Some categorized Monday, Jan. 17, as “Blue Monday.” This third Monday of the first month of the New Year is a time where reality starts to set in for a lot of people. They realize their vacations are a long way off, they must pay their Christmas credit card bill and they tend to lose momentum in regards to their resolutions.
Just in the nick of time, SparkPeople.com announced results of a survey of over 2,000 of their members, which identified seven actions that people can take — and others they should avoid — in the first two weeks of a weight-loss regimen to ensure initial success and generate momentum toward achieving long-term goals.
The survey found that “strong starters” lost twice as much weight in the first two weeks and were five times more likely to reach their goals than “false starters.” Almost half of strong starters lost five or more pounds in the first two weeks; the remainder, 2-4 lbs. Sixty percent of false starters lost one pound or less during their first two weeks and fewer pounds over time than strong starters.
Use SparkPeople.com’s “Seven Secrets to a Strong Start” to get yourself back on track and to stay motivated with your weight-loss goals.
Strong Starters vs. False Starters
The most successful members, or “Strong starters,” felt they had a good start, reported meeting their initial expectations, and consistently lost weight for at least eight consecutive weeks. “False starters” did not feel good about the start of their programs and failed to meet their expectations for their first two weeks.
Seven Secrets to a Strong Start
Track Food and Calories: Both strong and false starters ranked “food tracking” as the one action that made the biggest difference in their programs. The survey showed 82 percent of strong starters tracked food every day versus 65 percent of false starters, and strong starters were twice as likely to track their calories.
Don’t put certain foods off limits: Strong starters were less likely to label foods “good” or “bad” and forsake certain foods, and were three times more likely to use portion control techniques that supported consumption of unhealthier foods in moderation.
Spend LESS time exercising: Strong starters exercised for 30 minutes during the first two weeks; false starters for 60 minutes, suggesting that false starters burned themselves out.
Focus on both diet and exercise: 74 percent of false starters made both fitness and dietary changes from the outset, compared to 50 percent of false starters.
Engage more with others/have a support network. Strong starters were more than twice as likely to communicate with other members online.
Weigh yourself weekly, not daily: Most strong starters weighed themselves weekly, while the majority of false starters did so daily.
Focus first and foremost on developing healthy habits, not losing weight. Most strong starters viewed their #1 goal as “building a strong foundation of healthy habits.” A majority of false starters made losing 3-4 lbs. in their first two weeks their #1 goal, which backfired.
