Getting your head around a successful diet

Dieting, strangely, is not just about food; it's also about the way we feel about ourselves.

Many people see dieting as a form of punishment handed down for the sin of getting fat and this unhelpful attitude is often unconsciously reinforced in articles and in the attitudes of people who, perhaps, should be more helpful.

I say 'unhelpful' because no one likes the idea of being punished and thus many see a diet as something to dread and get over as soon as possible so that they can be 'released' back to normal living. But looking at a diet in a positive way can bring considerable rewards, not the least of which is making it easier to do and easier to stick with.

To improve the way you see your diet, try these simple tips.

1. Tell yourself before you start that nature has given you a body that does not adapt easily to 21st century food and living and that you need a special way of eating to help you out.

2. Now say to yourself, and to anyone who asks, not that you are on a diet but that you prefer to be a healthy person and so you eat healthy food as often as you can. To say that you are 'on a diet' generally evokes sympathy from people while to say that you are 'eating healthily' will evoke a more positive and useful response.

3. To choose a diet, look over the ones on offer and find one that is designed for healthy living and which has a good maintenance diet for when you reach your correct weight. Tell yourself that this is the way that you will eat from now on. Remember, a diet is not a punishment that one day comes to an end but a choice that you make to produce a healthier and longer living you.

4. Find someone who is supportive and who understands what you are trying to do and talk about the changes that you are making to your life and how this will benefit you. If possible join or form a support network to help both you and others.

5. Once your healthy eating starts, notice the days when you are feeling better and make a point of telling people this. Try to feel pleased and positive about your healthy eating and tell anyone who will listen how good it is.

6. There are always people who constantly feel the need to remind you that you are on a diet and thus 'different' from everyone else. Avoid these people as much as you can and prefer people who are positive and who understand about healthy eating and can offer support.

7. Have a series of tasks and diversions to use when you feel tempted by food so that you can choose an appropriate action instantly. Keep a book handy to read or a crossword puzzle nearby or, if you like, make a list of things you can do like taking a bath or shower, cleaning out a cupboard or tidying the room. This way, not only will you eat healthily, but you will keep active and have a tidy house, too!

8. Don't weigh yourself every day and don't worry if you are not losing weight one week. Tell yourself that losing weight is not the most important thing but that, if you abide by your healthy eating plan, then the rest will follow.

9. Plan ahead so you don't get caught out by parties and the like. But, if you are, don't say you are on a diet and not allowed that sort of food, simply say: "Thank you!" and have a small helping. Watch naturally slim people and you will see that this is what they do automatically.

10. Reward yourself at the end of each week, whether it has been a good week or a bad week, but not with food, have a list of things that you want or would like to do and choose the most appropriate depending on the way you feel.

Finally, remember the message, it's not so much what you say but the way you say it! You are not on a diet but you have started a healthy eating plan that will lead to weight loss but which has other benefits too and which will last for the rest of your life.