1. Change your mind. It is important that you realize that starting a diet is not a mark of failure, but is in reality a sign that you have already succeeded. It is so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you are somehow defective for being overweight and that going on a diet says to the world—and to your own inner critic—that you couldn’t get this one aspect of your life under control on your own. Although many people begin a diet in desperation when they have “hit rock bottom” in some weight-related way, beginning the LIFE Diet is not an act of defeat. It is an act of courage and hopefulness and success! It means you haven’t given up on yourself. What could be more positive than that?
2. Change your eating style. I’m sure it’s obvious that unhealthy habits are not worth keeping, but ditching them can be tricky. Habits are ingrained in the brain. They are familiar and comfortable, and sometimes they serve to make
other people happy. Every family has a set of rituals, recipes, and cooking styles passed down from generation to generation. While these are a part of who you are, you may have to reevaluate and adapt them to twenty-first- century health standards so they work for you and don’t continue to translate into extra pounds. Throughout this book, you’ll find specific tips on how to make better food choices and how to substitute healthier versions of some of your diet’s worst offenders. I also give waistline-friendly recipe makeovers of many family favorites, such as Chicken Parmesan, Turkey Sausage with Sau- téed Peppers and Onions, even Creamy Chocolate Pudding.
3. Change your loyalties. If you identify with food, separate yourself. You are not an afternoon chocolate bar. You are not a supersized meal. You are not family dinner. Anytime you find yourself defending poor food choices because they are something you “always” do, stop. You are not a collection of bad habits. What you are is a person who wants to lose a few pounds and become healthier. That may sound like funny advice, but you will probably run into situations in which food seems to define you. For example, maybe you are the office candy machine because you’ve got a jar of snacks on your desk. (If you take away the candy, I guarantee your coworkers will notice and ask you what’s wrong.) You don’t have to remain loyal to who you have always been. There is a new you ready to emerge. Always remember:
You are more than food.
You are stronger than a craving.
You are more complicated than a habit.
You are more thoughtful than mindless eating.
You are just as successful on day 1 of a diet as you are on day 301—because suc- cess is in the doing. With each passing day, you’ll look more incredible, and feel even more extraordinary.
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