What to Do Today if Your Diet Starts Tomorrow

The day before you embark on a big lifestyle change is often full of emotion – anticipation, nerves, excitement, and more – so you’re likely buzzing with energy.

Follow these tips to harness that energy, set yourself up for weight loss success, and prepare for tomorrow’s diet!

What to Do Today if Your Diet Starts Tomorrow

You’re ready to make a change, lose weight and start living healthier. So, what can you do today to prepare for your weight loss journey?

Find the Best Day to Start a Diet

Did you know that there really is a “best day to start a diet” according to science?

Research shows that people who start their diets on Sunday, Monday, or the day after their birthdays enjoy the highest rate of weight loss success.

This is because the “new week, new me” mentality, also referred to as the “fresh start effect,” gives you an extra energy boost to embrace your new healthy habits. Harness that motivation to develop healthy routines like packing lunch, taking a walk after dinner, or watching less TV.

That being said, if you fall off the wagon, don’t wait until the next “fresh start” to keep going.

Every meal and every moment is a new opportunity to make a healthy choice, so if you falter, just pick yourself up and keep going! Remember: we’re only human.

Set Goals that Breed Success

When you read about goal-setting, a common phrase pops out:  “a goal without a plan is just a wish”. Do you have a plan for your weight loss journey, or is it still a wish?

Think about how you want to eat, what you want to do for physical activity, and if there are any other factors in your life that contribute to your weight gain.

After you’ve thought about what you want to change, set some SMART goals. Write down a couple of health-related goals that are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant, and
• Time-bound

By defining goals and establishing how & when they will be accomplished, you’re already taking steps to keep yourself accountable and achieve weight loss success.

Stock up on Healthy Food

Now that you know when you’re going to start and how you’re going to approach your weight loss journey, it’s time to clean out your pantry and fill the fridge with healthy fuel.

In setting your SMART goals, hopefully, you defined a nutrition strategy you plan to follow for the next three months (and beyond!).

Common choices are low-carb, plant-based, Keto, or good old-fashioned balanced eating. Regardless of which diet you choose, it’s best to stock your kitchen with the foods you’ll need before you start the diet.

After all, it’s much easier to stick with a new eating plan if you already have many options in the fridge!

No matter which diet you plan to follow, some foods should be minimized to promote weight loss. If your diet starts tomorrow, today is an excellent day to through your kitchen! Look at nutrition labels and work to eliminate the following:

• Trans fats (commonly found in commercial pastries, cookies, chips, crackers, etc.)
• Added sugars (commonly found in sweets, sports/energy drinks, pre-made sauces, etc.)
• Any old expired, or spoiled items.

Finally, head to the grocery store. Stock up on healthy foods, including nutritious snacks for between meals or late at night.

If you’re new to the diet that you’re starting, it can be very helpful to look for a meal plan that will give you ideas for healthy meals and snacks all week long.

What NOT to Do Today if Your Diet Starts Tomorrow

Even with all the “to-do” tips in the world, it’s still easy to fall into some unhealthy behaviors if you’re having mixed feelings about your diet starting tomorrow.

Binge On Unhealthy or “Bad” Foods

Binging on your favorite junk foods does not help your body prepare for a big lifestyle change.

Instead of “getting it out of your system” and making you feel better, feasting on junk food will more likely spike your blood sugar, leading to the inevitable crash.

Significant variations in blood sugar increase cravings, especially when you go low, so binging the day before a diet actually makes it harder to steer clear of temptation in the first few days of eating healthier.

Still, if you want that one last splurge before you clean up your diet, that’s totally understandable! The trick: keep it moderate.

For example, if you love Snickers, go for it and savor a delicious Snickers bar the day before starting your diet. Just don’t let that one Snickers bar cascade into three more Snickers plus two cupcakes and a whole bag of chips.

Drown in Negative Self-Talk

Last but definitely not least, try not to beat yourself up while thinking about how your diet starts tomorrow.

Instead of focusing on all the reasons you don’t like your current body or lifestyle, focus on all the reasons that you’re committing to this change.

Think about the positive reasons to lose weight and get fit. If you can, concentrate on how this upcoming pledge to healthy living is a form of self-love – you’re taking the time to put your health first and take care of yourself!

That’s something any of us can be proud of. Getting in the right mindset makes weight loss more accessible, rewarding, and successful!

These tips will bring you one step closer to weight loss success – starting from day one! Best of luck on your weight loss journey!!

Share your questions, comments, and experiences with us in the comments section below!