The first three days of a weight loss diet are the most important. If you can get started on your diet both physically and emotionally for three days, it is highly likely that you will be successful with losing weight.
On the first day it may be easy to eat less and start a simple exercise routine, like walking for fifteen or twenty minutes. But by the evening of that first day or the morning of the second day you will not be very comfortable with this new lifestyle. You will most likely be extremely hungry, irritable, and have a headache that won't go away. Walking more and drinking water will help, but by this time you may not want to hear advice from anyone. So what should you do to make sure you get through those first three days?
- Keep a journal of what you are eating and drinking and how you are feeling. If you are angry or sad, write about it in your journal. Being able to express yourself is crucial to your success. By writing your thoughts and feelings down on paper you will have a record of how each day is going. Later on you will want to look back over this journal. You will probably be very surprised at what you wrote.
- Keep a positive outlook on your situation. You did not become overweight and out of shape overnight, so it stands to reason that it will take time to get back to a normal, healthy weight. Do not be too hard on yourself. Millions of people are overweight and are not doing anything about it. Just the fact that you are making a solid attempt to lose weight makes you stand out from the crowd. Be proud of yourself and celebrate every day that you eat healthy food and do some type of exercise.
- Take pictures of yourself at regular intervals. You can ask someone else to do it or just get a camera that has a ten second timer. Wear the same clothes in each picture so you can see the changes. You will be amazed at how different you look over time. Even if the people around you don't notice at first, they will at some point.
Promise yourself that you will get past the first three days and maintain the diet you decided to go on in the first place. When you begin to look and feel so much better you will be glad that you stayed on your diet.
