A mistake that is often made by dieters when starting any plan, and this does not just apply to a weight loss plan, is not the diet itself, but how they will manage to keep to it. Thinking of this it is most important to think ahead of how to overcome circumstances that threaten to spoil the weight loss goals you are hoping to achieve.

For a start, think about the situations where you will meet those temptations that threaten your plan. If there is a chocolate machine in your workplace and you have to walk past it every day, why not consider another route to your workspace if this is possilbe, or if not, make sure that you carry no change with you so that you are not tempted to use the machine.

This is just given as an example. There are many things to tempt you against your plan in every day situations and you cannot possibly plan to avoid every one of them. Just the fact that you do see possible difficulties and that you take the time to plan against them, this will make sure that mentally you are prepared for temptations and you will find it far easier to avoid them.

The best way of ensuring you think about your aims and plans is to write them down.

Stay alert, stay in control. Just like many other bodily functions, eating is a habit. This means that it is not something that we normally think about too much. This however is one of the greatest errors that a dieter can make. They take no notice of the the key to successful weight loss – that it lies in the mind just as much as it lies in the stomach. If you take conscious control over both what you eat and what you feel, you can more easily deal mentally to stop the cravings. I am not suggesting that you torment yourself mentally, I am just suggesting that you ask yourself the right questions before you decide what you are going to eat.

For instance ask yourself about the consequences or side effects of what it is you are eating. When confronted by a temptation say to yourself I am greater than any urge

What you need is to feel that you are in control of your thoughts and emotions and doing this will create a feeling of fulfillment and you will start to feel more empowered.

Learning to Cope with Eating Triggers. You may not realise this but very often you eat when you are not actually hungry. This can be explained by using a llittle psychology. Instinct ensures that we respond automatically to mental cues. These cues or triggers can be either external or internal. For instance an external trigger could be walking down the road and smelling the aroma of fish and chips or in my case seeing a beautiful cream cake! Internal triggers could be anxiety, anger, boredom, stress, anything that makes you feel a little unhappy.

It is easiest to deal with the external triggers. Don’t have things in your cupboard or fridge that will tempt you to eat, or stop walking down a street where there is something tempting sitting in a window. The emotional triggers are actually a little more difficult.

First of all we need to realise that it is not always possible to eliminate emotional triggers but you can change your reactions to them. You could for instance, replace some type of exercise for eating. It does not have to be anything too taxing, just a brisk walk goes a long way in stopping you giving in to cravings and changing the vicious circle.

Fill up on liquids Did you know that a lot the time, people eat when they are dehydrated? This is because feeling thirsty can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from hunger. Smoothies have gained widespread and deserved acclaim in the role they can play in fighting weight loss. Not only are they low in calories, but they are also an efficient way of getting in your 5 a day of fruit and veg.

A body that is used to snacking sometimes needs fooling into thinking it is full. One of the best and healthy ways to do this is through liquids. Of course this means low calorie drinks, it does not mean we can start filling up on carbonated (fizzy) sugary drinks.

Of course at the end of the day good old fashioned water (or flavoured water if you find it boring) is the best way to flush toxins out of your system and keeps your metabolism flowing.

An important thing not to be forgotten, is that you need to treat yourself. There is no fun at all if you have goals and then you don’t treat yourself. It is well known that rewards ensure you have a sense of achievement and this then leads to your body releasing positive endorphins into the blood.

You need to set yourself some very specific goals. There are many you could choose but some suggestions are cutting down your intake by 300 calories a day or vowing to exercise for 30 minutes every day for two weeks. If you reach your goal, you need to give yourself a reward. The best rewards are a treat, maybe something you have wanted for a while such as a DVD or something similar. Giving yourself a reward for reaching a goal, is a very important part of your diet plan and it will make losing weight much sweeter.