Most diets work.

All of the ones Pat puts out certainly do; they are based on science (right? who knew?),

so there’s really no arguing.

The catch is–come a little closer so that I can tell you the secret–you have to actually follow it.

The sad and unfortunate truth is that most people just don’t. Or won’t? Meh, we can’t be sure.

 

I’ve been writing a bit about how to support someone who is dieting. Hopefully dieters shared this one and/or this one with their friends and family. And, hopefully, these friends and family took it to heart and put it to use.

Now, I’m back to talk directly to the dieter. 

I want to talk to you about how to set yourself up for success. The way that you wouldn’t offer a drink to a recovering alcoholic, you also wouldn’t set a fancy, fragile, colorful ornament at eye-level for a toddler and insist that he not touch it. And so then, you also must create for yourself an environment which is, itself, a “force multiplier.”

Regardless of the diet, you’ll need to prepare. Your preparations will need to include all the warm, soft, mush-gushy, ooey-gooey things, as well as the hard, tangible things.

Someone really wise once said that if you don’t prepare for failure you…wait, no. Let me try again: “If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.” Ah, yes.

Set yourself up for success, emotionally/mentally/psychologically, by…

• Telling select family and friends. Establish a cheering section. Gaining the support of the people closest to you also has the bonus of an accountability group.  Specifically, tell them how they can help you. You might even want to share my last two posts with them, at least as a starting point. (In case you’re skimming: “What your dieting friend wants you to know” and “Don’t be a jerk friend…”)
• Determine a clear, concise goal or purpose for your diet. This becomes your personal mission statement. You can post it on your mirror or fridge and speak it as a mantra when things get tough. It will serve as a great reminder of why you decided that the sacrifice was worth it in the first place.

Set yourself up for success, practically, by…

• Eliminating the types of food you don’t want to be tempted by. If you’re in a house where your spouse and children will not be okay with you gifting all of the snack food to the neighbors, then at least relocate it out of sight. Heck, you can even “restock” the snack shelf with foods that fit your new diet and/or notes of encouragement to yourself (like your mission statement). Or notes that say, Hey Dingus, what are you doing here? Go peruse the produce drawer in the fridge.
• Making a big deal over your first shopping trip leading up to the diet kick-off. Research, get pumped, write your list, and stock up!
• Keeping salad greens on hand at all times. Because fiber and volume. When all else fails, just dump meat/protein on greens and have yourself a mega-salad. Green salads offer the satisfaction of the shoveling, chewing, and belly-fullness with very little caloric impact. Don’t underestimate the power of looooaaaads of veggies.
• Find at least one vegetable recipe you LOVE and have those ingredients at the ready.
• Make ahead (or purchase) 3 spice blends that you will use for meat and veggies. My favorites right now are a purchased grind-yourself lemon pepper seasoning, a purchased grind-yourself Italian seasoning, and a purchased ready-to-go Moroccan seasoning. I also make my own fajita seasoning and keep it in a spice jar. [Again, when all else fails, dump seasoning on meat while it is cooking, and then dump seasoned meat on greens.]
• Get a meal replacement protein powder you like and a meal replacement protein shake recipe you enjoy. Give yourself no excuses. If you’re tired, if you’re busy, if you’re on the road, etc. IT DOESN’T MATTER. Drink the shake. Be done. Move on with your life.

The rest is pure discipline. Dig deep, my dieting dracunculidae!

Obviously, one should always pair a healthy diet with a healthy dose of bodyweight fun!

So, for that, TRY THIS–>

5-Minute Sweaty

15 glute raises w/ 3 sec-squeeze at top,

10 crab kicks, alternating (5 each side),

5 star jumps;

AMRAP in 300 seconds!

 

P.S. Pat’s also got an online support system for this whole “fitness” thing. If your friends and family suck at supporting you, these strangers will be just what you need. Seriously. This community is AWESOME! Get yourself in by subscribing to the email list: 101kettlebellworkouts.com.