Week 1: Motivation

WEEK 1: MOTIVATION

Get in the Game: Key strategies for getting on track with diet and exercise, and staying there

IF YOU’RE READING this page, you’ve already taken the first step in improving your eating and workout habits: namely, getting expert info on the subject. Here, the latest findings from top researchers to help you get revved up about paring down.

Eat your breakfast
Whatever your goals for the day happen to be, when you wake up in the morning, your tank is on empty. You don’t have to be a nutrition scientist to understand why you should be eating right after you rise. Another reason to fuel up first thing: Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University found that dieters who regularly ate a protein-rich, 610-calorie breakfast lost significantly more weight in eight months than those who consumed only 290 calories and a quarter of the protein. Turns out the big-breakfast eaters, who lost an average of 40 pounds each during the study, had an easier time sticking with the diet even though both groups took in similar daily calories.

Believe the health hype
If you’re trying to shed belly flab, you’ll be more successful if you’re convinced of its dangers. U.K. scientists found that dieters with the strongest beliefs about the health costs of obesity lost the most weight after one year. The more drawbacks people associate with a lifestyle, the more likely they are to change it, says study author Judy Anne Swift, Ph.D. For hard data on the hazards of fat, go to cdc.gov/obesity.

Use the buddy system
Befriending people who are fit may help you lose weight, even if you’re not consciously trying to. Why? People can emulate behaviors of close friends they look up to, says study author Ray Browning, Ph.D. Starting a diet may also benefit your spouse (or vice versa, if she starts one). That’s because dieters can subconsciously influence their spouses to lose weight, say University of Connecticut researchers. They found that when one partner participated in a weight-loss program, the other was likelier to eat fewer calories, too. “Couples tend to support each other by working together,” says study author Amy Gorin, Ph.D.

Get geared up
Shelling out cash for a gym membership or for sports equipment may make you more motivated to train—especially if you hate wasting money. One purchase that may help get you through the first few weeks: compression garments. This workout wear may do more than wick away sweat: It may also reduce muscle soreness. Australian researchers found that men reported improved recovery from their workouts when they wore the tight-fitting clothing overnight. Interestingly, the scientists point out that the benefits were most likely psychological--not physical.

Plan to cheat—a little
Yep. Five steps forward with one step back beats the heck out of five steps back. It’s also easier to stick with a program that allows you to enjoy small amounts of your favorite foods instead of forsaking them entirely. “Having a strategy for small indulgences is a good idea,” says Alan Aragon, M.S., the Men’s Health weight-loss coach. “Snack on something clearly defined in size and caloric intake, such as two or three squares of rich, dark chocolate.”

Change your outlook
A new study found that one of the tricks that help marathoners “go the distance” is to focus on how far they’ve come instead of how far they have to go. Don’t think, “I only worked out twice this week.” Instead, think, “I’ve done two workouts this week—only two to go!” (or whatever your goal happens to be). Other thoughts that may help get you off the couch: “I’ll listen to music or watch TV while working out.” Or “I’ll make exercise interesting by…choosing a treadmill with a good view or trying a new walking route.”