You wouldn’t buy a new car
without taking it for a test
drive. Then why commit to a diet plan without testing it first?
Think about it.
You test-drive a car to make sure you’ll enjoy a smooth,
comfortable ride. And most importantly, you want to know the car will
take you
to your destination.
Then why don’t we hold our diet
plans to the same standards?
We’ve been so conditioned to suffer when
we lose weight that
we’ve come to expect — and accept — a bumpy ride in the form of hunger,
deprivation and unappetizing food.
And how many times has your diet
plan or weight loss program
failed to get you to your destination, otherwise known as your target
weight?
You deserve to know if your
weight loss program will work in
any situation at any time of the year.
So take your diet plan for a
test drive. And if it doesn’t
work, don’t make excuses for it… don’t beat yourself up like it’s your
fault…
just dump it.
The hardest tests for any diet
plan happen during the
holidays because they’re a source of endless temptation.
Many of these holiday tests occur in social
situations. Which
makes sense because other people often put intense pressure on us to
cheat on
our diets.
So unless you intend to become a
hermit or a martyr, make
sure your diet plan gives you a smooth, comfortable ride past these 7
holiday
tests:
1. Holiday
Dinners.
The biggest one in the U.S.
is Thanksgiving. But each holiday presents its own eating challenges.
Are you going to miss all the
pleasures of holiday dinners —
including the social aspects of sharing traditional foods — just
because you
need to lose weight?
If your diet plan doesn’t have the flexibility to
handle
holiday dinners, how can you realistically live with it?
There will always be special
occasions like holiday dinners,
birthdays and weddings that won’t fit into a stringent diet.
So choose a weight loss program
that can handle these special
occasions realistically and let you enjoy life.
2. The Big Game.
In the U.S.,
it’s the Super Bowl.
But there are many sporting
events throughout the year where
food plays a big role. Are you really going to nibble celery and carrot
sticks
when everyone else is enjoying pizza and beer?
Or will you simply skip any
event that threatens your weight
loss success?
That’s no way to live.
You don’t have to eat everything
in sight. But you should find
a diet plan that will let you socialize at sporting events without
feeling like
an outcast.
3. Holiday
Parties.
One of the biggest social tests for any diet plan is a
holiday party. But parties can occur throughout the year.
Whether it’s with a group of
friends or professional
colleagues, there’s a lot of pressure to join in the fun — and that
includes
eating and drinking.
Make sure your diet plan provides effective
strategies for
dealing with drinks and party snacks.
4.
Restaurants and Dining Out.
This test can happen throughout the
year, but never more
intensely than during the holiday season.
Can your weight loss program
handle it or will it be a diet
killer?
5. The
Office.
Your office can cause any number
of diet disasters.
Candy jars, morning doughnut surprises,
birthday parties,
retirement parties, client lunches, client dinners, and of course,
holiday
office parties.
With candy jars, you can
graciously decline to snack. It’s
just a matter of willpower.
But with client dinners and
holiday office parties, you’d
better show up or it could cost you your job. So if you want to lose
weight,
you have to be able to work these situations into your diet plan.
More eating temptations occur at the
office during the
holidays than at any other time. So if your diet plan works then, you
should be
safe throughout the year.
6. Holiday
Desserts.
Sweet temptations abound over the holidays —
whether you’re
at social gatherings or home alone trying to resist leftover desserts.
Can you
work these sweets into your diet from time to time?
If you can, you should be able
to successfully handle any
cravings for sweets during the rest of the year.
7. No
Time To Exercise.
Whether it’s healthy or not, exercise programs often become
the first casualty of the busy holiday season.
But problems with exercise can
occur at any time during the
year. Suppose you’re injured in an accident. Or work or family problems
take up
so much time, you can’t exercise.
It’s best to choose a diet plan that
will work with or
without regular exercise. The weight loss benefits of exercise should
be a
bonus, not a necessity.
*****
These are the 7 hardest holiday
tests.
But there’s another
reason to make sure your diet plan will survive the holidays: they come
around
every year.
You don’t want to reach your target weight during
the
off-season only to regain your extra pounds over the holidays.
So test-drive your diet plan
this holiday season.
If you can enjoy a smooth, comfortable
ride and reach your
destination (or at least come closer to it), then you can be reasonably
confident that your weight loss program will work throughout the year.
Important Disclaimer: This
information is presented for
educational purposes only. This isn't medical advice and it's not a
substitute
for any advice or treatment from your physician. You should always see
your
doctor before starting any new diet.
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