If you’re one of the millions of Americans currently on a diet, then you know how hard it is to stay on track, especially with temptations such as parties, family outings, and fast food restaurants.
Now a new study from Monash University says there’s a fool proof way to stay on track: Make a plan.
“Recent research suggests that novel strategies drawn from behavioral economics may prove to be much more effective than mainstream approaches (such as information provision) to assist individuals in making healthier lifestyle choices,” says Nicole Au of Monash University’s Centre for Health Economics, who led the study. “And the good thing is some of these behavioral economic strategies can often be carried out at very low costs. Encouraging these strategies in the community could also be a cost-effective policy option for governments.”
Details of the Study
Studying a group of overweight women in their 40s, Au and her team of researchers looked at how certain diet strategies, such as making grocery lists and pre-planning meals, helped women lose weight cost-effectively. For this study, researchers also employed a new discipline, called behavioral economics. According to Au, behavior economics explores what motivates people to choose healthier choices that align with their long-term goals.
As for what motivated them the most to stay on their diets, researchers could only draw one conclusion: Following grocery lists and predetermined meal plans worked the best.
“When individuals worked with detailed meal plans and a grocery list to make the meals it could have a meaningful impact on weight loss and long-term health among overweight and obese individuals,” says Au. “We found because the planning of meals and writing of the shopping list could be carried out relatively cheaply, it was a cost-effective weight-loss tool when compared to the alternative of ‘doing nothing.’”
For Au, she believes these strategies may provide an easy, cost-effective tool for those trying to lose weight, including the morbidly obese. However, she notes these changes only resulted in small increments of weight loss for a short period of time, which suggests that other weight loss strategies may need to be implemented in order to help people lose more weight over a longer period.
“Of course, diet is just one side of the energy equation. I think there is great potential for behavioral economic strategies to improve physical activity as well as diet, and future work is needed to investigate whether such strategies are cost-effective,” says Au. “Many consumers know all too well that overeating and under-exercising will lead to weight gain and increased risk of chronic illness. However, in many cases impulsiveness or poor self-control leads people to behave in a manner that departs from their good intentions.”
Case in point: Planning out your diet should be a necessity for all dieters, but make sure you’re doing other lifestyle measures as well, such as exercising regularly and avoiding processed food.
Readers: Do you plan out your meals? Why or why not?
Sources:
Beat Temptation by Sticking to a List – Futurity.org
Study: Planning Out Meals Improves Diet Adherence – Nature.com
About The Author: Zero to Hero Fitness!
Our mission at Zero to Hero Fitness is to help you to finally lose the weight and keep it off, strengthen your body and mind, and experience naturally high levels of energy throughout the day. We believe everyone, regardless of your past or current struggles with your health or fitness, can greatly improve on your existing condition and live life in your best body possible.