When you start a new diet it is always exciting and easy to ‘commit’ to a daily calories loss menu and regular exercise. You tell yourself that this time you are going to stick with it, this time will be different, this time you are really committed. But do you really stick with the diet or do you go back to your old eating habits and end up with no weight loss and sometimes even a weight gain?

That is what happens to most people because dieting is not always fun, change is usually no fun and there are times when losing weight can just get hard. But in order to make real, healthy, permanent changes you need to make sure that the food you eat over the long term is both enjoyable and provides you with the calories loss you need. You need to be committed to getting healthy and fit and to sticking with your diet and this time you really do make that commitment.

Do not just tell yourself it is time to get healthy; instead make a physical gesture to show that you are committed to staying on that calories loss diet and making healthy other important changes to your lifestyle. If that sounds silly to you, it should not because people of all kinds even those in political office like Senator McCain and Senator Obama use all kinds of physical symbols to show their commitment to important matters. Rings, tattoos, ceremonies, even certificates and trophies are signs of commitment so you need a physical sign of commitment to mark the start of your diet.

Making a commitment to lose weight and enjoy a healthy life is important and you can do this in a number of fun ways including a written contract where you agree to stick with your program for a minimum of six months and then review your progress and commitment then . Make sure that you specify the outcome of following your contact and breaking it. Add your signature and request a witness countersigns it so that it can be a sign and a reminder of your commitment that you keep in a public place.

Hire a personal trainer as extra incentive because once you spend the money for a personal trainer, that money is gone whether you use those personal training sessions or not. The same rule usually applies to a gym membership as well, so spending money on exercise this is a commitment to getting fit. And knowing that money is gone whether or not you use that gym membership or get those personal training sessions they are likely to motivate you to exercise more.

Set up a weight loss group where the prime objective of each member is to support each other as they lose weight and this will reflect your commitment and enable the same for others. So get a group started amongst those who have said they want to lose weight and allow everyone the opportunity to encourage and keep each other committed. This is the way the best weight loss clinics operate and is worth copying in your own way.

Let others know about your new eating plan, in particular those at home, in your workplace and any of your other usual contacts. Let them know about your weight loss and exercise goals and the program you plan to follow and notice how they ask you about your calories loss eating and the impact that this has on your weight loss. Because you have shared your plans with others, there is a strong possibility that you will remain committed even when things get tough and you are tempted to give up.

Have a clear mental ‘picture’ of how you plan to look when you have reached your goal weight. Find pictures in magazines of the new ‘look’ you are working towards and display them at home and in your workplace. This very public way of committing to a healthy weight loss for good through calories loss and exercise is very public commitment at the beginning of your diet and an effective motivator to keep you strong and resilient even when times get tough.