We all know that most New Year's resolutions don’t hold up over time. One research study found that only about twenty percent of resolvers were sticking to their resolutions two years later.
Among the most popular New Year's resolutions, of course, is the decision to lose weight. For most people, that means going on a diet.
But what if going on a diet for the New Year is not a real honest-to-goodness resolution? What if it is merely wishful thinking in disguise? What if going on a diet is jumping the gun and snapping into action before you are anywhere near ready?
This is probably why eighty percent of people don’t lose the weight they want to lose. They jump the gun. Their wish is not within their command.
So, how can you be one of the successful twenty percent?
The best way to convert a wish into a successful resolution is to take actions that facilitate the wish—in other words, taking actions that make it happen.
The most important actions to take are not so obviously connected with weight, food, or eating. They work more behind the scenes to help you convert weight loss wishes into weight loss reality.
Here are some actions you might take:
• Speak up and don’t swallow your feelings
• Work on improving your relationships
• Find ways to lift your self-esteem
• Try regulating your moods without using food
• Strengthen your belief in your ability by setting reachable goals
• Practice the idea of “learning how” when you come up against
challenges
How does this sound: My resolution is to find in myself just what it takes to make my weight-loss wish come true.
excerpt from Psych Your Diet: A Daily Dose. Vol. 1. Psych Yourself to Start.