People adopt different diets or eating styles for a variety of reasons.  Your ultimate, long-term goal will help you choose which diet plan is the best for you.  Some goals may include:  Weight Loss Managing high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol Supporting increased fitness levels Becoming more environmentally conscious Improving your general health or wellness If you've tried other diets or eating patterns, try to remember how they worked for you, what you liked or didn't like about them and whether you felt they were a good fit for your lifestyle.  For example, if you tried following a vegetarian diet, but missed eating meat.  Or if you tried a low carb diet, but it made you feel foggy and tired throughout the day.  If a diet didn't work well in the past, you may want to consider other options. Sticking to a diet plan takes more than willpower.  It truly has to be a plan you can stick with long-term. Each diet or eating plan may come with a cost.  You might need to pay for pre-made foods, protein shakes or vitamin and mineral supplements.  But there are also many diets that require little to no extra costs.  Choose a diet plan that will fit easily within your budget so that you don't have to discontinue your new eating pattern due to high costs. Take advantage of "sign-up offers" or promotional rates when you can.  This may help you save a little money on some of the more popular dieting programs. Some diet plans require you to prep all your meals and snacks from scratch, some may be completely web and internet-based and others may require in person group or individual meetings.  Will these types of activities fit with your current lifestyle?  Think about how that may change or need to change for you to be successful on your new dieting plan. If you have to change your lifestyle too drastically, the diet plan may be difficult to stick to long-term.  Some diet plans require time spent cooking while others do the meal prep for you.  If cooking is something you don't typically enjoy doing, think about a diet plan that involves meal replacements like protein shakes, bars or pre-made meals. Make sure to consider your social life as well.  If you love going out to eat or going to the occasional happy hour, you'll want a plan that gives you flexibility to enjoy those activities. Also consider things like food allergies or sensitivities and cultural or religious diet restrictions.  Many diets are very general and may not account for things like these. Physical activity is an important part to any healthy lifestyle.  Plan on including both cardio and strength training exercises each week.  These types of physical activity can help boost your weight loss and help you maintain your goal weight long-term.  In addition, exercise may help improve your mood, improve your sleeping habits, manage high blood pressure or diabetes and improve cardiovascular fitness.  If you're new to fitness, try speaking with a personal trainer at your local gym or meeting with an exercise specialist.  These professionals will be able to guide you to a fitness program that's appropriate for you. See if there are any group classes for beginners at your local gym. This is a great way to get started and get support from people starting out just like you. Speak to your doctor about your current health, any medical conditions you may have and what medications you're currently taking.  They may be able to give you insight on what type of diet or eating pattern is the most appropriate for you and your health.  They may also advise you on what diets to avoid.  Many doctors also provide an in-house diet and nutrition program for patients.  It generally will include direct follow up with your physician along with regular weight monitoring. Doctors can provide you with a referral to a registered dietitian that can educate you and help design your own personalized diet plan. In addition, doctors will be able to guide you through medical weight loss.  This is where a physician would prescribe a medication to help suppress your appetite, making it easier for you to follow a diet plan.  Not all weight loss medications are appropriate for all people.  Check with your doctor for more information.
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One-sentence summary -- Define your long-term goals. Take note of your past dieting experience. Set your dieting budget. Design a plan for your lifestyle. Include regular exercise. Talk to your doctor.


You can purchase pre-paid phone cards from local convenience stores, chain pharmacies, and national retailers, like Wal-Mart or Target. The cost of a card ranges from $2 to $30 dollars. While some cards are located on wall and spinning racks near the register, other cards are located behind the register.  Before purchasing the card, ask the clerk which cards they recommend. Alternatively, you can set up an online account with a provider, like Zaptel or Tel3Advantage. By setting up an account, you can choose a phone card from a variety of options and reload your card online. Each card has an 800 number or a local access number, as well as a PIN number. In order to make a call, first dial the access number and enter your PIN. Then, listen for the prompt and input the phone number you are calling.  Make sure to manually dial the full number of the party you are calling, including the international dialing code, country code, and area code.  Most cards are activated at the time of purchase at the register. While some cards have a scratch off coating that conceals the PIN number, other cards will have their PIN numbers located on the receipt. Before purchasing the card, make sure to check the card’s cost per minute, i.e., rate, surcharges, rounding rates, and expiration date. Rates vary depending on which country you call, as well as what kind of phone you use, for example, a cellphone versus a payphone. Furthermore, some cards have disconnect fees, maintenance fees, and surcharges of 35 cents or more. Call the toll-free number on the card to find out about rates and fees if they are not listed.  Some cards employ rounding where they round up in increments, like increments of three. This means that a one minute call is charged for three minutes.  Cards might also have an expiration date of 30 days meaning if you do not use the card, it will not work after that date. Other cards might charge a non-usage fee if you go a certain amount of days without using the card.
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One-sentence summary -- Purchase a pre-paid phone card. Input the access and PIN number. Check the fine print.


Telling yourself to simply stop thinking about your infatuation won’t work. In fact, there’s proof that trying to stop these thoughts typically makes them worse. Instead, encourage your mind to think about something else: another person.   Think about the person you are already in a relationship with if you are in one. Ponder a time when you felt really close and connected to the person. You’ll likely find that experiencing these feelings kick the other person out of your head.  If you aren't in a relationship, focus on someone else you admire, such as a close friend, a family member, or a respectable member of your community. Play mind games with yourself whenever you start to obsess about the person. Occupying your brain with a clever trick can stop the thoughts and encourage you to think about something else.  For instance, imagine your mind as a small room that has a person with a broom living in it.  Think about the person sweeping away dust and dirt on the floor of that room whenever your infatuation enters your mind. Continue this game until the floor is completely clean and the thought leaves your brain. Pain is an excellent deterrent and can be used to stop obsessive thoughts. Wrap a rubber band around your wrist and snap it against your skin whenever you begin to think of your infatuation. Eventually, you’ll likely associate the pain with these thoughts and stop.  Don’t snap the band too hard! The sensation should be mild. Combine the wrist snap with a visual aid, like a red light or a stop sign. Think of these images whenever the unwanted thoughts pop up. Redirect your brain by engaging in an activity. You’ll get your mind off of what you’re infatuated with while enjoying yourself at the same time.  For example, read a book, watch your favorite television show, exercise, or call someone. The positive feelings you generate from these activities will likely eventually replace the negative ones you feel over your infatuation.
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One-sentence summary --
Think about someone else. Use your imagination. Snap out of it, literally. Distract yourself.