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Dieting doesn't work because diets usually involve some radical change to eating habits and those major changes are difficult to follow over the long run. Even when the person trying to lose weight knows the mechanics of weight loss, there are too many changes to overcome all at once and well-established habits take over. If not at the first lapse in self-control, then certainly by the second, the person on the diet feels overwhelmed and out of control and he or she is back to comfortable habits and food choices.

Here are six reasons why dieting doesn't work:

#1. Dieters set unrealistic goals

#2. Making radical changes causes an obsession with the thoughts of eating or of particular foods.

#3. People on diets feel like they are depriving themselves, even when there is plenty of food
to eat.

#4. People on diets buy products to be successful rather than making sensible changes to the way the eat.

#5. Dieters try to lose weight for the wrong reasons: appearance vs. improved health

#6. Dieters make too much of a connection between their emotions and food.

Rather than dieting, people who want to lose weight should take a different approach.

1. Check with your physician to determine healthy, attainable goals and realistic weekly benchmarks.

2.Have healthy foods on hand and eat in moderation. Avoid hunger.

3.Establish visual representations of appropriate portion sizes such as the size of a deck of cards for a serving of chicken or using a dime-sized drop of oil for cooking.

4.Plan to get to bed to get the sleep you need. When we are tired, we reach for the foods that are often poor choices.

5. Find a buddy or buddies to meet for exercise or to keep each other encouraged, accountable, and on-track.

6. Choose places to spend time away from the refrigerator, the cabinet, or the vending machine. Take a short walk or find another diversion.

Losing weight requires lifestyle changes. It requires recognizing the little things that can make a big difference over time. It is important to identify the reasons why you eat other than hunger. Make sure you eat a variety of foods and drink plenty of water. Take a walk each day and get the rest you need. Stick with those manageable changes that you can live with over a period of time. That is the way to losing weight, not following a particular diet.

Then say out loud, "I can do it!"

Learn more about this author, E.M.Robinson.
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