How to Go on a Diet

Wondering how to go on a diet? It's not as easy as people make it sound! You have to have motivation and do a host of other things if you want to go on a diet and make it work! Read the steps below for some good ideas on how to make a diet work for you.

Things You'll Need

• motivation
• bathroom scale
• healthy food

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Instructions

• 1

  If you want to go on a diet, you'll need to gather up all your motivation! Get a photo of yourself that you hate and put it on the refrigerator. Make a list of all the things you don't like about being overweight, like huffing and puffing on stairs, and put that up there with your photo where you can read it every day. You may want to put the list on your bathroom mirror as well.

• 2

  Find a diet plan that you think will work for you. Without a plan, it is easy to justify eating pretty much anything, which is a setup for failure. The plan doesn't have to be complicated, it can be as simple as deciding to only eat whole foods at 1500 calories a day, for example.

• 3

  Prepare your kitchen. It is much more difficult to go on a diet if your kitchen is full of junk food. Get rid of anything in your refrigerator or pantry that isn't on your plan. Worried about family members? They don't need to be eating junk food either!

• 4

  It doesn't do much good to go on a diet if you're not going to include exercise. Many studies show that weight loss occurs more rapidly and permanently if you include an exercise plan. This can be as simple as walking for thirty minutes a day. This is the hardest part for many people, but it is probably the most important since studies show that people who are overweight and in shape are in better health than thin people who are out of shape!

• 5

  Weigh yourself daily, and keep track of it. This way, you won't get discouraged if you show a slight gain now and then. What you are looking for on a diet is a slow downward trend. You don't need to lose more than two and a half pounds a week--any more is probably water or muscle.

• 6

  Consider joining a support group, whether it's Weight Watchers or an online group, of which there are many. There are many more people who are wondering how to go on a diet effectively, and one of them could be a great weight loss buddy for you!