DozenDiets.com

 Allright, in Diet Principle #8 I promised something positive to look forward to and this is it. I have found this one to be a diet-saver many times and it is currently keeping me afloat in my 2008 investigative dieting!

Diet Principle #9 - Reward yourself and take a day off from dieting (occasionally)

I think this one is a must. I think it is critical to reward yourself. This tells your body, “Hey, I’m not just suffering for nothing! I get stuff for being good!”

Of course, you could try rewarding yourself with new clothes, or a night out or something, but for me, when I am dieting, what I want is to EAT!

So, my suggested reward is a day off of dieting. A plan is to schedule a few and keep them spaced out. For example, for me, The Superbowl is a must. So is my birthday. So is Christmas (My family is big on holiday pastries).

While I am on my dozendiets.com “one year/twelve diets” plan, I will also take a mini-break at the end of each month. It is something for me to look forward to. It keeps me sane and it keeps me motivated. I suggest you do this as well. Just don’t do it too frequently. Maybe once a month. Then on a couple of special occasions. Don’t make it every weekend or anything. You’ll end up taking one step forward and two steps back. I read about one guy who would cheat only during full moons. That is kind of cool (and maybe a little creepy).

So, when things are really rough, take a break! Design you reward schedule and then stick to it. You deserve it! And it’s a lot better than quitting. Since it’s designed to prevent quitting, Diet Principle #9 comes with a corollary - Quitter’s Never Win!!! (Or even finish for that matter).