This blog comes from personal experience. I’m notorious for starting a diet then sabotaging myself on day one.
Here are five easy ways to avoid self-sabotage when starting a weight loss plan:
1.Do NOT buy the following foods the day before you being your weight loss plan: chips, brownie or cake mixes, ding dongs, artisan bread, exotic jams and jellies, cookies, candy, regular soda, waffles, etc. These items inevitably lead to bingeing once you realize you’ve started a new eating plan that may be HARD for a few weeks.
2.Do not try and be “nice” by baking sweets for your husband’s co-workers, the school PTO, or any other organization—sooner or later your hand WILL reach inside that cookie jar.
3.Don’t go on a hard-core, restrictive diet plan around the holidays. I’m guilty of this one. I usually start a low-carbohydrate plan, only to be tempted with holiday breads, side dishes and sweet treats. The result? I gain a lot of weight. You’ll only set yourself up to fail before you begin when you restrict yourself. Instead, practice moderation and try to fill up on fruits and vegetables before you dine on the scrumptious treats.
4.Don’t eat off your kids’ plates. It’s okay, I won’t tell anyone that you do this, but you know you do. If you can avoid it, your weight loss efforts will go much more smoothly.
5.Don’t assume that sugar free or low calorie labels mean you can overindulge. There’s often hidden sugar in low calorie foods, and even sugar free foods can be packed with other unhealthy things. Read your labels carefully, and when at all possible, enjoy fresh foods.
With a little (or a lot) of conscious effort, you can succeed on your weight loss journey. By knowing your own “trigger” points, that is, those certain self-sabotaging things you do to yourself, you can start the journey toward a healthier, thinner you.