by Carol Itoh

Created on: October 07, 2008   Last Updated: October 14, 2008

Nearly every woman I know is very aware that dieting alone is much like dining alone, shopping alone, or even exercizing alone. It can be done but it is much more fun to share the experience with someone else. The enthusiasm you both share when planning your diets together, going shopping for the foods, vitamins, and any other necessary items plus the added companionship is so valuable. It helps to have a friend keep you on track with your diet. I have a friend that when I am starting a diet she will start it with me, no matter the diet I choose. We go shopping for every thing we will be needing and we always have so much fun discussing each and every little detail of the new schedule for eating, exercising and we also share the late night calls of tears when one of us has failed. My best friend has encouraged me every time I fell off my diet that tomorrow is a new day and that I can begin anew when the sun comes up again. She always promised to help anyway she could. True to her word there she was up early the next morning at my door waiting to join me in a power walk. Without that support I may not have made it and lost that last ten pounds I so desperately needed to help with.

Another wonderful source of encouragement for me has been literature. Magazines and books are a great source to get the information needed to ensure you are dieting in the proper way to remain healthy. You cannot simply cut calories from your daily intake of food and call that a complete diet. You have to educate yourself about vitamins, minerals, supplements and much more. These will help in keeping your system healthy while changing your eating habits. Your body will rebel and you will know about it. How can you handle this? Start your diet as healthy as you can, educate yourself, and talk it through with as many family and friends as you feel comfortable with. The bonus with magazines is just looking through them is so entertaining and enlightening you won't feel like it's about having to learn something. They just have a way of making you feel good.

Another little trick is to eat alone as much as you can. Researchers have found that people eat 35 percent more when they eat with others. Also if you are in a large party of people and you are seated in the middle between two people you are likely to eat up to 75 percent more! So be cognizant of the setting where you consume your meals. It can be amazing how little things help.

If you spend most of your days at work or are a stay at home mom and have access to a computer there are many online diet services that offer excellent help with dieting for a nominal fee like Weight Watchers, Atkins, and ediets. With the online support it offers meal suggestions, shopping lists, and email diet pals for you to console with. What a wonderful tool!

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