Five Reasons You Should Start Your Diet During the Holidays

A friend at work, who has been threatening to go on a weight loss diet all year, threw up her hands in defeat yesterday. "Guess I'll have to wait until after the holidays now," she said, as if the logic of her statement would be obvious to even an amoeba.

With all the feasts, parties and fattening foods about to invade our work, home and social environments starting this Thursday, it may seem futile to start a weight loss diet now.

But as with most counter-intuitive concepts, the opposite is true.

In fact, the best time to start a diet could be the day after Thanksgiving when we've eaten so much food the idea of gluttonous consumption is at its least compelling.

Here are five good reasons to start your diet during the holidays:

Motivation is highest at the beginning of a diet. Speaking from personal experience, I am most excited about any new diet program in the very beginning when it still feels like an adventure. As the novelty factor wears off, I am more likely to succumb to edible temptations.

You get to have your "last supper." Most dieters are familiar with that last wonderful meal we eat before embarking on a weight loss diet. What better last meal could there be than Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings?

You won't gain extra holiday weight. Though studies show the average American gains only one pound during the holidays, some people gain more -- which could make going on a diet seem even more daunting if you start in January.

You'll look better by Christmas. If you start a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet like Medifast now, you could be ten pounds lighter a month from now. Your relatives will likely notice and comment on the positive change in your appearance, which will motivate you to keep going after the holidays are over.

You'll be creating new healthy habits. The biggest rap against diets is that once you lose your weight you'll gain it right back -- and then some. But if you start your diet during the most challenging time of year, you'll have a chance to cement new habits that will help you maintain your new shape after you reach your ideal weight. Eating before a party, making small planned exceptions and always carrying around substitute snacks are just three new habits of health that will help you keep those pounds off forever.

You can purchase Medifast replacement meals directly from Medifast Centers, the Medifast website or -- for no extra cost -- through the co-branded website of a Medifast TSFL health coach. Medifast does not recommend purchasing its products from third party vendors, but if you choose to do so, you can find them on both Amazon and eBay.

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