Setting a goal and starting a diet isn’t all that hard. There are many diets to choose from, and deciding which is best for you may be a challenge, but once you reach a verdict on that then comes the hard part - sticking to it!

Picking a future date to start the diet can be a bad first step. While New Year’s Day seems to be a no-brainer, easy go-to start date, it can also mean postponing your diet, which is a bad habit to get into. But hey, if it works for you that’s great!

Here are some great tips to help you stick to your new diet.

Do Not Skip Breakfast

Or any meal for that matter. But breakfast is a great way to start your day and instead of skipping it you should make better decisions about it- trade in bacon and fried eggs for yogurt and granola, or a delicious smoothie. Skipping meals is a bad habit because it tends to lead to binge eating later on. Plus, breakfast is how you kickstart your day, giving you focus and energy to get things done.

Plan Meals in Advance

Most of us keep pretty busy making decisions at work, making decisions at home, and sometimes by the end of the day we don’t want to make decisions anymore. While we may have purchased healthy ingredients over the weekend at the supermarket, we can’t make a decision about what to whip up for dinner. Instead we decide on the quickest thing possible - and surely that thing will not be all that healthy. Be sure to plan meals ahead of time and spend a few hours prepping before the workweek begins. Sort your food into containers in your fridge and when it comes time to eat, you’ll have very few decisions to make and minimal work to do!

Baby Steps

Don’t rush into your diet! Making a sudden change in every aspect of how you eat can force you to get overwhelmed and put the breaks on indefinitely. Instead, ease into it by making small changes a little bit at a time - maybe if you’re planning to avoid certain types of food try eliminating one type a week until you get there. Stock your fridge with healthier options to coerce yourself into improving your habits by incorporating these options into your diet regularly.

Healthy/Filling Snacks

Be sure to keep healthy/filling snacks on hand. This will make it easier to reach for something healthier in between meals and to eat less as well. Some good ideas include fresh fruits and vegetables, yogurt, nuts, hummus, whole grain crackers, popcorn, and cottage cheese.

Avoid Food-Focused Social Activities

Most people tend to make plans based on grabbing a drink or going out for a meal. The problem with this, when you’re trying to maintain a new diet, is that it’s easy to give in to what’s around you and eat what’s there, or to starve yourself - which can lead to binge eating when you get home. Instead try to focus gatherings on going for walks, taking a class, going to a museum - basically anything that doesn’t involve eating or drinking!

Set Realistic Goals

Do not plan to lose 20 lbs in a week. It’s not going to happen. If you rush into a diet thinking you’re going to miraculously shed a large amount of weight in no time, you’re setting yourself up to fail. Going into a diet with unrealistic expectations is only going to lead to dropping it. It’s recommended that people should plan to shed 1-2 lbs. a week. Slow and steady wins the race, and setting goals that you can actually stick to is the only way to make a diet work.

Exercise and Supplements

The best way to really make the most of your diet is to also exercise and take supplements. Enough exercise will actually suppress hunger, making you feel fuller longer. And the right supplements will do the same! Consider JBN’s Fiber Shred, Super Lean, and Confidence Whey Isolate. The combination of diet, exercise, and supplements will have you reaching your goals faster and keeping yourself healthier for a long time to come.

Please remember to always consult with a medical professional before starting a new diet. We hope these tips help, and we wish you luck on your new diet!