We have already come a long way. We have worked at freeing up our minds from many popular notions that have pushed us in the wrong direction, mistaken beliefs and practices that guaranteed the failure of our dieting efforts.

Now we need a fresh mind set. To get off to a good start in a positive direction, let’s review the facts that we have already established. These lead to some basic principles which in turn form the basis for the techniques of our simple and effective weight loss program.

Fact # 1 We all suffer from biologically determined intense, often irresistible, cravings for food.

Fact #2 Intense cravings to stuff down food lead all dieters to become cheaters. And most dieters cheat a lot, typically much more than they are willing to acknowledge.

Fact # 3 While they cheat, dieters are almost unaware of what they are doing. They tend to deny the reality of their eating behavior, until it is too late.

Fact #4 Dieters have a hard time facing the reality of their eating behavior. When reality does break through the dieter’s use of denial, we often resort to rationalization, a kind of lying to ourselves or others that makes the food stuffing behavior more acceptable. We are trying to justify our eating to our own critical consciences.

Fact # 5 Dieters use the mental mechanism of projection, blaming other people for our overeating or other bad eating decisions.

Fact #6 Dieters tend to be self-deprecating, remorseful and guilt ridden. We believe that our food stuffing is a sign of moral weakness or a failure of character.

Fact # 7 As a rule dieters have lost self confidence and self respect because of repeated failures at weight loss.

Fact # 8 Having tried many diets and failed, most of us have sought magic in diet pills, diet food supplements, or mysterious Chinese herbs\all with no lasting results.

Fact # 9 From a nutritional point of view our bodies need both proteins and carbohydrates. Low-carb diets attempt to force us to drive our minds and bodies, while our fuel tanks register empty.

Fact # 10 The weight loss that results from dieting is almost always temporary.

Fact # 11 Regular exercise is wonderful for health. Everyone should exercise almost every day even if only for a few minutes. But, for the vast majority of us, exercise cannot be the cornerstone for effective weight control.

Fact # 12 When our minds are troubled by too much stress, anxiety, depression, or confusion about reality, we tend to be preoccupied with our problems or our emotional symptoms. Under these circumstances, it is very difficult to work at weight control. Efforts at dieting may need to be postponed until we feel somewhat better. Then we can make our weight control program a part of an overall treatment plan.

With our clearer understanding of how the mind of the dieter actually works, we can now focus on some of the basic principles that underlie the concrete strategies we will use in The Smart Dieter’s Cheating Guide.

Principle #1 The war against excess weight is a real war and not just a battle. In this war many battles will be lost, and many will be won. But the war will go on. Even when we reach our desired weight, the war will continue. We have to be prepared to continue the fight for effective weight control over the long term. If the tools are few and simple it will be easier to incorporate them into life long habits, with automatic thinking, to insure we will continue to be successful in our dieting.

Principle # 2 For effective weight control, what counts is not what we eat as much as how much we eat. Successful dieting over time is eating less than we ate before. Even eating a little less over time will have positive results.

Principle # 3 Remember that effective dieting and eating for good nutrition are not the same. We have to avoid getting hooked by slick, complex, nutritional food programs that we can’t clearly remember without the constant presence of a tutor or a textbook. If we can’t remember what we are supposed to be eating in the press of day to day life, we won’t stick to our nutrition based eating and dieting programs.

Principle # 4 All dieters are cheaters because biologically determined food cravings are intense. If we accept that cheating is part of normal life and not a character defect, we can stop burning up so much emotional energy in criticizing ourselves. All dieters lose many battles in the war against food cravings, only to fight again a few hours or days later.

Principle # 5 If we accept cheating as part of the normal struggle of the dieter, then rationalization and projection about cheating can become less a part of our thinking. Instead we can pay more attention to sensible eating choices.

Principle # 6 Eating awareness and weight awareness, the very opposite of denial, are the keys to a successful weight control program. Frequent and heightened awareness of eating behavior is good for us. It lets us know that we are about to eat, that we are actually eating, what it is that we are eating, as well as how much we are eating.

Principle # 7 Heightened awareness and constructive thinking about weight and eating can take the place of self-deprecating obsessive thinking.

Principle # 8 With increased awareness of eating behavior and acceptance of the premise that all dieters cheat, it is possible for us to develop a program of controlled cheating. Controlled cheating usually, but not always, means less total food intake. And less total food intake means loss of pounds.

Principle # 9 After a short time, conscious awareness of a few rules for eating behavior becomes automatic behavior. And automatic behavior regarding eating can continue with minimal effort for years—or even a life time.

With these facts and principles in mind, we can now go on to the actual techniques of The Smart Dieter’s Cheating Guide.