Tricks to make ANY diet more successful

As a nutritionist, I naturally focus on the nutritional aspects of weight loss: calories, fat, sugar, fiber, glycemic impact, and so on.  But as any successful loser knows, the dieting game is at least half mental.  A new book by Judith Beck (The Beck Diet Solution: How to Think Like a Thin Person) zeros in on the all-important behavioral and cognitive aspects of weight loss. 

Beck's motivational exercises and strategic tips aren't exacly revolutionary (see Jim Foster's summary on The Diet Blog) but if you are looking for some tried-and-true advice on the head-game of weight loss, this book might give you the edge you need to negotiate around the pitfalls of dieting.

I particularly like Dr. Beck's insights on hunger and cravings.

First, she reminds us that its important to be able to distinguish cravings (desire) with true hunger (need). Secondly, she points out that many of us tend to over-react to the slightest sensation of hunger as if it were an emergency.  In order to lose weight and keep it off, you may need to re-train yourself to have a greater tolerance for feelings of hunger. I'm not saying you should starve yourself (and neither is she).  But if you're following a nutritious diet plan and you're hungry even though its not time to eat, you might experiment with sitting with those feelings for twenty or thirty minutes before giving in. You might be surprised how often the feeling of hunger simply goes away!  (See also this interview with Dr. Beck on Sharpbrains.com)

It doesn't matter whether you're living "la vida low carb," slimming down on South Beach, doing Weight-Watchers, or taking it off Mediterranean-style. The tools and strategies outlined by Dr. Beck can make any diet more effective and successful.