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Week #1: Are You Ready for a Change?

Week #1: Are You Ready for a Change?

By EatingWell Editors

The first step of the EatingWell Diet is deciding whether you're actually ready.

READER'S COMMENT:
"I agree that Tracking what you eat is important. It can really open your eyes to what you are really putting into your body. Elliot Cabbage Soup Recipes "

Most diet plans encourage you to start yesterday—or at least right this very minute. Never mind that your company is going through layoffs and right now, quite honestly, may not be the best time to overhaul your lifestyle. But you give in and you begin. Then you...fail. Again. In contrast, the very first step of the EatingWell Diet is deciding whether you’re actually ready to make a lifelong commitment to eating better and exercising regularly.

If you’re ready for a change, the next step is starting a food diary where you record everything you eat and drink—and how many calories these foods and beverages contain. Do this for a week to get a sense of what you’re eating now. Next week you’ll set calorie goals to lose weight.

Take our quiz to help you decide if you are ready to commit to making healthy changes, and use these articles and tools to help you get started on the EatingWell Diet.

Articles, tips and community discussion:

Tools to help you this week:

Featured recipe: Paprika Shrimp & Green Bean Saute [29]

EatingWell Editors
The first step of the EatingWell Diet is deciding whether you're actually ready.
image/jpeg icon
5525ewdiet_coverphoto225.jpg [6]
Related Content Title 1: 
EatingWell Diet Challenge
Week #1: Are You Ready for a Change? [4]
Week #2: Set Goals [7]
Week #3: Boost Exercise [8]
Week #4: Make Smart Choices [9]
Week #5: Outsmarting Eating Triggers [10]
Week #6: Get support [11]
Week #7: Recharge Your Weight Loss [12]
Week #8: Embrace Challenges [13]
Week #9: Solve Problems [14]
Week #10: Think Big Picture [15]
Week #11: Be Nice to Yourself [16]
Week #12: Celebrate Success [17]
Related Content Title 2: 
More Resources
Healthy Diet Recipes, Menus and Tips [18]
EatingWell Diet Challenge Recipes [19]
Essential Weight-Loss Tools [20]
EatingWell Menu Planner [21]
Diet Meal Plans [22]

Most diet plans encourage you to start yesterday—or at least right this very minute. Never mind that your company is going through layoffs and right now, quite honestly, may not be the best time to overhaul your lifestyle. But you give in and you begin. Then you...fail. Again. In contrast, the very first step of the EatingWell Diet is deciding whether you’re actually ready to make a lifelong commitment to eating better and exercising regularly.

If you’re ready for a change, the next step is starting a food diary where you record everything you eat and drink—and how many calories these foods and beverages contain. Do this for a week to get a sense of what you’re eating now. Next week you’ll set calorie goals to lose weight.

Take our quiz to help you decide if you are ready to commit to making healthy changes, and use these articles and tools to help you get started on the EatingWell Diet.

Articles, tips and community discussion:

* Are you ready for a change? Take our quick quiz to figure out if this is a good time for you to start a diet.
* Consider the pros and cons of making a strong commitment to losing weight.
* Learn why starting your food diary is so important.
* Community discussion: Tell us what you’ve learned from self-tracking.

Tools to help you this week:

* Track your weight
* Find calorie counts
* EatingWell Video Quick tips for eating out

More resources:

* 3-Day Menu Plan
* Diet Recipes Collection
* EatingWell Diet Challenge Participants' Favorite Recipes
* Essential Weight-Loss Tools
* Eating Well Menu Planner

Back to Diet Challenge main page

**Photo Caption: Featured recipe: Paprika Shrimp & Green Bean Saute

Source URL: http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/eatingwell_diet_challenge/week_1_are_you_ready_for_a_change

Links:
[1] http://www.eatingwell.com/user?destination=print/9884
[2] http://www.eatingwell.com/print/9884?page=show
[3] http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/eatingwell_diet_challenge/week_1_are_you_ready_for_a_change&linkname=Week #1: Are You Ready for a Change?
[4] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/eatingwell_diet_challenge/week_1_are_you_ready_for_a_change
[5] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/eatingwell_diet_challenge/week_1_are_you_ready_for_a_change?section=comments#tabs
[6] http://www.eatingwell.com/sites/default/files/5525ewdiet_coverphoto225.jpg
[7] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/eatingwell_diet_challenge/week_2_set_goals
[8] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/eatingwell_diet_challenge/week_3_boost_exercise
[9] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/eatingwell_diet_challenge/week_4_make_smart_choices
[10] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/eatingwell_diet_challenge/week_5_outsmarting_eating_triggers
[11] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/eatingwell_diet_challenge/week_6_get_support
[12] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/eatingwell_diet_challenge/week_7_recharge_your_weight_loss
[13] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/eatingwell_diet_challenge/week_8_embrace_challenges
[14] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/eatingwell_diet_challenge/week_9_solve_problems
[15] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/eatingwell_diet_challenge/week_10_think_big_picture
[16] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/eatingwell_diet_challenge/week_11_be_nice_to_yourself
[17] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/eatingwell_diet_challenge/week_12_celebrate_success
[18] http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_diet_recipes
[19] http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/eatingwell_diet_challenge_recipes
[20] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/the_eatingwell_diet/essential_weight_loss_tools
[21] http://www.eatingwell.com/eatingwell_menu_planner
[22] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/diet_meal_plans
[23] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/eatingwell_diet_challenge/quiz_are_you_ready_to_commit_to_a_
[24] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/the_eatingwell_diet/pluses_and_minuses_of_losing_weight_now
[25] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/the_eatingwell_diet/starting_your_food_diary
[26] http://www.eatingwell.com/node/9884?section=comments#tabs
[27] http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/the_eatingwell_diet/track_your_weight
[28] http://www.eatingwell.com/videos/portion_control_quick_tips_when_eating_out_video
[29] http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/paprika_shrimp_green_bean_saute.html