We have all been there; made the promises to ourselves that this time things will be different and yes we will succeed. Then before you know what has happened you fail, again, miserably. Depression makes us eat and now we are three steps behind where we started from. How can you ensure this never happens again?

First you need to look at why your negativity is so low, if you start a new diet with such a pessimistic attitude you are only doomed to failure. You hear yourself repeating the same old excuses you use every time:

* I get hungry on a diet
* I don’t have time to exercise
* I’m too old; it’s too late for me

and the best one:

* My Mother was big boned

It is a proven fact that by adhering to a well balanced and well controlled diet plan you can lose weight. However losing weight and keeping the weight off throughout your life is extremely difficult. Committing yourself to a weight loss program requires a high degree of dedication and perseverance, but take heart it can be done.

So how can you prevent yourself from falling into the same trap again and stop any negative thoughts from entering your brain when you begin a new diet plan?

The first steps to undertake is to prepare a plan of action, decide on a date when you will start your new healthy living lifestyle. Yes, stop using the word diet! Subconsciously your brain identifies the word diet with lack of food and sweaty gym workouts. You are not going to starve yourself, just change your food choices.

In order to keep your motivation high you must discover what it is that you are wishing to gain from the new healthier you. If it is fashion go shopping, buy some clothes that you cannot wear at present. Take some photographs of these and paste the pictures all around your house. This is your motivation; you must one day wear these clothes.

Think small to win big, set yourself some goals. Aim to only lose a small amount each week; there are no fast, quick answers. Losing weight takes a lot of time and patience. Give yourself some intermediate rewards, either in a time span say after two months you will allow yourself a new pair of shoes or make it after you have lost a certain amount of pounds.

Exercise may be a dreaded word for you but start with just a few minutes every other day, build it up slowly. Again set those goals very small to start with, you may be pleasantly surprised to discover how much you begin to enjoy it. If possible exercise with a friend, time passes that much quicker when you are having fun.

The hardest part of your new healthy living programme is not adapting to new food preparation or continuing with your exercise routine, it is staying motivated. Try to remind yourself at all times that you are focusing on a new health and fitness routine. As long as you keep to your new meal plans and regular exercise the weight loss will follow.