Not losing weight like you want to? Discover what it really takes to reach your goal weight.

Dieting advice is easy to find. But the more information there is, the more confusing it gets.

What is missing is the structure; a way to take all the pieces of advice and put them together in a practical and meaningful way that leads to results.

This is what Highly Effective Dieters have learned to do, and what you are being introduced to in this article.

Habit #1: Highly Effective Dieters Keep Going

A man named Charles Haanel once said, “The only way to keep from going backward is to keep going forward.” Effective Dieters understand that progress might not always be quick; but as long as they keep taking steps in the right direction, their goal will materialize.

Slow and steady is ultimately the quickest path to success. By being determined and committed one day and lax the next, progress gets canceled and you accomplish very little.

Habit #2: Highly Effective Dieters Accept Full Responsibility for Creating Their Body

Effective Dieters know that unexpected and difficult things will arise on the way to their goal, but they don’t let these things throw them off course. They know and accept that if they want to achieve permanent weight loss, they are the ones in the driver’s seat. To think any other way means their fate is controlled by chance and that is not acceptable.

If their fate were based on good luck and perfect timing, then they would only be able to lose weight if their friends stop inviting them for dinner, the movie theater runs out of buttered popcorn, and their spouse or best friend loses weight with them; because without all of these things aligning in the universe at the same time, who could possibly succeed?

Habit #3: Highly Effective Dieters Commit to Change

There is a difference between committing to change and being convinced you should change. When you are committed to change you do whatever it takes to reach your goal; when you are convinced, you do whatever is convenient.

Effective Dieters know that life will get in the way of their plan, they will get periods of boredom; they will get invited to parties or out to eat; and they will have weeks when the scale should have moved and it didn’t.

Effective dieters accept this and respond to these events in a way that doesn’t damage their outcome. They “get” that losing weight takes focus, determination, and patience and they are willing to do whatever it takes. As Norman Vincent Peale said, “It is always too soon to quit.”

Habit #4: Highly Effective Dieters Believe They Can

You can train yourself to eat better and exercise more but you will not see the long-term, dramatic results you want until you learn to think better.

Effective Dieters know that it is vitally important to positively change their mind before they change their body. By accepting change in your mind, first, you lessen the need for willpower, and instead, begin to expect results.

Highly Effective Dieters know that challenges will arise but they believe in their ability to overcome them; they are aware of obstacles but focus on the opportunities. They know that if they want changes to happen to their bodies, they need to change how they are thinking first.

Habit #5: Highly Effective Dieters Take Action

Highly Effective Dieters know that no plan is perfect, so they are willing to act when they have enough information to get started. They do not have to know how the whole journey will go; instead, they trust that the answers will unfold before them as they keep taking steps forward.

As John Lennon said, “Life is what happens when you are making other plans.”

Habit #6: Highly Effective Dieters Surround Themselves with Good Role Models

Highly Effective Dieters admire those who have succeeded before them and use them as role models of good behavior. They study the way they live and think, then pattern their own actions after them.

Chances are many of your friends and family are not interested in working on the same healthy goals that you are. This doesn’t mean you must abandon your loved ones; instead, you must expand your circle of influence to include some good peer support.

Habit #7: Highly Effective Dieters are Flexible

Highly Effective Dieters are open to changing anything that isn’t working for them, and they are willing to try new things.

They have the ability to closely evaluate their progress. If they notice that their efforts are not getting them to their goal, they tweak their behaviors until they get the results they want. If their weight loss is slowing, they look for clues as to why, and they do this without self-blame or judgment.

Become an observer of your life. Learning to step back from a situation you are in and evaluate it with a non-critical eye opens you up to new solutions.

I Want To Hear From You

Which of these 7 habits do you want to work on? How can you use this information to reach your goal? Leave your comment below.

About the Author

Dr. Becky Gillaspy, DC graduated Summa Cum Laude with research honors from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1991.