Plan to Jump Start a Diet

A good diet begins with a clean slate and a whole new approach to eating. The best way to begin a diet is to clear your home of unhealthy food and fill your kitchen with foods that are good for you and conducive to healthy weight loss. Your frame of mind is equally important when it comes to preparing yourself for a lifestyle change.

Clearing

• It starts with your kitchen. Remove the temptations before you begin your diet program and you will be a step ahead on your weight loss goals. Gather up all the junk food that is light on nutrition and heavy on fats or sugar. This includes cookies, pastries, chips, sugar-filled drinks and anything else you would be embarrassed to be seen eating when you are dieting. Condiments and spreads such as full-fat mayonnaise, dressings and butter need to go as well. They can all be replaced by lower-fat, lower-calorie alternatives. Throw out or donate all processed foods such as boxed or canned dinners and white breads, buns and biscuits.

Shopping

• The produce section is your first and best friend. Stock up on fruits and vegetables of every type and color. Whole fruits and veggies make great snacks and/or a major part of a healthy meal.

  When shopping for foods that are high in protein, go for lean cuts of meat. Turkey or chicken breast and fish such as salmon and tuna are filled with protein without a lot of fat. Low-fat cheeses, raw nuts and beans are also healthy sources of protein.

  High-fiber breads, potatoes, oatmeal and whole-grain pasta will help keep you feeling full after meals while adding additional nutrition.

  Opt for skim milk instead of whole milk. It carries the same amount of nutrition without all the fat and calories.

  Olive and canola oils are good for cooking and for salad dressings. Low- or non-fat cream cheese is better than butter or margarine. Low-fat mayonnaise and salad dressings are acceptable as long as you keep track of how much you are using.

Prepare Your Mind

• Now that you have a kitchen full of healthy food, remind yourself of why you are dieting in the first place. Most likely it is because you would like to lose weight and/or feel healthy, but even those reasons can pale in comparison to the desire for the food you have become accustomed to eating.

  Find support in a friend or relative. Share your goals and ask for her help when you need someone to go to when you are tempted to cheat on your diet.

  Post pictures representing your ideal weight. Put these on mirrors as well as on the refrigerator.

  Assume that you will cheat at some point. Know that a slip is not a failure. The trick is not in being perfect but in your willingness to pick yourself up and start again. Expect the process to be hard and know that you have what it takes to get through it and come out on the other side with a new appreciation for yourself and for healthy food.