic credibility and real-world authority. His writing has been featured on thousands of websites and in 100+ magazines worldwide, including FLEX, Muscular Development, Iron Man, and Muscle & Fitness UK, and he has authored 30+ published books. Trusted by leading supplement brands and media outlets alike, Matt is widely regarded as one of the most knowledgeable and reliable voices in health, fitness, and sports nutrition.
