7/14/2021 3 behavioral psychology tips for weight loss - CNN 3 behavioral psychology tips for weight loss LIVE TV By Claire Madigan, Loughborough University Updated 4:36 AM ET, Thu April 1, 2021 Using behavioral psychology techniques — like goal setting, self-monitoring and social support — can all be implemented as weight loss strategies. Editor's Note: The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writers. CNN is showcasing the work of The Conversation, a collaboration between journalists and academics to provide news analysis and commentary. The content is produced solely by The Conversation. (The Conversation) — There's no shortage of weight loss programs out there to choose from, each of which claim to have the key to shedding pounds. One of the latest popular weight loss programs out there is Noom, which claims that behavioral psychology is the key to helping people lose weight for good -- including those who haven't had success in the past. Behavioral psychology aims to understand why we behave the way we do and analyze patterns in our actions and behaviors. Using it to aid weight loss means understanding the many factors that influence weight gain, such as easy access to unhealthy foods. This can help us make changes to prevent this from happening. Although one study has looked at Noom's effectiveness when it comes to weight loss, it's still difficult to say whether it's more successful than other similar programs in aiding weight loss. But we do know from a wide body of research that many behavioral psychology techniques can be used to help people successfully lose weight. READ MORE: A doctor's apology to those fighting obesity https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/01/health/weight-loss-behavioral-psychology-wellness-partner/ 1/4 7/14/2021 3 behavioral psychology tips for weight loss - CNN 1. Goal setting LIVE TV Many weight loss programs start by asking people to set a goal. And research indeed shows that creating this "intention" actually motivates you to change your behavior. Sign up for Fitness, But Better CNN’s expert-backed fitness guide. Email address Sign Me Up By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. And this is true no matter if your goal is to lose a certain amount of weight, eat healthier or to exercise more. But since physical activity on its own is unlikely to cause a significant amount of weight loss, a combination of goals may be most effective in keeping people motivated and helping them reach their goals. But how many goals should a person set? One study found that frequent goal setting means that you're more likely to implement changes, which ultimately means you're more likely to lose weight. However, there's no concrete evidence of the exact number of goals to be set. Previously it was thought that goals had to be specific -- for example, aiming to lose one pound a week until you've lost 20 pounds altogether. But more recent research suggests this may not true -- with data showing goal setting is effective even if the goals are vaguely defined (such as aiming to be more active, rather than aiming to run for ten minutes everyday). The jury is also still out on whether goals should be large or small. But one review that looked at goal setting for behavior change concluded that goal setting was effective when goals were challenging, set publicly and was a group goal. While only 6% of the studies in this review were about weight loss specifically, other research has found that people who have large goals (such as losing 20 kilograms in three months) lose more weight than those with smaller goals (such as losing 5 kilograms in the same time frame). The same has been found for goals relating to physical activity -- showing how important setting goals is. READ MORE: Good nutrition can contribute to keeping Covid-19 and other diseases away 2. Self-monitoring Measuring your weight and what you eat -- known as "self-monitoring" -- is one of the most effective strategies from the field of behavioral psychology for weight loss. It's also included in most weight management programs. Self-monitoring works by making you more aware of what you're eating and drinking, and what is happening to your weight. In turn, this can help you avoid overeating indulgent, unhealthy foods. People that are successful at losing weight -- and keeping it off -- weigh themselves regularly. Research shows weighing yourself at least once per week leads to the greatest success -- with one study even suggesting weighing daily. https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/01/health/weight-loss-behavioral-psychology-wellness-partner/ 2/4 7/14/2021 3 behavioral psychology tips for weight loss - CNN Recording what you eat takes more time then weighing yourself, but it's as important and is proven to work. LIVE TV The trick here is finding an easy way to do this so that you can sustain it. While filling out food diaries works, people can often feel like they don't have time or are too tired at the end of the day to do so. A compromise could be to record what you eat when you first begin trying to lose weight, then weigh yourself to keep on target. If your weight goes back up, go back to recording what you eat. There are concerns that tracking weight and diet -- particularly with weight -- can create obsessiveness and lead to eating disorders. However, other research has shown self-monitoring has no bad effects. Overall, self-monitoring may not work for some people, but is proven to be helpful for many. READ MORE: 8 simple strategies to fuel your body during a pandemic 3. Social support The third strategy is to get feedback and support from friends, family or supervised programs. The reason social support helps is because it creates a sense of accountability. Research has shown that people who attend weight loss programs with a friend or family member are more likely to stick with it and lose more weight. There appears to be no particular person that's better for motivation -- the important thing is that supporters are engaged. READ MORE: Why an exercise buddy or group workout may be even better for you than solo workouts Since most weight loss programs that use these strategies from behavioral psychology work, the key is to find a programs that you like and stick to it. If a programs or app isn't your thing, then set a goal, measure your progress, and ask someone in your social circle to help. Claire Madigan is a senior research associate at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. Republished under a Creative Commons license from The Conversation. Search CNN... 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