I’ve given advice before about when to start a Whole30, Paleo, or keto, but what I didn’t discuss was what goes into your decision to select a start date. There is more to it than just using what’s in your refrigerator or pantry, and stocking up with tupperware or food to prep. There’s more to it than putting together a menu of items to make. There’s emotional stability.

I have discussed what I believe to be the biggest factor in success in any diet: mindset. It takes a lot of determination and setting goals and limits before you even take your first bite of a new diet. Adopting a lifestyle and not accepting failure and not allowing sabotage (what people call cheating on a diet) to happen. These are all important as well, but even if you have the best intentions, made appropriate preparation, and have all the ingredients, you still need to do one very important thing: make sure your life isn’t in turmoil.

Changing your lifestyle and adopting a new diet is very stressful in and of itself. You are changing your relationship with food which is one of the most intimate relationships we have. It can be, and will be quite stressful even in the best of conditions. Trying to take on this stress while going through a stressful time in your life will force you to try to extricate yourself from any stress you can, and your diet and new lifestyle will be the easiest to rectify. Thus, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Do yourself a favor: make sure your life is in order and things are going well enough that you can take on something like a new diet and lifestyle before you jump in. My wife had a very hard time with doing keto while going through some stressful times at work, and it became very difficult for us to continue together even with the mutual support system we’ve developed. I can only imagine what it would be like trying to go through it alone or without a supportive partner.