Diet Derailers: Forget the fat pants

Derail. You know the word. Let's face it, most of us working toward good health through diet and exercise have an intimate relationship with the word. Diet derailers are everywhere -- in your house, in the grocery store, at work, at play, in your head even. Here, we'll address the very things that throw us off course. Together, we'll learn how to avoid our diet traps -- and how to get back on track when we can't.
So, you've lost weight. You're looking good. And you're praying like crazy you won't ever need to wear your fat pants again. We hope you're doing more than praying -- eating a healthy diet and getting a good amount of exercise is what we suggest -- but we realize that spiritual tactics for staying thin are sometimes necessary. Also necessary: Trash the fat pants. Just get rid of them. And get on with your skinny life. Our fitness expert Fitz agrees.

"The first thing you should do if you've lost a significant amount of weight is toss your old clothes," says the fit one. "Sure, it's fun to flaunt your new bod around the office with obviously saggy slacks, but you need to get rid of them and fast!"

Fitz says you need to remove the ability to grow back into your large threads. Keeping them around is an invitation to regain the weight you've lost. Ditto from the folks at the American Dietetic Association, who say your too-big clothes may give you a reason to one day fit back into them. Your best bet: Stick with items that fit your body well. It's key for long-term diet success.

Need some practice losing the loose pants? Maggie points us in the direction of this fun Discovery Health game where you can virtually destroy a pair of fat pants. You even get to pick the color before arrows, a lawn mower, and a gasoline fire tear them to shreds and turn them into ash.

Now, you may be wondering: What if I really do need a pair of fat pants somewhere down the line? Hey, it's possible. It happened to this writer. She trashed her fat jeans -- all of them -- and then gained a few and now finds herself shopping for a bigger size. OK, so maybe you should save one pair, if not for future fat days, then for comparison sake. Take a peek now and then, hold them up to your trimmer figure, and remind yourself that you never want to upsize again.

If you're still in your "up" size and wish to shrink yourself a bit, check out these seven tips for getting there -- and for prepping to burn the bulk of your fat pants once and for all.