Strategy #2: Create an OK-to-eat plan

Strategy #2: Create an OK-to-eat plan

Faced with unexpected temptations— — the dessert menu, the catered work lunch — —we end up eating things that sabotage our weight-loss goals. The best way to guarantee you make the right choices is to create an "if-then" plan:

• "If the dessert menu arrives, I'll order coffee."
• "If I am at a business lunch, I'll have a salad."

Studies suggest that coming up with safe-to-eat plans makes you two to three times more likely to reach your diet goals.