Women's Health

7 Diet Tips That Really Work

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Picture yourself the way you hope to be six months or a year from now - how you look, how you feel, and who you spend your time with. Imagine yourself creating your life the way you'd like it to be. Next, invent one or two affirmations that state your intention to be fit and healthy. For example, "I am whole, healthy and strong," or "I am satisfied with just one piece of chocolate." Creating a mindset that makes it easier to stick to your weight loss plan is just as important as how much time you spend on the treadmill.

Weight Loss Tip #7: Be ready to work.

"We're deeply conditioned to do what we've already done," says life coach M. J. Ryan, author of This Year I Will . . . How To Finally Change a Habit, Keep a Resolution, or Make a Dream Come True. If, for the past two years, you've come home from work, grabbed a soda, and crashed on the couch with take-out, you're strongly conditioned to do that again tonight and tomorrow night, too. Change isn't impossible, but it does take work.

"To develop new habits, you have to make new neural pathways," Ryan tells WebMD. So create weight loss reminders to help jolt your mind out of old habits and into new ones. Try posting a note on your fridge, reminding you to eat fruits and veggies or drink more water. Or post notes on your bathroom or bedroom mirror with upbeat messages like "Remember to breathe!" or "Hey, beautiful!"

Before you know it, you'll be smiling back at the face - and body - in the mirror.