subject: Diets Which Are Less Strict Are Probably More Successful [print this page] We all tend to rebel if we think we are being restricted too much, and one area this applies to more than most is when we are dieting. If your diet makes you cut out all your favorite foods and not eat anything tasty for the entire time you are on it, then most people will end up cheating and quitting within a few weeks. By having a slightly less restrictive diet which has some slightly higher calorie but tasty foods in, or one that rewards your hard work by giving you some time off every few weeks (search for a detailed Fat Loss 4 Idiots review for more information) then you will be much more likely to stick to it for the long term.
The Fat Loss 4 Idiots diet is actually quite an interesting concept. The core of the system is an 11 day eating plan where you pick your favorite foods from a list they give you, then it generates a plan telling you what to eat for every single meal. After that 11 days is over then you get 3 days where you can eat whatever you want, before you start the cycle again.
You do have to exercise some restraint on those days you have off though, if you eat everything in sight for those 3 days and consume thousands of calories then the rest of the diet is probably not going to do you much good, but if you eat sensibly and still have some treats then it is an excellent way to keep yourself motivated. It is a lot easier to resist tasty foods when you know that you only have to avoid them for less than 2 weeks, as opposed to staying away from them indefinitely like on other diets.
If you are on another diet at the moment and it doesn't give you a break every so often then you can just add one in. You don't have to be as lenient as that diet though if you are creating your own breaks, go for just 2 days every 11 of dieting instead to get better results. As we discussed then it is important you don't use the time off as an excuse to pig out, but use it as a time to go out for meals with friends or have a party etc, things you don't normally do while dieting. Then once the break is over you will have satisfied your cravings and you can launch yourself back into the diet with renewed vigor!
Another way to keep your motivation up is to give yourself targets to aim for and then buy yourself presents when you reach them. A good target to start with is half a stone, once you reach that then buy yourself a few new clothes or some kind of gadget that has just come out, and then plan what kind of gift you will be getting once you reach a stone and a half of lost weight etc. As long as you are strong willed and only reward yourself when you actually hit a target then it will really keep you motivated as you will always be pushing hard thinking about the next gift you will earn yourself.
