Are you overweight, or do you feel you have weight to lose? Do you have Type 2 diabetes? If you have answered yes to these questions, there is a good chance you are a victim of the “diet mentality.” The diet mentality is one that may seem fruitful in theory but is ineffective in practice. It is certainly a sound idea to plan your diet and nutrition around your health goals, which may involve your weight or blood sugar level. But there is one ingredient integral to the success of any diet, which is inherently lacking in most.

This ingredient is the ultimate purpose of the weight loss plan. Is the weight loss plan being used as a means of producing quick change, or introducing lasting habits? Those who have internalized the diet mentality mostly lean towards the former. For a case in point, consider the surge of people undertaking a new food plan at the turn of the New Year. New Year resolutions are notorious for their ambition. Unfortunately, they tend to be resolutions that are usually broken as a mechanism for quick change is one lacking a sustainable basis.

Before we go any further, allow us to clarify there is nothing wrong with looking to improve your health by dieting. Changing your food choices in an attempt to lose weight or lower your blood sugar is a worthy goal deserving recognition. But you must be very careful – don’t fall victim to the “diet mentality” and its many drawbacks.

Ending this thinking may be easier said than done. It is human nature to look for shortcuts in an attempt to save time and effort. It is genuinely difficult to make a lasting change when it is natural to overlook long-term benefits for the short-term ones. But if you are to ultimately succeed, this is precisely what you must do: look at the long-term benefits.

Ending or avoiding the diet mentality is in your best interest. Those who still have it will benefit from trying something new. Instead of planning the next few weeks or months around a particular goal, it is better to imagine where you would like to be and doing what it takes to get there, regardless of how much time is needed.

To clarify, here is an example. Let’s say you would like to lower your blood sugar to a healthier range and lose 20 pounds. Determine what you need to do to get there regarding diet and lifestyle, and don’t set an end date to reach your goal. Focus strictly on the process – ensure each day you are acting according to your plan. Measure your progress every so often but don’t worry about how quickly you are moving forward. Small steps may be slower than leaps, but you are much less likely to stumble.

Start thinking long-term. The “diet mentality” excites and motivates but is also full of broken promises. When it comes to dieting, a commitment to making lasting change is what it takes to succeed.