The researchers followed 632 people enrolled in a weight loss program. The participants were divided into three groups: a group who reviewed a list of weight-loss tips, a group who looked over the same list of tips and made detailed plan on how to follow two of the suggestions, and a control group. Ten weeks later, the first two groups lost similar amounts of weight—enough to drop their BMIs by about 1.1 points. The control group, who simply recorded their activities, dropped their BMIs an average of .79 points. The kicker: Among the group who created a detailed plan, people who initially set higher weight loss goals lost substantially more weight than other participants. Learn how to lower your blood pressure, naturally! So what is the most successful way to establish a weight loss goal? Thorough plans combined with a big goal work best, says study author Yael Benyamini, PhD, an associate professor at Tel Aviv University. “Choose goals that are a bit challenging but possible,” Dr. Benyamini says. For example, if you have 30 pounds to lose, set that as your goal—no matter how intimidating it might seem at first—rather than aiming for just 10. “Then think of all the things that could go wrong and plan how to avoid these pitfalls or to cope with them when they arise,” she says. The more detailed the plan, the better. (Need help? Here are 31 ways to overcome any motivation obstacles.) More from Prevention: How To Make Change That Lasts
