Over the past week, we’ve been discussing how you can use your past weight loss experiences to your advantage.  If you’ve been following along, you should now have some clear (or at least somewhat less fuzzy) strategies to work into your new diet plan, strategies that are just right for you.  Not only have you made note of what worked really well for you, but you should also have a handy little list of what bombed.

Today we’re going to wrap up this segment with the last piece of the puzzle.  Now that you’ve had the chance to take that little walk down memory lane and relive some of your previous weight loss efforts, let’s discuss the final question on our list. 

When you tried to lose weight in the past, why did you give up and call it quits? Or, why did you gain weight after reaching your goal weight?

To be frank, these are the sort of questions most folks don’t want to think about when they’re just gearing up for a new diet. Why?  Because they remind you that you’ve been down this path before and yet here you are…again. But don’t lose heart! Many goals worth achieving take more than one try, and as the ole’ saying goes, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again! 

So though it might be a tad unpleasant (and perhaps a bit like calling up an old ex and rehashing what went wrong with the relationship), take a long minute to think about why past diets ultimately failed.  It might have a lot to do with some of those obstacles and frustrations you’ve already jotted down.  Or perhaps other pressures and obligations just got in the way.  Maybe you really didn’t care for the food choices or simply got burned out. 

Regardless of the reason, remember that most diets are meant to be a quick fix to get quick results, but temporary change will only give you temporary results.  Once a goal weight is achieved, many dieters quickly fall back into their former eating habits and—lo and behold!—the scale slowly creeps back up. For lasting weight loss, a lifestyle change must occur. Therefore, when choosing a weight loss plan, it is important to make changes you can stick with over the long haul.

Though the idea of real lifestyle change may seem daunting, you are now armed with powerful information no diet book could ever offer. Having examined both your successes and failures, you can begin to create an action plan that’s perfectly suited to you for weight loss that will last.

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Any attempt to change an ingrained habit is no doubt going to be difficult. After all, some habits–like eating–we’ve had since birth! And with each passing birthday, these behaviors can truly become second nature. Just like the saying goes: Old habits die hard.

So taking into consideration that we are not only creatures of habit, but also live in a world that we can’t always control, it is only natural that we’ll be faced with obstacles when attempting to make serious changes. As I’ve said before, if weight loss was easy, the diet industry wouldn’t be the multi-billion dollar industry that it is!

With all that in mind, let’s look at that third question on our list:

When you’ve tried to lose weight in the past, what obstacles seemed to pop up, time and time again? 

Weight loss success hinges upon steady determination and thorough planning—planning which MUST include strategies to overcome potential roadblocks or temptations that may arise.  Think back.  What snags caused you to stumble during previous endeavors?  Instead of ignoring these problem areas, determine ways to overcome them.  Take an honest look at your habits and consider ways to re-wire the eating patterns you’ve developed over the years. Removing obstacles may also involve readjusting your surroundings to be more conducive to your goals.  While self-control and willpower are well and good, why not create an environment that will nurture success and lessen your chances for failure?

So take this chance to make an honest list of the obstacles you’ve faced before. This is the first step in overcoming them.

In the comments, share your thoughts! What obstacles have YOU dealt with before? And how did you handle them?

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Instead of letting history repeat itself, learn from your experience! Take a moment to reflect and consider the next question on our list:

Which aspects of your previous diet attempts were difficult or frustrating?

While it may be tempting to answer, “What wasn’t frustrating??” take a minute to jot down what about those previous diets became tedious, irritating, or simply undoable.  Common culprits include nagging hunger, boredom, having to eat more/less often than you’d like, lack of cooking skills or time to cook, poor variety, and overly restrictive rules that left you feeling deprived.  If you can identify just a few strategies that simply did not work for you, you’ll save yourself precious time, effort, and willpower.

A weight loss plan doesn’t have to cause suffering!  By choosing a plan that best matches your preferences, you’ll be able to stick with it and adopt the changes as part of a new lifestyle.

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Let’s begin with that first question:

Which aspects of previous diets have worked well for you?

If you have attempted to lose weight before, what sort of plan(s) did you use and how did it go? Which strategies seemed to work particularly well for you? Everyone is different. While some flourish with a bit of structure, rigid meal plans send others pint-diving.  Take a moment and jot down what kept you motivated and gave you the results you were looking for. Examples might include regular meals, flexible or highly structured meal plans, food journaling, weekly weigh-ins, accountability, support groups, recipe ideas, filling meals, enlisting a buddy, and more. 

As you begin (or continue!) your weight loss journey, find ways to incorporate this list into whatever eating plan you choose. Doing so allows you to create a diet that is tailored to your life and your needs…a weight loss plan that is perfect for you.

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Welcome to The Diet Oracle! I’m glad you’re here and am excited to begin a blog that’s wholly devoted to helping others lose weight!

As I get the ball rolling on my own blogging endeavor, this would be the perfect time to chat about what to consider as you ponder a weight loss plan.

Before picking any sort of diet or eating plan, I would encourage you to take a little walk down memory lane. Odds have it, if you are in the midst of a weight loss battle, this is not your first campaign.  Instead of re-living mistakes and adding to your frustration, take a few minutes to reflect on previous weight loss attempts.  By asking yourself a few simple questions, you can make the most of helpful strategies all the while avoiding familiar pitfalls.

Over the next few posts, we’ll begin by discussing some important questions, such as:

• What aspects of previous diets worked well for you?
• Which aspects were difficult or frustrating?
• When you try to lose weight, what obstacles seem to pop up over and over again?
• And, why did you call it quits? Or why do you think you regained the weight after reaching your goal?

Join me as I go over each of these questions and how their answers can help you to create a plan that’s just right for you!

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