How to Stay Motivated on a Diet

It might be easy to start a diet--but for many people, staying motivated on a diet is another story. After a few weeks of steamed broccoli and unsweetened applesauce, a bag of cookies is quite tempting. Here are some diet tips for sticking with your plan--even when you'd rather break down and eat some junk food.

Instructions

1

Set reasonable goals for yourself. If you started this diet because you want to be skinnier than you were in high school, the frustration of not being able to obtain that goal might make you want to quit. Start with small goals, like 5 or 10 pounds or a dress size, and make them bigger as you succeed.

2

Workout almost every day. After running a few miles or bouncing around in a step aerobics class, you're not going to want to indulge and eat all of the calories you just worked so hard to burn. Plus, exercising surrounds you with good role models--whether it's other people at your gym or on your jogging trail, or even the Lycra-clad babes on your exercise video.

3

Tell friends and family about your diet so that they'll know to support you and not throw temptation your way. While you can't expect them to have diet-friendly foods at social events, at least they will know not to take it personally when you pass on the cupcakes.

4

Find online support on a diet discussion board. Most popular diets have websites with active online communities but might require a paid membership. You can find free discussion boards at Yahoo! Groups, MSN Groups and on iVillage.com.

5

Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, even if your diet plan doesn't specifically require them. Eating healthy produce can give you a taste for foods that are good for you and make processed goodies less appealing.

6

Forgive yourself for setbacks--and allow yourself to cheat every now and then. It's difficult to be "good" all the time, and sometimes dieting can mean not enjoying a vacation or having nothing to eat at a wedding. This can backfire and send you on a long-term binge, so it's better to have small portions of your favorite forbidden foods every now and then.