Are Weight Loss Resolutions Helpful or Harmful?

“A goal without a plan is just a dream.”
For many people, making a weight loss resolution is part of the ritual of starting any diet. Each day, thousands of Americans resolve to tackle their weight problems and solve them once and for all. Despite good intentions, our nation continues to grow heavier. The paradox of high interest but little success has caused many behaviorists who specialize in identifying factors that promote successful weight management to question if weight loss resolutions may contribute to the problem.

Behaviorists who support the problem theory say when people set weight loss resolutions but never achieve them, they feel like failures. Because of the resulting poor self-image, they are even less likely to be able to manage their weight in the future. These experts recommend that instead of setting a weight loss resolution, people develop a plan for leading a healthier lifestyle and weight loss will follow.

The Up Side of Resolutions

Not all behaviorists agree. Dr. Gail Saltz, a psychiatrist and Today Show contributor, points out that the act of making resolutions is a good technique for helping us to move forward in life. New Years resolutions in particular can allow us to have some closure with the previous year, and look forward with positive anticipation.

Behaviorists favoring resolutions say weight loss success is not determined by whether you make a diet resolution; it’s about being prepared to act on the resolution that shapes your outcome.

Why Many Resolutions Fail

There is an old saying, “A goal without a plan is just a dream.” The same can be said of resolutions. Experts say many resolutions fail because without plans for how to put them into action, they are little more than wishful thinking. It’s okay to make a resolution to lose weight. Just be sure to give yourself some lead time and set yourself up to succeed by removing factors that may cue you to eat and thereby derail your success.

Suppose you resolve to lose weight starting tomorrow. Is your home free of temptations? Do you have healthy food items in the house and a plan for how you will get a healthier lunch while at work the next day? Or are you going to rely on willpower to help you eat the “right” foods? If you are relying on will power alone, chances are that you will get too busy or overly hungry and slip into your old food habits resolving once again to start a diet tomorrow.

Isn’t it time to break this self-defeating cycle? Here are a few tips for turning a general desire to lose weight into a detailed plan.

Turning Resolutions Into Plans

• Set a “Start Date” one or two weeks from now so you have time to prepare yourself for success.
• Go through your home, desk, car, and any other place you spend a considerable amount of time and clean out all the items that can lead you astray. This means remove any high calorie snack foods that you may have stored away for “emergencies.”
• If you lunch with coworkers, plan an alternative that excludes dining in places with tempting treats.
• Buy healthy foods for quick snacks in the car or while at work.
• Stock up on healthy low-calorie food options for your home.
• Inform your friends and family of your plan and ask them for the support you feel will help you most. For example, you may want them to avoid offering you fattening foods or you may want them to take a more active role and help police your eating behavior.
• Develop a plan for becoming more active.
• Invest in a food and activity diary, or download one that you can store on your computer, Palm Pilot, or Blackberry. Track what you eat and how much you move.
• If you don’t already own one, invest in a good scale.
• If you have tried losing weight before and had no success, consider getting help from a weight management doctor.

Resolutions are just one of many tools in your weight loss toolbox. Setting realistic resolutions and backing them up with detailed plans can help turn your dream of weighing less into reality. To rephrase the old adage, “A goal with a plan is more than a dream; it’s a recipe for success.”