Anatomy of a Successful Dieter

In this article we will discuss the anatomy of a successful dieter. In other words, what successful dieters have in common. The traits, the mindset and the plan that they execute to lose weight. These are the most important characteristics for finding success in dieting and you will fail 100 percent of the time unless you use them. 

There are thousands of incredible weight-loss stories every year. You see them all over social media, in magazines, on television or at your workplace. These people have changed their lives by overcoming the insurmountable task of losing weight. But why are they able to lose weight when millions of others people cannot? What do they have or what do they do differently to achieve success?

The Anatomy of a Successful Dieter

To be clear, the anatomy of a successful dieter has nothing to do with one’s anatomy. It has everything to do with their approach, their mindset, determination, etc. It’s the combination of various personal traits, habits, behaviors and external factors that help them reach their goal.

NUMBER 1

A Reason

People that find the most success in dieting always have a reason for doing it. These reasons are not short lived. They are strong motivators that last for months, not days. This reason gives them a purpose that moves them forward. They are usually extrinsic, but they are a powerful driving force that keeps the person focused long enough to get great results.

These reasons include:

• Events (wedding, vacation, etc.)
• Social pressures
• Health related
• Personal standards (feeling better in your own skin)

If you want to lose weight but you do not have a strong enough reason to lose weight, find one. The moment you can’t fit into your jeans, a person tells you you’re fat, your scale in the bathroom skyrockets over night or your health deteriorates, is the moment you will start to realize you need to change. Be honest with yourself and what you want to look like. If you are comfortable in your own skin, that’s amazing, but most people are not. Find your reason and let’s figure out a path to get you there.

NUMBER 2 

A Plan

The person that finds the most success will always have a plan. This plan does not have to be perfect, but there has to be one. It can be a strict plan or one where you jump out of the plane but build the parachute on the way down. Either way, a plan needs to be followed for an extended period of time in order for you to stay on course.

In addition to an overall plan that keeps you focused and working towards your goal, you need a diet plan. There is no perfect diet out there. What works for you likely won’t work for someone else. We have friends that live by the Paleo Diet, others that swear by the Keto Diet, and others that create their own style of diet. Find a diet that includes foods you like to eat, create a caloric deficit every day with that diet and you’ll lose weight.

How do you get into a caloric deficit? We explained right here.

NUMBER 3 

Exercise

People that find the most success and lose weight the fastest are those that incorporate some form of exercise. Exercise and diet go hand in hand. From our experience, if you exercise you are more likely to make better food choices compared to dieting without exercise. Losing weight comes down to burning more calories than you consume. You need to create a caloric deficit to lose weight. When you diet, you restrict calories – creating a caloric deficit. When you exercise you create a caloric deficit because of the amount of calories needed to perform your choice of exercise. By combining the deficit created by your diet and exercise you will lose weight faster and improve your overall health in the process.

NUMBER 4 

Self-Awareness

The people that find success in dieting are also very self-aware. Meaning, they know their strengths and weaknesses. They know where they excel and where they need help, and they are honest with themselves. They know they spend too much time in front of a desk and not enough time moving. They know they snack too much and need to make better food choices. They know they drink too much, go out too much, don’t understand diet and nutrition, exercise, etc. They will seek help when needed and won’t be afraid to ask.

Being self-aware allows you to be more honest with yourself and your situation. It clears the slate so that you know what you need to change and how you need to change in order to find the success that you are after.

NUMBER 5 

Time Created

Results earned is a product of time created.

Everyone wants to tell that they don’t have time. We’re here to tell you that 99% of the time you hear that, it’s 100% BS. You have “time” to work towards your goal. You just aren’t willing to cut something out to create it. Creating time means making tradeoffs. You have multiple things you want to do in a day but one or two of those things is more desirable than the other. Let’s jump into an example:

You wake up at 8 AM to be to work at 9:30 AM. You prefer sleep over waking up early. Totally fine, we do too. You go through your work day. You have lunch but prefer to relax and eat over getting in a workout and eating at your desk later. You get off work and take care of other obligations. Now you have time to either relax and unwind or exercise and work on your goal. But you’re tired because you worked all day. Or maybe there is this show you really want to watch so you watch that. You are making tradeoffs instead of creating time.

We all have different lives and different situations, but you must create time in your day to exercise. The people that find great success in dieting make this nonnegotiable. They do not come up with reasons why they didn’t or couldn’t do something. They find reasons why they should. They don’t blame someone else for why they didn’t exercise or why they ate like crap. They take accountability and create time no matter what obstacle is thrown at them. Which leads us to our next trait.

NUMBER 6 

Accountability

Accountability is the obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions. The people that find the most success in dieting master this.

It’s extremely important to know that you are in complete control of your actions. Your friends don’t shove the cheeseburgers and fries down your throat. Your significant other doesn’t force you to watch Game of Thrones reruns after work every day (Seasons 1-7. We won’t talk about Season 8 or the last episode because we’re pretending it didn’t happen). No matter what happens during your day, you control the outcome and no one else is responsible for it but you.

When you see fit people at work, at the grocery store, on tv, etc. you aren’t looking at great genetics. You are looking at someone who set aside time every week to work on themselves so that they can look great in their clothes, maintain a certain level of health, etc. You are seeing someone that holds themselves accountable for making sure they execute on their plan every week. These people are not given anything, they work towards what they have and continue to create time and be accountable to themselves. You are a reflection of your habits.

NUMBER 7

Self-discipline

The people that excel at dieting also exhibit a certain level of self-discipline. They have the ability to persevere through setbacks and distractions. They make sure that no matter what happens they’ll uphold the standard they set for themselves.

You do not have to be perfect with self-discipline but you must be able to display the skill under relentless daily pressures. Meaning, you have to be disciplined enough to stick to your diet most of the time and get in regular exercise. Feel free to go out and have drinks and dessert with your friends when the occasion arises. You can let loose on a cheat day (YESSSSS!) and give yourself flexibility in your week and life. You don’t have to stick to some strict hard and fast rule. You just need to have limitations and not spiral out of control. Do what is required to get the results you’re after.

NUMBER 8

Be Consistent

Consistency in your day and with your diet is an unrivaled trait of successful dieters. Creating a solid routine every day to make sure you never miss exercise, hitting 10K steps, burning 800 calories, etc. can be the difference between making progress or failing.

Consistency with your diet is even more important when it comes to losing weight. Finding a consistent pattern of food intake will yield better results than eating whatever it is you think you’re craving. In other words, eating the same five to six meals every week will yield better weight-loss results than eating 10 different things every week because you wanted more variety. When you keep your meal selection consistent throughout the week you know your portions, you know exactly what you’re consuming and will demonstrate better self-control while eating.

Consistency in both your daily routine and diet will help form positive habits and make it easier to resist temptations and cravings.

Closing

It’s important to note that everyone is unique, and what works for one person may not work for another. Developing the ability and skill to lose weight involves a process of self-discovery and experimentation that you will come to realize during the process. You will become a higher, more elevated version of yourself once you find what you are capable of and it will translate to many other things in your life. Apply these strategies, grab a stack of chocolate chip cookies and conquer the world.