• Have you been on and off diets for most of your life?
• Do you struggle to lose weight and then can’t 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 above questions, then you are what I have termed 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, rather it is a source of complex decisions and emotions that cause confusion, anxiety, fear and doubt. The good news is that there is a way to kick off the yo-yo weight, enjoy eating 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-Take 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 inaction 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 challenging 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 a lifelong change for the better. Think of all the years, even decades, when you’ve been overweight, unhappy, and frustrated. Aren’t you tired of that? Not ready for a real change? Stop making excuses and finally take responsibility for your health, weight and well-being.

2-Stop “Going on a diet”

I remember being taught the definition of the word diet in elementary school 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-restricted diet in which we reduce the number of calories we consume or eliminate total food groups from our daily regiment. Being on a calorie-restricted diet is a self-limiting surface-level change because when you reach your goal weight, 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 how to make healthy weight management a 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 out 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 “Starting tomorrow I am going to start or I am going to stop…” without a clear plan and without support or responsibility. I say this respectfully, but if you know how to lose weight and become healthy on the fly and without support or accountability, you wouldn’t be in the unhealthy cycle you’re currently in. Having a plan might mean stocking your kitchen with healthy food options, journaling 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 must have support and accountability. 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 with you being overweight, in poor health, and unhappiness. Take action right now to end your serial diet cycle.