What’s it gonna be? You decide
These have worked for lots of my patients. Take what works for you and discard the rest.
- Plan on grocery shopping, meal preparation, and taking meals to your workplace.
- Keeping a record of your food consumption is often the key to success.
- Accountability is another key. Do you have a friend or spouse who wants to lose weight? Start the same program at the same time and support each other. That’s one of many ways to have accountability.
- If you tend to over-eat or snack too much, floss and brush your teeth after you’re full. You’ll be less likely to go back for more anytime soon.
- Eat at least two or three meals daily.
- Eat breakfast every day.
- Ignore the diet gurus who say you must eat every two or three hours.
- Eat slowly and allow yourself time to enjoy your food; you’ll also be a better judge of when your’re full.
- Don’t eat while watching TV.
- Give yourself a specific reward for every 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of weight lost. Consider a weekend get-way, jewelry, new clothes, an evening at the theater, a professional massage, etc. Choose the reward in advance, to give you something to work toward.
- Don’t start a diet during a time of stress.
- Maintain a consistent eating pattern throughout the week and year.
- If you know you’ve eating enough at a meal to satisfy your nutritional requirements yet you still feel hungry, drink a large glass of water and wait a while. Or try a sugar-free psyllium fiber supplement: three grams of fiber in 8 oz (240 ml) of water.
- Weigh yourself frequently: daily during your active weight-loss phase and during the first two months of your maintenance-of-weight-loss phase. Weekly thereafter.
- Be aware that you’ll probably regain five or 10 pounds (2.3 or 4.5 kg) of fat now and then. That’s normal. Just get back on your original weight-loss plan for a month or two.
- Tell your housemates you’re on a diet and ask for their support. You may also need to tell your co-workers and others with whom you spend significant time. If they care about you, they’ll be careful not to tempt you off the diet.
Godspeed!
Diabetic Mediterranean Diet 
Great tips. It is true, to start a diet it truly helps to change not only your attitude, but lifestyle. All of the small things added up make a big difference!
Hey Dr. Parker,
I have to say, I disagree with numbers 7, 13, and 14.
7: If people crave carbs and sugar, they should have a snack or meal every 3-4 hours that is higher in protein and fat. ex. deli ham rollup with cream cheese.
13: If you still feel hungry after a meal, it’s often a sign that the meal was too low in fat. Fat=full and satisfied thanks to CCK.
14: Weight can change 3-5 pounds every day. My clients who weigh themselves every day go crazy! I recommend weighing 1X week for more accuracy.
Any who…just my thoughts. I did recently write a post about grocery shopping and food prep that I think you might enjoy.
Brenna, I appreciate your thoughts. Regarding weight variability, women with child-bearing potential often (usually?) gain at least a few pounds before their period starts. They lose it just as quickly.
-Steve