Dallas County Living Well Magazine Spring 2015 | Page 42

5 Ways to Amp Up your New
Year’s Diet Resolution By Merilee Kern
Weight-loss wagering
contest winners have these
five things in common that
made the difference between

diet failure and success
As health-seekers strategize their diet and fitness approach
for the New Year, there are a few simple but key considerations that can make all the difference between a successful—and even profitable—weight-loss endeavor and a
wellness resolution that falls far short.
I recently connected with diet and fitness industry insider
Jimmy Fleming, co-founder of HealthyWage—the world’s
leading purveyor of corporate and individual weight loss
challenges. He offered these insights and perspectives on 5
critical elements needed for the best chance of success with
a weight-loss initiative:
1. Map out specific goals & timeframes. You are far
more likely to achieve your diet resolution if you spend a
few minutes thinking it through. Sit down at your desk and
dedicate even just ten minutes of your life to strategizing
your resolution. Put pen to paper or, better yet, send an
email to a friend or family member and make a list of the
things you’re going to do to change your weight. Simply
stating that “I’m going to lose weight” is not nearly specific
enough, but it makes a good headline at the top. Write
down a date when you will achieve your first goal. This
date should be in the near future--one month is a good bet.
Now, make a specific, realistic goal. Most experts agree
that you’re most likely to succeed if you don’t starve yourself, and plan on losing one to two pounds per week. In
fact, setting a modest goal -- say, one pound per week
-- can spare you a lot of hunger and stress. You might
even forget you’re on a diet! Suppose you choose 1.5
pounds per week and a one month goal date: your
goal will be about six pounds. Piece of cake (so to
speak)!Put your goal and goal date on your calendar
(e.g., “Weigh 150 pounds” as an entry for January 30).
Go back to your piece of paper, or email. Under your goal
and goal date, write down the word “food.” Ask yourself: