Today is a very special day, and this is going to be a very special post – it’s the first guest post I am having on my blog!!! 
Another fellow fan of a healthy diet approach to weight loss, Sara from Dukan Diet Meals, has contacted me and asked whether she would be able to post an article on my blog. After reading her article, of course I had to say yes! She is pointing something out that is so obvious but often forgotten when dieting, so we should remind ourselves of it every now and then, and I am sure dieting will be easier for it: HAVING FUN!
So here Sara goes:
Hello everyone!
My name is Sara. I am a bit of a foodie, a serial dieter and I’ve recently set up a website dedicated to Dukan Diet Recipes.
First of all, I’d like to thank Petra for giving me the opportunity to post on her blog. [absolut pleasure, Sara! 
]
What I’d like to talk to you about today is one hard lesson I have learnt as a result of a thousand diets and the many occasions when, eventually, the weight has piled back on leaving me frustrated, de-motivated and, let’s be honest, very very upset.
It’s no pearl of wisdom but what I’d like to share with you all is what I think is the one golden rule of all diets: having fun. No matter what type of diet you are following or how much weight you’re hoping to lose, I can pretty much guarantee this will not work in the long term unless you stop seeing dieting as some kind of punishment instead of a healthy routine you are trying to incorporate into your lifestyle.
Do not avoid social occasions. Ever.
Hands up if you’ve ever come up with an excuse in order to avoid a meal out with friends and family while on a diet? Or how many times you have accepted the offer with what I like to call the “all-or-nothing” attitude and ended up binging on all sorts of unhealthy foods?
Well, if this time you are serious about your weight loss journey, then it’s also time to change mentality. Unless your family and friends are planning a dinner party in a fast food restaurant, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t go along and opt for a healthier option when it comes to ordering. Take a look at the restaurant menu online beforehand so that you know what to expect or give them a call to see whether it’s possible for them to prepare something lighter for you. Restaurants are used to all sorts of requests so there’s no need to be shy.
Ultimately, turn your focus from the food to the great company around you. The meal in itself is just an occasion to be with your loved ones and that’s what really matters.
You will see how great it feels to realise that you can still have a great night out and avoid a slip-up at the same time.
Re-discover the pleasures of cooking home-cooked meals.
If you think being on a diet and effectively losing weight equals steamed chicken and raw vegetables then think again. I find the web to be an amazing resource for those looking to spice up their diet and refusing to settle for unappetising meals just for the sake of losing a couple of pounds.
Take a little time to cook your meals, have fun in the kitchen, research and bookmark recipes that you would like to try and do not forget to experiment with desserts too. By following this process, day after day, you will soon find yourself with a great list of tried and tested recipes that you love and you will realise that being on a weight loss plan is not so difficult after all.
And why not go a step further and invite family and friends over for a meal? Get busy in the kitchen, practice a few recipes beforehand and I can guarantee they’ll never know you’re serving diet food!
Finally, I just wanted to round this up by saying that dieting for me has been a long learning curve and I am hoping that this article will help you readers not to make my same mistakes. Dieting does not have to mean “all-or-nothing” – it’s a recipe for life.
Enjoy the dieting everyone and keep smiling!- Sara
And, please make sure to visit Sara’s site about Dukan Diet Meals!
Cooking at home is a great way to lose weight and save money. In these uncertain economic times saving money while achieving your goal is certainly a plus!
Love the tips, especially #1. Looking forward to more quality advice!
Desmond Hume´s last [type] ..Medifast Diet Shake Review
Hi Petra,
This article is really fascinating and I can really relate on it. I was a fast food junkie ever since I moved into the city. My life has been so busy that I can’t cook my own food or visit the wet market to buy fresh vegies. After two years, my waistline was a catastrophe! Now I’m slowly getting back to living a healthy lifestyle and cooking my own meals
I really liked your point regarding social occasions as that is the only time we get to spend with our loved ones and enjoy to the fullest. If you bring up the topic of dieting, I don’t think anyone is going to like it. They will just start assuming that you are trying to show off rather than being conscious about your your health. In case you still don’t want to waste all the hard work you have put in since so long, you can just eat less that search for low calorie food.
I love home cooked meals! Keeping up the momentum you get when you first start a new diet is the hardest part.
Hi to Petra and Hello to Sara.
I really enjoyed reading your post. I was also a sort of dieter and really tried hard just to lose weight. Honestly, I took it seriously, I mean, it’s always in my mind like being conscious to the foods I’m going to eat. But I forgot one thing, it’s really by having fun, more discipline and confidence. Thank you Sara. You inspired me.
Thanks for sharing this! I’ll definitely share this to a friend who’s in a diet for months now but can’t really take herself away from every food she’s craving! You’re right, dieting should be fun for you to be more inspired to do it on your own and not because you are forced to do it. It’s more harder to go on a diet with an unconditioned mind. More power to your site!
No matter what situation or position you are in or that other persons are in, treat them as you would want yourself to be treated and remember that everyone is imperfect and struggling to be better just as you are and that I am you and you are me so let’s love one another!
