Going on and off fad diets or quick weight-loss gimmicks is often the result of trying to lose weight for appearances more than health. If you repeatedly lose and gain, then changing your focus to maintaining a healthy weight may be the answer.
Your motivation for dieting should be your health, not just your appearance. You’ll feel better — physically as well as mentally — after you lose weight. Walking up a flight of stairs or around the mall won’t leave you breathless. Playing with your kids in the park will be a pleasure that won’t exhaust you. You’ll have more energy to do what you want to do, and you’ll have fun doing it!
Consider these differences between looking long term toward healthy weight loss and chasing a short-term fast fix for dropping pounds.
| Short-Term Diets | Long-Term Diets |
|---|---|
| Focus on the don’t | Focus on the do |
| Swear off favorite foods | Concentrate on making healthier choices |
| Focus on denial | Focus on enjoying feeling better, healthier, and more energized |
| Describe eating plans with terms like never, always, forever, and for the rest of your life | Establish flexible, short-term, attainable goals |
| Promise immediate results | Deliver success gradually |
| Allow no room for slips | Leave room for indulgences |
| Ban some foods altogether | Encourage variety |
| Emphasize food or foods as the cause or cure of being overweight | Emphasize eating nutritiously and healthy exercise plans |
| Are extreme | Are gradual |