Psychology as a subject has fascinated us in more ways than one. And this time, it might stun more people if we say that behavioral psychology can assist us in our weight loss journey. Behavioral psychology focuses on understanding the reason behind our actions.

In other words, it includes our behaviors related to such acts and analyses the patterns observed in them. Utilizing it for weight loss and gain means you try to understand the factors that influence how our body reacts towards certain foods or gets access to unhealthy foods. As a result, you can equip yourself with the necessary changes to prevent such actions from recurring. Here’s how:

Setting Goals

Most weight loss programs would tell participants to fix a target, and research has also shown that creating this ‘intent’ motivates people to change their behaviors. Whether you wish to eat healthily, get in shape by shedding off excess fat, or include a strict exercising regime in your schedule- setting a goal is of foremost importance. However, physical activities exert a lot on the body, and you would lose weight anyway, so it’s better to combine few goals that would stand effective and motivate.

Studies have proved that failing to stick to a particular goal or changing it very often means you cannot implement anything strongly, and eventually, that would cause you to lose weight faster! It is impossible to provide any concrete evidence on what or how many goals you must set. The earlier belief was that specific goals would fetch results quickly. Recent research is in sharp contrast to this finding- for data collected has revealed that goal setting is fruitful even when the goals are ‘vaguely defined.’ Also, if goals are challenging or there are group targets to fulfill- the results are noticeable.

Monitoring Yourself

If you happen to keep a strict vigil on what you consume and the weight thereon, you are better at ‘self-monitoring. Behavioral psychology puts greater emphasis on this strategy as an effective one to aid in weight loss. Also, this is included in most effective weight management programs. If you’re aware of what you eat and drink, you can naturally monitor your weight. As a result, you would present yourself from overeating or indulging in fatty, fried, and unhealthy foods.

Successful people track their weight loss journey from the start and maintain that as time goes on. Research has also indicated that weighing oneself even once a week would produce better results. Even better would be recording what you consume than merely weighing oneself, even if the latter is easier to be accomplished.

But this trick works better. Sadly, certain concerns emanate as a result of tracking diet patterns and weight. For example, many people develop obsessiveness and even eating disorders as a result of continuous monitoring. So, whether self-monitoring works or not is a question for a few, if not all.

Social Support

You get the results, yet it doesn’t impact you much. Has it happened? Sometimes we need people- our friends and family members and even supervised programs to validate our work. That is where social support and feedback from your near and dear ones help you build a sense of responsibility and accountability to yourself.

The process of losing weight can differ from one person to another. And just because the results were quickly visible in someone and not you doesn’t imply you’ll feel dejected! Research has claimed that those who stick to their weight loss programs and sessions and have friends or family members (even if one) beside them tend to lose weight faster and in a healthy way.

A support system always encourages and motivates to do even better. But most importantly, it vests faith in the person that they have done a good job or are still doing it, and the results will eventually show. There’s no need to hurry, panic, or be crestfallen because something hasn’t happened within a specified time frame.

Simple strategies can work wonders in the journey towards becoming the healthier version of oneself. Anxiety, stress, and overthinking are normal. But it’s wise to remember that tracking the behavior is how we must begin. And soon, you would notice a positive change in your life and weight!