Sara´s last [type] ..Trick photography and special effects
Dieting is not just about food and eating. Actually it is a change in whole life style. Most diet conscious people think that dieting have to mean “all-or-nothing”. But it is not true. I am also diet conscious but I never skip even one time meal. I am a huge fan of home cooked food. I use protein and fats in my food. It seems to make me feel great all the time.
julia@Beauty Products Online´s last [type] ..Fortuna Callus Shaver
In my opinion, alot of fruits and vegetables are VERY useful in terms of losing weight!
I like your website, keep up the good work!
Nice tips, I agree with having fun with your diet. It’s a sure way of staying dedicated to it.
Nik´s last [type] ..12 Pictures To Change Your Life
I like home cooked meals too! And of course, there is no good ol’ home cooked meal without my favorite orange tiramisu! Weehhheew! Yum yum that one is my favorite!
Great post.keep on writing
You seem to encourage people by asking them to have a little fun while dieting but trust me there is no fun in eating less. I have been trying to reduce my weight since last 4 months but only managed to reduce five pounds. For days I control myself from eating all the good stuff, but one day comes when I lose my control and eat a lot. At that point of time, I enjoy myself overlooking my weight problems but I regret the next day when I see my weight has increased again. Its a painful step to adopt and I have no idea how will I be able to follow dieting any longer.
It’s not necessary about eating less, but also about eating the right foods at the right time. But I know first hand how hard it is.
No matter how much you know about healthy eating, sometimes your emotions get the better of you and you just crash.
The best part or the best news about this article is that I feel encouraged to socialize. It is true to a lot of people that they avoid social gatherings to avoid eating a lot. But I think nowadays, when moderation has been practiced, people can motivate themselves more to go out to avoid the feeling of being deprived.
Good point in bringing the social aspect of diets: dieting and cooking at home. Great family reunion chances indeed.
Good insight. I never thought about the “all or nothing” mentality before but I noticed I do that a lot. I am really only eating healthy when I’m working out and I care about giving my body the nutrients it needs, but when I am lazy and not working out I don’t really care.
Do you have any tips to helping keep this healthy mindset? I know I won’t always have time to work out and I’d like to stop regressing every few months.
Has anybody got good tips to keeping the healthy mindset? I would like to hear them, too!
I guess first and foremost you should always think about what you are doing to your body if you eat the wrong foods, or how good it is for you if you eat the right foods.
I personally love cooking. On weekends i help my mother in her cooking. It’s really fun to have home made food…….feeling hungry!!
I just love cooking at home which gives me a chance to regulate my calorie intake and control my weight. I use olive oil to cook most of my food which is very healthy for everyone. Eating out may disturb my routine but I do cover it up by eating less or exercising a bit but I never stop myself when I am out. There is no fun in controlling yourself when you are out with anyone. I just enjoy eating to the core but at the same time, I do manage to stay fit.
I have found the biggest mistake people make when trying to lose weight is going on a “Diet”. What they do is starve their body till they drop some weight then they think its ok to pig out again and surprised when in a few weeks or months they have gained everything they lost back and a few extra lbs for good luck.
Diet does not mean a reduction in your caloric intake it means the way you eat and going on a diet should mean changing the way you eat. These changes are not short term changes. Do not get the attitude that in a few weeks or even months you will be able to go back to the way you used to eat. This is the attitude that causes people to constantly regain what they lose.
Steve@Food Abuse´s last [type] ..Healthy SuperBowl Snacks
It is all out there to be had. 5 portions of fruit and veg, 2l of water, keep refined sugars and salts to minimum and basically a little of what you fancy does you good. All things in moderation and nothing to excess is a good way to have healthy diet.
Awesome tip. I never believe in fixing a very specific plan during weight loss or dieting. That will not allow the individual to sustain for a long time. What matters is that he or she is able to follow the plan for a period of time, not pick the most efficient plan and not able to stick to it for more than 1 week.
Check out http://www.myfastwaytoloseweight.com for more information!
Alvin´s last [type] ..Sleep and Effects on Weight Loss
I eat a lot of fruits everyday and i can’t get tired of it! It’s so good for you and so tasty!
You’re absolutely right – home cooked meals are the keys to the good health and when they’re being cooked in the right way (e.g. using steam) that leads to keeping good weight!
For me eating green vegetables and fish its good for a healthy diet..Thanks for sharing some tips in here..
Tisha´s last [type] ..The Gold Digger
you know what , i am 26 and its time for me to get married so my family is after me to loose some weight , i think i need to lose at least 15 to 20kg according to my height , i have started to eat only one time in a day in the morning and light food or fruits in the evening , lets see how much i lose.
WOW!This is an amazing blog!Actually When I read this, it gives me courage to continue my diet plan.I’m a fat women and VERY DESPERATE to become thin even in a little inch. I’ve became an obese because of several reasons first I like sweets and with those carbo’s food not only that I ‘m also fond to eat a meat.That is my problem I can’t control myself for craving those delicious foods.Now I’m trying to keeping up for having my goal weight recently I go to gym and my friend offer me an organic foods instead of eating sweets that reach in calories.One of the example is fruits, vegetable and meat made by natural.In additional for this blog.Thanks I’ll follow it!more power for this website!
Really great post!
I agree to this article! Dieting should be enjoy and not forced. It is hard to maintain a habit when you are not happy about it. Being positive on dieting helps a lot because you are enjoying it.