How To Lose Weight: Behavioral Economics

Behavioral economics is a field of study that examines how certain psychological factors influence the way in which human beings make choices regarding finances. However, psychological elements that affect the way you handle money can be the same that either prevent you from or encourage you to develop healthier lifestyle habits.You can use the insights gained from behavioral economics to create, implement and maintain a successful weight-loss strategy.

Step 1

Preselect the foods you will eat during meals, as well as the portion sizes. When cognitive resources are low, people tend to make emotional, rather than logical, decisions. Attempting to eat while stressed or involved with everyday distractions can cause you make easy, or "default" food choices. However, selecting your diet during moments when you are calm and removed will allow you to make more intellectual decisions with long-term benefits in mind.

Step 2

Make an exercise contract with yourself, put it on paper, then sign it. Include penalties for procrastination and small rewards to give yourself for performing useful physical activities. People generally perceive immediate rewards to have a higher value than those set far off into the future. Weight loss, however, is a process that requires daily effort in exchange for a long-term gain. By committing to a set of immediate consequences, you will increase your chances of "sticking to it."

Step 3

Remove fatty, "indulgence" foods from your house and replace them with healthier alternatives. The United States Department of Agriculture conducted a study which revealed that presenting people with a "broader array of unhealthful but flavorful foods can decrease the enjoyment they get from choosing more healthful foods." The more unhealthy foods you have at your disposal, the more your motivation to eat well is likely to decrease.