Are you always starting a new weight loss plan, only to fall off the wagon after a few weeks? It happens to most of us. But yo-yo dieting doesn’t have to be your fate. There are some strategies you can use to make sticking to your diet plan easier. With a bit of planning and lots of positive thinking, you can start to reprogram your attitude to weight loss and be better prepared to stay on track with your plans. Here are six ways to stick to your diet…

Take control

Remember that, ultimately, you’re in charge of your diet. You have the power to control what you eat and how much you exercise- so embrace that power and make the positive changes that will get you looking the way you want. Don’t let that chocolate cake tell you what to do. Be firm and weigh up whether you’d rather enjoy a few minutes of chocolatey pleasure, or to look fabulous on the beach this summer. Realising that you have the power to choose is the first step towards making lasting changes.

Set a clear goal

Start your weight loss program by thinking about what you really want to achieve, and set a clear, realistic goal. Having your aims clearly thought out like that makes it easier to plan a strategy that will ensure you reach it in the time you have set out for yourself. Pick something specific and achievable. Whether it’s a target weight, or to be able to fit into your old jeans, or to be able to run 5 kilometres, having a goal will give you something to focus on when you start to lose hope. Write it down and refer to it constantly- keeping track of your progress will show you how your hard work is paying off and motivate you to keep going.

Enlist a support network

Make sure everyone around you is supportive of your goals. If your friends are a bad influence when it comes to food, make sure you tell them what you’re trying to achieve. Finding a diet buddy is also a good idea- if you have a friend who also wants to lose weight, suggest doing it together and support each other’s goals. Otherwise, join an online community. There are plenty of people out there trying to achieve the same things as you, and even if you don’t see them in real life, you can still offer each other real support and encouragement. There’s power in numbers, and if having people around who won’t get tired of hearing you talk about what you ate and how much you exercised will help, then go for it!

Make small changes

While it’s good to have big long-term goals, starting small is smart. Create some short-term goals at a monthly, weekly and even daily level. Then you can make gradual lasting changes to your diet and exercise routine, which will help you to reach your long-term goal more effectively. For example, if your aim is to lose 20 kilos, make a few small goals to start with, like limiting desserts to no more than once or twice a week, or walking an extra 2,000 steps a day. Over time, you will start to develop better habits and be well on track to reaching your target weight.

Stop making excuses

It’s easy to make excuses not to exercise, or to eat that box of chocolate chip cookies. But to stick to your diet, you have to be honest with yourself. Keep your goal in mind and think of it every time you start to make an excuse. Are you really not exercising because it’s too cold to go outside? Borrow an exercise DVD from the library or look up free workout videos on the internet. With a little planning and perseverance, there are really very few real reasons why you couldn’t stick to you diet.

Forgive yourself

If you do slip up, don’t beat yourself up about it. Feeling bad will only lower your motivation and make you more likely to fall back into bad habits. Instead, recognise that you messed up, and make a promise to yourself to make better decisions in future. You can learn from your mistakes- make note of what triggered you to eat that chocolate cake, or why you couldn’t bring yourself to exercise. There might be underlying issues (stress, low confidence, etc) that you need to find better ways to deal with. Recognising when you have gone astray and deciding to get back on track is empowering, and will help you to stay positive about your diet.