Getting Mentally Ready to Start Any Diet

Whether you're doing the DASH diet, attempting Atkins or trying the TLC diet, finding the right mindset is your first step. Below, experts help set you up for long-term success, whether you're trying to lose weight or just eat in a healthier way.

Make a commitment to change. Starting a diet on a whim might work, but the most successful people are truly prepared to make a change, says Sheila Forman, a clinical psychologist in private practice in Santa Monica and author of "The Best Diet Begins in Your Mind." It's about incorporating changes into your life to make a lasting difference. "People have to have some sort of commitment and plan in mind," she says. Within the classic five stages of change, she says, "I want to grab the person in the third stage, called 'preparation.' That's where they're thinking, 'OK, I do want to eat healthier. What am I going to do?'" Preparation gets people ready for the next step: action.

Learn from past attempts. If you've failed at diets in the past, don't blame yourself – just try a different approach, says Michelle Segar, author of "No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness." To get mentally prepared for future success, people should think about and learn from what they've already attempted and whether that's had any real sticking power, says Segar, who directs the Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center at the University of Michigan. That information can steer you in a better direction when deciding on the best diet for you.