5 Ways To Help You Stick To Your Diet

Whether it is gluten free, FODMAPs, GAPS or any other diet that you are on to get your IBS symptoms under control, it can often be hard to stick to.

You might start out excited and for a couple of weeks it can go well. You might be tempted but are able to use your willpower to get through it.

The social cost

Being on a diet can be feel very restrictive. You want to isolated because you are doing and eating different things than other people.

So what can help you keep motivated and keep you on track? These are 5 ways that can help:

Check in with your body

Constantly check in with your body about how you feel. Often, we don’t stop to think about how far we have come and how good our body feels from doing a diet.

When we see results our brain releases dopamine and it makes you feel good. You then associate that good feeling with the diet making it easier to continue.

Balanced diet and blood sugars

Making sure that your diet is balanced and you aren’t hungry can help you to stay on track. Balancing your blood sugar can help keep cravings away. Craving are a big factor in derailing even the best laid diet plans. So make sure you have some good fats and protein with each meal to give you sustained energy. You can also use cinnamon and fish oils as extra supplements to help balance out the blood sugars and keep the cravings away.

Planning ahead

Proper planning can take some of the social cost out of the diet. If you are going out to dinner, check out the menu online or call ahead to the restaurant to see what you can eat. If there is nothing on the set menu always ask. Most restaurants are very accommodating. By doing this beforehand you can take the embarrassment out of asking in front of others. The restaurant is likely to be happier as they have also had time to plan your special meal and it isn’t spur of the moment which can put their cooking process out.

Not explaining yourself all the time

When I first went alcohol free for example I thought that all of my friends would be horrified and disown me. But the first party I went to no one actually really noticed especially if I had a glass in my hand. Often, we feel like we have to jump the gun and explain ourselves before others have even asked.

You can just choose the best thing on the menu for your diet, and while in your head you might’ve wanted something else that seemed more delicious. But if you don’t say anything to anyone they may not even realize you had this internal struggle and these restrictions.

Get clear on your reasons

If they do ask, you can then have a response ready. Say I’m doing a diet to feel better. Most people will leave it at that. Getting yourself clear on why you are doing it and the benefits you are seeing can make this process easier. If you aren’t convinced it’s a good thing then you will have a hard time convincing someone else.

Checking back in with yourself in those moments that feel restrictive and telling yourself why you are doing this can get you through those awkward moments.

So don’t give up but follow those steps so you can continue your diet and feel better.