Things to Keep You Busy While You Are Dieting

Dieting is an unsuccessful venture for many people because it often requires tremendous willpower and self-discipline. It is helpful to find ways to stay busy and keep your mind off food. Focus your energy on being active and productive, and you'll likely put an end to diet-damaging snacking and poor food choices.

Get Active

• A brisk walk can help you forget about diet-derailing snacking.

  Staying physically active is one of the best things you can do while dieting. Focus on staying in motion as much as possible. If you work at a desk, stand or pace while you talk on the phone. Eschew the elevator for the stairs. At lunch, walk around the building or a park, maybe even while you eat. Create a habit of activity when you feel an urge to eat an unhealthy snack. For example, train yourself to get up and walk for 5 minutes. The activity will reduce the craving and help you refocus on your goals.

Focus on Your Mouth

• Sugar-free gum is a low-fat way to satisfy the need to chew.

  Many dieters find it difficult to fight the urge to keep their mouths unoccupied. If this is a problem area for you, give in to the urge, just not with food. Keep a bottle of water at hand and take a large swig whenever you feel the need to snack. This helps you feel full. Alternatively, chew gum, chew on a straw, apply lip balm or lipstick or suck on a sugar-free breath mint.

Set Goals and Rewards

• Reaching diet goals is empowering. Reward yourself.

  Set realistic goals and target weight intervals when dieting, and reward yourself with something small, and non food-related, when you achieve those goals. If you go a week without succumbing to the temptation of the daily cookies in the staff room, for example, reward yourself with a new bottle of nail polish or a magazine. Set up your reward system ahead of time; you'll know what you're looking forward to and you'll avoid backsliding by choosing an unhealthy treat as a reward.

Keep Records

• A food diary is a useful tool to help you learn to manage what you eat as well as portion size.

  Use a food diary to keep track of what you eat, and how much of it you eat, every day. Include everything, down to the smallest cracker. Holding yourself accountable for what you put into your mouth can help you be more mindful of what and how much you are eating, especially as you see the day's total continuing to grow. If you don't want to carry around a diary, there are plenty of online food diaries, many of which include calorie counters, activity trackers and diet progress monitors.