Ashley’s answer: Oh boy, Mrs. Rose, do I hear you. I hear this so often from my cilents, so know you’re not alone. “Just Do It” is a nice thought, isn’t it? But for a lot of us, dieting can feel insurmountable. Here are some thoughts that will hopefully help you achieve your health goals.

  1. Change your perspective. If you are trying and failing to diet, it’s often because you have noticed some things you currently do that you know you shouldn’t. Having to stop doing is where the issue often lies, because you wake up every day feeling like you’ve already failed. And people who feel like failures act like failures. So the first thing you need to do is toss your “I do this wrong” or “If only I did this” mentality.
  2. Make success as easy as possible. If you drank a glass of water every morning upon waking, I would define you as a success (and so would your body). Yup, it’s that easy. Simple health tweaks like this will also impact the foods you choose to eat later on in the day, because once you feel like a success, you’ll continue to act like one.
  3. Embrace tough love. Wanting and wishing won’t make it happen. Those thoughts actually work against you by giving you something to feel bad about (see #1), and that becomes your story. “I really want to lose weight, I really really really want to, but it’s not happening” is currently your story (the one you’ve shared, that is, but of course there’s likely much more to it!) So here’s the big question: what are you going to do about it right now? No, really. Name three things. Are you going to drink water when you wake up? Are you going to stop eating by 8 p.m. no matter what (except one day a week when you choose to have a late meal)? Are you going to keep a food journal daily? Are you going to review your diet for sneaky sources of added sugar? Are you going to consult a dietitian for one session so you can get a personalized Rx, not some diet designed for just anyone? Because, Mrs. Rose, you are so not just anyone. Maybe you just need the Mrs. Rose plan.   Chewing over a food quandary? Send it to AskAshley@Prevention.com Ashley Koff is a registered dietitian, Qualitarian, nutrition expert, and