7 Simple Tips for Tricking Yourself Into Dieting

Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t dread the idea of dieting? Probably not! Unfortunately, dieting has gotten quite a bad reputation because people have grown to associate it with something that isn’t enjoyable. However, instead of thinking of a diet this way, why not figure out how to make it easier for you?

You can absolutely change up how you eat while still being happy and feeling great. In fact, we have seven simple tips for tricking yourself into losing weight. These are all easy changes you can make to start seeing a change in your body and in your overall health. The best part is that you won’t feel restricted at all!

1. Don’t Call it a Diet

First, let’s ditch the word “diet.” The reality is, we have come to associate this word with some rather negative thoughts and vibes. When you think of dieting, you typically think of restricting yourself when it comes to the food you eat. You often think of dieting as this unhappy thing because you have to give up all of your favorite foods.

And that simply isn’t true! If the word “diet” brings up any bad vibes for you, don’t use it. Instead, think of it as a lifestyle change because that’s what it really is. Envision how you’ll feel and what will be different after you’ve made such a change. After all, dieting doesn’t have to be this bad thing that makes you feel miserable.

2. Take Time to Meal Prep Each Week

Tricking yourself into dieting is going to be much less stressful when you have your meals planned out in advance. With breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks already sorted out, there’s going to be less temptation to hit the drive-thru. And it’s going to eliminate that nightly question of, “What should I eat for dinner?”

Take time to plan out all of your meals before the week begins. Then, head to the grocery store and stock up on all the items you’ll need. Make sure you avoid all those unhealthy, yet tempting, snacks while you’re browsing the aisles! Once you have everything, you can prep meals and snacks in advance to save you time throughout the week.

This way, whenever you’re feeling hungry, you can reach for one of the already prepared dishes you’ve made. It’s truly the easiest way to begin making smarter, healthier choices with the food you eat on a daily basis.

Don’t have time to prep your meals? I was in the same boat. That’s why I decided to use a diet meal delivery service. One of my favorites, that gets great reviews is called “Diet to Go”. They make dieting easy because they actually do all the meal preparation for you already! No need to fuss around counting calories, fats, and carbs. All the meals are pre-made to your dietary standards and ready to eat.

3. Serve Your Meals on Smaller Plates

If you’re using gigantic plates for your meals, you’re going to be more likely to pile on the food. It’s an easy way to add additional calories to your plate that you don’t actually need. Instead, you should swap out your big plates for smaller ones.

This may seem like a silly trick, but it can actually make a difference! With a smaller plate, you’re going to have less room to add more food. It’s going to keep your portion sizes smaller so you don’t eat more than you actually should. And with smaller portions, you’ll start noticing those extra pounds start coming off much more easily.

4. Ask Yourself if You’re Truly Hungry

Before you head into the kitchen to grab that bag of potato chips, ask yourself if you’re really hungry. The reality is, far too many of us are guilty of snacking even when we aren’t hungry, which only leads to over eating. And odds are, we reach for unhealthy snacks that provide us with unwanted fat and calories.

So, the next time a snack craving hits, ask yourself if you’re truly hungry. If you’re craving something salty or sweet, ask yourself if you’d eat an apple in that moment. If the answer is yes, then grab a snack. If you wouldn’t reach for an apple, it’s likely that you’re not actually hungry. You may just need to grab a glass of water instead. Dehydration has been known to cause food cravings, which could be the culprit.

5. Allow Yourself to Have an Indulgent Treat

Striving to follow a healthier lifestyle doesn’t mean you need to give up all of your favorites. After all, there’s no reason to deprive yourself entirely. That’s why it could be a smart idea to allow yourself to have a small, indulgent treat once per day. It’ll satisfy your cravings and should prevent you from indulging too much.

You just want to make sure you aren’t going overboard and that you’re making smart choices with the treat you enjoy. For example, if you have a sweet tooth and love treating yourself to milk chocolate, try dark chocolate instead. It’s actually much better for you, but can still satisfy those chocolate temptations.

6. Unfollow Those Foodie Accounts

How many food-related accounts do you follow on social media? Odds are, there are a lot of food bloggers sharing delicious recipes and cluttering up your feed on Instagram. While their pictures are nice and certainly drool-worthy, it’s not doing any favors for your new healthy eating kick.

Seeing their posts probably send your unhealthy cravings into overdrive. Tricking yourself into dieting is going to be a lot easier if you aren’t constantly seeing their posts throughout the day. So, do yourself a favor and unfollow the accounts that are posting all those sugary sweets. And maybe find a clean eating Instagram account to follow instead! That just might inspire you to get in your morning green juice!

7. Get Rid of the Distractions When Eating

There are far too many distractions around us each and every day. From television to our smartphones, there’s always something that demands our attention. Those distractions are actually quite dangerous for your waistline when you’re eating. Why? They could cause you to eat more than you really need.

The next time you’re sitting down to dinner, turn off the television and put the phone away. Take that time to just be in the moment, savoring your food. Enjoy the flavors and each bite you have. And most importantly, take your time. When you slow down and enjoy your food, as opposed to scarfing it down in minutes, you give your body a chance to signal when it’s full. This will help prevent you from eating too much, so you can stick to a portion-controlled diet.