10 TIPS FOR MOTIVATION AND SUCCESS
1. Try to avoid temptation sabotage. One thing that can sideline your
efforts on fasting days is the temptation of other foods in your fridge and
pantry. If you’re fairly susceptible to visual temptation when it comes to
food, you may want to shop every few days for groceries rather than stocking up
once every week or two. Another thing that can help if you have family members
or roommates who will not be following the smoothie dite Fast Diet is to ask them to tuck
away any particularly tempting forbidden foods.
2.
Organize your fridge to make fasting days easier. Try to assign your fasting day
ingredients to one shelf of the refrigerator. This can help you train your eyes
(and your mind) that only those foods are available to you on fasting days.
Eventually, you may find that your eyes don’t wander all over the fridge,
looking at foods you cannot eat.
3.
Remember that socializing doesn’t have to involve food. Eating can be a great part of your
social life. Sharing good food or a few drinks with friends and family is a
part of our culture. However, there are lots of other things you can do to have
fun on fasting days that won’t involve eating. Focusing on those activities
will help keep your mind off of food but ensure that you don’t have to become a
hermit when you’re fasting. Invite some friends out for a game of tennis, take
in an art show, spend a day at the beach, or sign up for a dance class with a
pal.
4.
If you’re a trigger eater, outwit the triggers. Many of us have certain triggers, aside from
mealtimes or hunger, that signal us to eat. Break time at work may send us
automatically to the vending machine. Watching TV may be equated with snack
time. Maybe you tend to pick at the leftovers on your children’s plates as you
clear the dishes. Spend the week before your diet making note of all the times
you snack, and then create a plan to deal with those triggers while dieting.
Make break time at work the opportunity to get in a ten-minute walk. Have other
family members clear the plates after dinner. Do needlework, cut coupons, do some
stretching, or chew gum when you’re watching TV.
5.
Set up a reward system. The
best way to reach a major goal is to set several smaller ones and then
celebrate them as they’re achieved. For every pair of fasting days completed or
every pound lost, give yourself a little treat. It could be a manicure, a new
book, a night at the movies with your spouse, or just an hour to yourself at
the park
6.
Get your friends and family on your team. Let your friends and family know that you’re going on a
fasting diet and give them an idea of the guidelines. Even if they don’t
support the diet, they can still support you by telling you how great you look
and not showing up at your home with a dozen donuts.
7. Buddy up. One of
the most motivating things you can have when starting any diet is someone who’s
doing it with you. Find a coworker, friend, or family member who would like to
try the smoothie dite Fast Diet so that you can support and encourage each other.
8. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes just thinking about being on a diet for an entire
month can overwhelm you. Try to focus on one day at a time. Adopt this
attitude: “I don’t have to stick to my diet tomorrow, I just have to stick to
it today.” Of course, you’re going to repeat that every day!
9. Learn to tell the difference between hunger and other feelings. Most of us do a lot of mindless
eating. We eat because we’re angry, we eat because we’re bored, or we eat
because we’re tired. Start making note of your feelings whenever you find
yourself thinking about grabbing a snack. You may find that most of the time,
you just need to get moving, talk to a friend on the phone, or go to bed.
10. If you feel hungry, drink some water. It’s often very difficult to tell the
difference between thirst and hunger. Anytime you feel the urge for a snack,
drink a glass of water. You may find the hunger pangs disappear more often than
not.