• Have you been on and off diets for most of your life?
• Do you struggle to lose weight and then fail to keep it off?
• Do you lack motivation, responsibility and consistency?
• Do you want to end emotional eating, toxic guilt, and negative self-talk?
• Would you like to reach and maintain a healthy weight for life, but don’t know how?

If you answered “Yes” to the questions above, then you are what I have called a serial dieter. Serial dieters are people who have been on and off diets for years, even decades, but are still unable to achieve and maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. For serial dieters, food, cooking, and eating does not feel like a source of pleasure at all, but is instead a source of complex decisions and emotions that cause confusion, anxiety, fear, and self-doubt. The good news is that there is a way to shed yo-yo weight, enjoy food again, and live healthy for the rest of your life. While some aspects of reaching your goals vary for each individual, here are three steps every serial dieter can take to begin the process of ending the serial dieting cycle right now.

1-Assume responsibility

As a former serial dietitian, I can tell you that healthy changes in your life and in your relationship with food and exercise will not happen until you take responsibility for your actions. Not the actions that have gotten you where you are, but the actions or lack of action that keep you there. Yes, it’s easier to eat fast and processed food, yes, it’s hard to exercise 3-4 times a week, and yes, it’s a challenge to eat healthy most of the time. No one said the journey to healthy living would be easy. Stop making excuses, take responsibility and do it. It’s not about quick fixes, but about a real commitment to lifelong change for the better. Think of all the years, even decades, that you’ve been overweight, unhappy, and frustrated. Aren’t you tired of it? Not ready for real change? Stop making excuses and finally take responsibility for your health, weight, and wellness.

2-Stop “Go on a diet”

I remember in elementary school being taught the definition of the word diet as the foods that a person normally eats on a daily basis. I am a vegetarian, so my diet consists of fruits, vegetables and grains. But for most people, the word diet has become synonymous with a calorie-restrictive diet in which we reduce the number of calories we consume or eliminate food groups altogether from our daily regiment. Being on a calorie restrictive diet is a self-limiting surface level shift because when you reach your goal weight, you stop the diet and go back to the unhealthy eating habits you started the diet with, the weight comes back and the cycle starts all over again. The goal is to stop dieting and instead learn to make healthy weight management part of your daily life with a plan and strategies that vary as priorities, environment, circumstances, and needs change. .

3-Have a plan and get support

Let’s be honest, most of us spend more time planning a special night than planning our wellness goals. And for most of us, telling others about our efforts is just another avenue for criticism and disappointment. How many times have you declared “From tomorrow I’m going to start or I’m going to stop…” without a clear plan and without support or responsibility. I say this with respect, but if you knew how to lose weight and get healthy on the fly and without support and accountability, you wouldn’t be in the unhealthy cycle you’re currently in. Having a plan can include stocking your kitchen with healthy food options, keeping a journal of your progress, and working with a personal trainer. Support can come from recruiting a friend with similar goals, joining a weight loss group, or working one-on-one with a wellness coach. The journey to your success must be planned and supported and accountable. Honestly, there is no other way.

Breaking the cycle of serial dieting isn’t easy and it won’t happen overnight, but you can do it by taking responsibility, eating healthy, and having a plan and support. Don’t let another week, year, or even decade(s) go by being overweight, unhealthy, and unhappy. Take action right now to end your serial diet cycle.