New Year's Resolution & Weight Loss

Your chances of sticking to a New Year's resolution to lose weight may be better than you think, especially if you take your goals seriously and think in terms of small successes. Making a resolution to lose weight makes you 10 times more likely to succeed than those who don't make resolutions, according to clinical psychologist John Norcross, clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Scranton.

Significance

Two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese and stand to reduce health risks by losing weight and eating better, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Health-related goals, such as losing weight or starting an exercise program, Norcross says, are consistently ranked among the most popular resolutions Americans make each year. Norcross, who published a study on resolutions in the "Journal of Clinical Psychology" in 2002, found that 40 to 50 percent of Americans make resolutions each year, and 40 to 46 percent of those who make resolutions are still successful six months into the new year.

Factors

Making only one or two specific resolutions improves your chances of sticking to your goals. Weight Watchers recommends a five-step process for keeping your New Year's resolutions, starting with making your resolutions public. Tell family and friends about your goals and enlist their support. Other important factors include writing down your resolutions, breaking them down into smaller goals, celebrating your achievements and making small changes in your lifestyle. Bake instead of fry your food, put healthy snacks front and center in your fridge and try exotic varieties of fruits and vegetables, for example, suggests Weight Watchers.

Features

Focus your weight-loss goals on adopting a lifestyle that supports a healthy weight. Use the body mass index to help you set an appropriate weight goal. Choose a weight target that coincides with a BMI of 19 to 24. Make it your initial goal to lose 5 to 10 percent of your body weight. Include specific language in your resolution to help you focus on eating a balanced diet and increasing your level of physical activity, both of which will help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.

Relevance

Of the 68 percent of adults 20 and over who are overweight, nearly one-half are obese, according to the NIH. The NIH reports that more than 172,000 premature deaths each year are related to obesity, the majority resulting from cardiovascular disease. Setting and sticking to your weight-loss resolutions will have positive effects on your health. Even a modest weight loss of 5 percent of your body weight lowers your chances for stroke and developing coronary heart disease, and it may improve your cholesterol and blood pressure levels, according to the Weight-Control Information Network.

Effects

If you avoid vague goals and take your commitment seriously, you can change your habits and lose excess weight. To help you meet your weight goals, the Weight-Control Information Network recommends eating a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean proteins, while limiting saturated fat, salt, cholesterol and sugar. Include physical activity as part of your resolution since it can boost weight loss, improve your mood and lower your risk for diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer, adds the network.