How to Make Your Progress Last

We’ve provided as much actionable advice as possible through this guide so far, but it will all be for nothing if you let your bad nutritional habits get the better of you in the not-too-distant future.

Unfortunately, everybody sets off with good intentions ahead of their new-look diet, but it can all come crashing down if you don’t stay on top of things. One “off-day” turns to a week and the rest, as they say, is history.

It’s for this reason that you have to know how to make your nutritional progress last. Through this chapter, we will now take a look at the primary ways to achieve this.

Keep track of your body weight

The problem that most dieters have is that as soon as they reach their target weight, things start to get out of hand again.

It’s almost like the hard work is done, so you can sit back and do what you like now. Unfortunately, this isn’t a valid approach, and is a sure-fire way into piling back on all of that weight that you took so long to lose in the first place.

The best way to combat this is to frequently weigh yourself. When we say “frequently”, once per week is perfectly acceptable and can allow you to gauge exactly where you are.

A general rule of thumb is that if your weight shifts up by more than a couple of pounds, you might need to cut back on some of your portion sizes again. This will create that elusive calorie deficit that allows you to return to your new weight.

As long as you can stay in control of your weight, losing the odd pound here and there is never going to be an issue.

Always think about the “why”

Something that will power you through the dark days of dieting is your mental strength. To drill down into specifics, the why-factor is huge here and before you reach for those cookies, you might just have to keep reminding yourself as to why you are on this journey.

We’re not going to delve into the specific reasons which might be fueling your ambitions; for some of you they will be aesthetic-based, while others might have serious health factors behind their new choices.

Regardless of this, always think about why you are dieting and perhaps even have something to remind you of your old self and how you desperately don’t want to be heading in that direction. Some people will even carry around a card which explicitly lists all the reasons why they are dieting – just to spell out the reasons loud and clear.

It’s never “all or nothing”

Another primary reason why so many people fall of the dieting bandwagon is because they treat it as an “all or nothing” approach.

This refers to the principle of having a treat during the day and then immediately being under the belief that you can continue to eat like this for the rest of the day (as your calories might be quite skewed anyway).

Suffice to say, this is asking for trouble and is a fast reason why your progress will start to go backwards.

As we’ve said throughout the guide, feel free to overindulge from time to time. The point is that this shouldn’t become a habit by any stretch of the imagination.

Being shrewd whilst traveling

One of the main reasons why so many people fall away from a diet is when they get put in a situation which completely throws their schedule off-track. Suffice to say, when you venture away traveling this is exactly what occurs.

While you are most certainly there to enjoy your vacation (unless it is for work purposes), an element of being sensible should remain in your thoughts.

A word of warning should be issued at this point; you generally will have to plan ahead when you travel. Firstly, looking towards restaurants and supermarkets in the area that cater to your new needs is essential and means that you won’t “have” to eat the calorie-busting cheeseburger when you do land.

As well as the above, simply packing some of your own healthy foods can help immensely as well. Again, it’s all-too easy to turn to quick, and usually unhealthy options when traveling, just with the aim of convenience.

A final warning: you might get bored

Throughout this guide we have highlighted all of the foods that you should be turning to, in a bid to better your diet.

For the first few months everything may have gone swimmingly. You have implemented everything we have said, and the results speak for themselves. You have a set plan; you’ll eat the same meal each day of the week, just to keep track of your calories.

Unfortunately, this is where boredom can set in. Just because you are eating healthily, doesn’t mean to say that you have to eat the same meals. If you do, there’s every chance you’ll fall off the wagon and pay for it through your waistline at a later date.

While your nutritional values should always remain the same, let’s not forget that you are still allowed to change your meals and eradicate the risk of boredom.