Weight Loss: Interested or Committed?
October 16, 2023Weight Loss: Interested or Committed? Too often, people are INTERESTED in losing weight, but are not COMMITTED to losing weight. Achieving success in anything in life requires both INTEREST and COMMITMENT. It is the difference between success and failure.
Interested or Committed?
Most people are interested in losing weight. Many make New Year's resolutions to lose weight- many estimates say that more than 40% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions. They start the year making good choices; eating healthy: choosing proteins and vegetables instead of carbs, being active: going to the gym regularly. This leads to some results, but it gets difficult to keep following this lifestyle. Commitment wanes and slowly, they stop making healthy choices. The number of days exercising decreases, healthy eating gets less frequent. And slowly, they don’t see the results they want, which leads to frustration and abandoning the hard work to achieve the goal.
Despite the best intentions, only a tiny fraction of us keep our resolutions; University of Scranton research suggests that only 8% of people achieve their New Year’s goals. Let’s try to change that. Here are my keys to being successful in staying committed to your weight loss goal:
Keeping It Simple
Resolutions tend to be ambitious, often unattainable. That’s where most people fail; before they even start. People make a long list of what they would like to achieve. While it is nice to have aspiration, this type of approach is doomed for failure because the average person has so many different competing priorities that it is difficult to achieve their grand ambitions.
It is more sensible to set small, attainable goals throughout the year, rather than a singular, overwhelming goal. For example, instead of saying I’m going to lose x number of pounds by the end of the year and run a marathon, set simple goals, like I’m going to try to lose x number of pounds this month and start being more active.
Setting small, sensible goals makes it more realistic, and sets you up for success.
Set A Realistic Goal
Set a realistic goal. Saying “I’m going to lose 50 pounds by the end of the year” is not realistic. December will come soon enough, and you won’t have achieved anywhere close to that goal. Instead, saying “I’m going to lose 5 pounds a month” is a more achievable goal.
When we set a goal from the start that sounds difficult to achieve, like losing 50 pounds by the end of the year, psychologically we think “That’s really difficult to achieve, I’m not going to be 100% committed because there is no way I’m going to be successful.” If we set smaller, more realistic goals, like losing 5 pounds a month, which doesn’t sound like much, by the end of the year we will have more success.
Plan
While it is nice to set a goal, the key to success is to make a plan on how we can achieve that goal. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where planning turns into action. This is where most people fail.
Make a plan that is achievable. Making a plan to go to the gym 7 days a week is unrealistic for most people. Instead, plan to go 3 times a week. Over time, as you see success, you will likely go to the gym more often.
Small changes over time are more likely to succeed. A small drop of water over time will erode through a hard rock.
Hold Yourself Accountable
Surround yourself with supportive people who will encourage and motivate you to achieve your goals. In this era of social media, maybe making your goals public will help you stay accountable. Your friend may invite you to go to the gym with them, or want to join you in your quest to achieve your goal.
If you didn’t achieve that 5 pound weight loss goal this month, hold yourself accountable. Maybe you made some not-as-healthy choices this month; maybe you ate things you shouldn’t have or skipped a few days of gym. There is always next month to make up for what you didn’t achieve this month.
Keep Believing You Can Do It
Simply setting a goal raises your chances of achieving that goal, but it’s easy to be discouraged when you don’t see the results you were hoping for and give up. Maybe you only lost a few pounds in the first month of trying. Instead of giving up, put a little bit more effort and you will definitely see success the next month.
Most people say that they don’t have the willpower to achieve their goals, but multiple studies have shown that willpower is malleable.
You have as much willpower as you think you have. If you believe in yourself and believe you will be successful, you will be successful. Your journey towards self-improvement is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Celebrate Your Successes
Celebrate your successes, however small, every pound lost takes a lot of work. This is a tangible measure of your hard work and you should celebrate the rewards of your hard work. Share your success with your supportive friends and family and this will motivate you to achieve even more success.
To be successful at achieving long term weight loss are you interested or committed because it takes both interest and commitment: one without the other will not succeed. Set a goal, make a simple plan on how you are going to achieve that goal, work towards it diligently in small measurable ways, hold yourself accountable when you slip up but always believe in yourself and don’t forget to celebrate your success, no matter how small. Staying committed will lead to success. You can do it!
Alph Emmanuel, MD currently practices at New York Bariatric Group.
 | ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alph Emmanuel, MD currently practices at New York Bariatric Group. He has a passion for helping people achieve a healthy lifestyle. Following a year of practice in general surgery, he completed a fellowship in Bariatric, Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery at the Magee Women’s Hospital of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He has a wealth of experience in bariatric surgery, revisional surgery and robotic surgery, as well as medical weight loss management. Read more articles by Dr. Emmanuel. |
