So what is the best way to actually stick to your New Year's Resolution?!
Question: Such as weight loss...
Answers: Such as weight loss...
Set reasonable goals, and have a detailed plan to reach them.
Write them down and keep them somewhere you will see them. If your goals involve weight control, posting them on the fridge is a great way to decrease the temptation to raid it :)
Arrange to regularly report on your progress to someone who will be supportive of your goals - a friend or family member is great for this, IF they are not the type to sabotage you.
Have small, short term goals in addition to large, long-term goals. This will give you a series of successes, and will help you make mid-course corrections if you start to drift away from your path.
Have goals in addition to weight loss that relate to your fitness and health so that if the scale is recalcitrant, you can still see the progress you are making toward a healthier lifestyle. Measurable goals like swimming or running a certain distance or exercising an average of 5 days per week for two months will help you meet your weight loss goals, but can be acheived independently of your progress with weight, and will help you get through the inevitable plateaus that happen when trying to lose.
It's very difficult and many studies have shown this. In fact, the best time to lose weight (according to research) is in the spring. Most people do not lose weight in the winter (despite their New Years resolutions). So what to do? Basically, losing weight and mainting a lower weight is very, very difficult. There really is no "best way". The only way that has been shown to be of any benefit according to research, is to find a partner to lose weight and work out with you, otherwise there is no consistent data to believe that any type of weight loss trial is superior or will help you keep your New Years resolution.