HOW TO START A NEW DIET
These suggestions apply when starting your umpteenth diet. Follow them exactly, or don't bother dieting. Do something else instead. Open a pizza parlor or stick a banana in your ear.
Don't worry about your present shape
Yes, yes, yes - I KNOW it's hard not to worry. But you HAVE to make a conscious effort to stop fretting. Why? Because worry makes us WOBBLE. It makes us feel uncertain, negative, miserable and depressed. It makes us doubt ourselves and our diet. What does it matter if you look like an elephant? It's not how you look NOW that counts, it's how you look in a few months. Besides, the fatter you are now, the faster you'll notice a difference.
Focus on the future
Instead of wasting time and energy worrying about your present shape, focus on how you are GOING to look. Think about it, dream about it. See it in your mind. Never stop thinking about it. Devote all your energy to thinking about the lovely trim figure you are GOING to have. Keep it in your mind at all times. If it helps, make plans. Make a list of all the new clothes you are going to buy when you get slim. Or plan a holiday on some exotic faraway beach. The point is, the MORE you imagine it the MORE REAL it will seem.
Never look back, never look down
Desperate dieters wallow in their past failures. They keep saying things like "I can't do this" and "I can't do that". It's like listening to a radio commercial for failures. No wonder they never succeed.
If this sounds like you, then wake up and say Hello to the real world. Because there is NOTHING to stop you from losing weight except your mistaken belief that you are a failure. Trust me. I have seen the most incredibly overweight and unshapely women TRANSFORM themselves into lovely lean girls.
But you ain't gonna do it girls, unless you STOP looking back and give yourself a clean sheet.
Two Mini-tips
Believe it or not, the way you WALK has a big effect on how you think.
So walk tall and don't slouch. When Diana was being groomed to become a Princess, she was advised "Never look down. Never look at your shoes." Try it. It worked for her.
Don't be shy. Talk to yourself every day. Remind yourself what you CAN do.
Why? Because we've spent years reminding ourselves how useless we are. That's one reason we have such a low opinion of ourselves. So reverse this process and remind yourself of all your good points.
Always have a back-up plan to cope with disaster
Things always go wrong when we diet. They always have, they always will.
But desperate dieters ignore this fact. They never plan ahead. They wait until disaster strikes and then try to rely on willpower. Who are they kidding?
Don't make the same mistake. Make a plan for when things go wrong, so you know exactly what to do (e.g.) when you eat a whole cake!
For example, make an arrangement (in advance) with a friend to do something or go somewhere the day after a diet-disaster. Why? Because it'll DISTRACT you from your diet worries. Use your imagination here. Think up something that suits YOU. The point is, you must PREPARE for disaster. It's no good relying on willpower. You must know exactly what to do BEFORE it happens.
Follow these suggestions and you'll find dieting a lot easier. Trust me.
Remember: dieting is 75% attitude, 25% sensible eating.
Anne Collins
