When it comes to dieting and weight loss it is common to hear a lot of excuses. Blame placed on factors outside the dieters control; from slow metabolism to fatigue, societal pressures and finances all playing a role in why diets fail and individuals continue to gain, and not lose weight.

However, those that have the best success in their eating and training, are those that make goals and remain accountable to them. Clearly defining your “why” can help to keep you motivated and on track, ask yourself “why am I doing this”, why am I eating healthy, why am I training hard at the gym.

To be a good role model for your children, to look after and protect your body, to look good naked, to be able to get out of a chair unassisted when you are in your 80’s and 90’s, knowing the reason that you want to be healthy means that when you start to eat in a way that is counter productive to this it is your responsibility to recognise and change it. Challenge yourself to take responsibility for your actions, refuse to place the blame on others or an uncontrollable outside factor.

If you really struggle in this area, finding a training or accountability partner is a great idea. If it is getting to the gym regularly, then having a training buddy who will motivate you when you train, and call you out when you skip class, can help to keep you on track. If you find food the bigger challenge, then having an accountability partner who you check in with once or twice a week with a weigh-in can encourage you to make better choices and also give you someone to talk to about the challenges you face.

You need to plan for success, weight loss does not happen by mistake. Making healthy choices is far easier if you have taken the time to plan your meals and prep them in advance. Poor food choices made when hungry or in a rush can be minimised or eliminated simply by planning in advance. Having your lunch and snacks ready to go when you leave the house in the morning means greater dieting success. If you then CHOSE to eat unhealthy foods on top of your pre-made meals it is up to you to take responsibility for this.

Either the food you prepared wasn’t enough or you decided to eat poorly. It is crucial that you learn to face the decisions you make and then analyse why you made them. If you want to be healthy and lose weight, then WHY did you eat crisps/chocolate/cake/sweets/soda when you weren’t hungry and already had a healthy alternative available? The answer to this may be difficult to face, but once faced you can move forward and make new, healthier habits.

Make sure you are getting enough sleep. Sleep in one of the most underrated performance and health enhancers. Not only does it give your body time to recover and repair but you are less likely to look to food and drink to give you a energy boost if you are sleeping well. A common excuse for poor food choices is feeling lethargic and tired, anything less than 7 hours a night is not good enough. To keep your metabolism sharp and energy levels up you need to be getting a good night's sleep.

Setting a goal, forming a plan to achieve this goal and then staying accountable is key to dieting success. Whether that goal is to do a pull up unassisted, to be able to play football with your kids without getting out of breath, to reduce your blood pressure or just to look good naked, knowing your “why” is key to achieving your dreams.