What can I do to make sure my diet will work this time?

Here is one effective thing you can do—it's called "priming". It's not actually so different from priming a wall before you paint it. You put the primer on so that the wall will accept the finish coats of paint more easily, so the paint will go on smoothly and adhere much better. It's the same idea with the psychological effect of "priming" as it relates to you on a diet. You do things before you actually begin to diet that will help the diet stick. These things make it easier and much more likely that the dieting process will go smoothly.

The basic concept is to arrange your life to be as pro-dieting as it can be. You go about the task of preparing your house, your schedule, your refrigerator, your mind, your social life, your work place, your family and friends, all the aspects of your life that can be made more diet and weight-loss friendly.

You can actually be methodical about this. Let's go back to the wall, the one that needs some patching and priming and repainting. You probably need to fill in some old holes with spackle, smooth the spackle out with a putty knife, sand, and all of that. Otherwise, the primer and the paint won't cover and the rough spots will be prominent. Then, when you roll on the paint, the wall will look a mess. You won't like it. You'll probably need to start at the beginning and do the whole thing all over again, this time doing it right. That means paying attention to the prep work, which is sometimes the hardest part, but always the essential part.

So, where are the nail holes and indentations your diet might need to patch up? How can you fill them in so they won't wreck everything? What can you do beforehand, what can you smooth over, what can you make better in your life to be more compatible with dieting? What kinds of thoughts and attitudes do you need to change so your diet will stick more easily? Who can you be with? What kinds of activities do you need to plan? What food will you have on hand to eat? Who will you turn to for help and support? Who will you stay away from?

Planning is priming and priming is what you need to do if you want to get the job done.

© Maria's Last Diet. Maria's Last Diet is an online weight loss support website for women. At Maria's Last Diet, you'll find the tools to fix the thoughts, feelings, and automatic habits that fight against you when you diet. Because it's never just about the food. Visit www.mariaslastdiet.com for more diet tips and weight loss motivation.

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