Alycia Israel
July 2, 2021
I have been helping clients achieve their goals for over 12 years, and there are very consistent themes between those who succeed and those who don’t. And to pre-frame, it has nothing to do with genetics. It had everything to do with their mindset.
I also want to identify what a successful dieter is. A successful dieter is one who has a nutrition-based goal (say a fat loss for example) and achieves that goal healthfully. A successful dieter is able to also sustain the goal long-term.
The Top-4 Habits of Successful Dieters
Here are the top-4 habits of successful dieters—they truly have each of these four mindset habits in common. Let’s dive in.
1. Successful Dieters Take Extreme Ownership
Ownership embodies two key points: WHY and responsibility. All successful dieters identify their WHY and have a clear vision of what it will take to achieve the desired result. Their WHY is rooted in deep emotion and truth, not superficial bullshit.
There is a big difference between:
“I want to get in the best shape of my life to end the health issues in my family lineage and serve as a role model to my kids.”
Versus:
“I want to look good on my vacation.”
It’s no surprise that the first WHY kicks ass, and the second WHY gives up in a week.
With a strong WHY, successful dieters develop resilience and focus. They fucking own it, even when it gets hard and they fall off track. They take so much more responsibility for their slip-ups. Instead of pointing the finger at a social event or their partner's eating habits, they reflect inward and take extreme ownership. They know that the answer to their problems is them. And when they finally admit to themselves that they are the solution, they are empowered to create change. They know they are solely responsible therefore feel empowered to get their shit together.
2. Successful Dieters Set Firm Boundaries
Boundaries are rules that you set to identify ways for others to behave towards you, and also how you respond when someone crosses them. Most people, especially those with poor eating and exercise habits, have the shittiest boundaries or just none at all.
You may be wondering what boundaries have to do with being a successful dieter? For starters, having boundaries makes staying on track a whole lot easier when you can easily tell Aunt Suzy to shut it when she starts commenting on your food choices on Christmas. Or when your spouse wants to order pizza and instead of caving to their wants, you express what you NEED at the time—pizza not being it, and they respect that.
Having firm boundaries helps others learn how to support you, not derail you. Successful dieters know when to say no, and when to say yes. They don’t overwhelm themselves with what everyone else is doing, and they allow room for their own needs to be met. They can eat out and stay on track, even if everyone else is eating wings and donuts. Other people’s actions do not dictate their own. They also know that sleep, workouts, and meal prepping are priorities, and they make it such. This all stems from setting boundaries.
3. Successful Dieters Think in Abundance
We think about our goal, and what it takes to achieve it can make or break the results we reap. Here are a few examples of how a successful dieter thinks:
Struggling Dieter Self-Talk