Losing weight is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions, but it’s one that most of us struggle to achieve.
By the time the second or third week of January rolls around, many of us are finding it more difficult to stick to the lifestyle changes needed to lose, or at least maintain, our weight.
But a strategy that may work better when it comes to controlling our weight is “small change approach”. This starts with understanding that, in the long run, it may be best to start small.
Big changes can be hard to sustain
Most people who are watching their weight tend to start by making big changes to their diet or exercise habits. But big changes can be difficult to sustain over time because they require high levels of motivation. As motivation naturally waxes and wanes, it’s no wonder these big lifestyle changes can be so difficult to sustain.
It is here that the small change approach it might be useful.
This weight management strategy recommends that people decrease the calories they eat and/or increase the calories they burn by just 100-200 per day. To put it in perspective, that might mean eating just one or two fewer chocolate chip cookies or walking an extra 10 to 20 minutes a day.
It is likely that you only need to make small changes to your current behavior to eat 100-200 fewer calories or burn 100-200 more calories per day. These small changes can be easier to fit into your everyday life and, unlike larger changes, will not require additional time and effort outside of your normal routine.
A small change approach too it is more flexible, as there are many different ways to decrease the calories you eat and/or increase the calories you burn. This flexibility can help keep you engaged with the approach for longer.
And research shows that when it comes to health, making small changes to your usual habits can be most effective. We are also less likely to fail when making small changes, which can help motivate us to make bigger changes over time.
According to previous research, the small changes approach can actually be an effective strategy to help people control their weight. The study combined the results of 21 studies who used the small-change approach to weight management. Adults who used the approach gained about a pound less over a 14-month period, compared with people who received generic weight-management advice.
This is important because it suggests that a small change approach could be used to avoid the 0.5 kg to 1.0 kg weight gain currently seen in the adult population each year, which may contribute to the development of overweight. and obesity over time.
More research will be needed to understand whether a small change approach might be a more effective strategy for preventing long-term weight gain and, potentially, weight loss.
how to make this change
If you want to try the small changes approach, there are two questions you should ask yourself to help you get started:
What changes can I make to reduce the calories I eat and/or burn just 100-200 kcal per day? Will I be able to achieve these changes even when my motivation is low?
Small changes are more likely to fit into your everyday life and therefore can be easier to sustain over time. But if you’re struggling to come up with your own small changes, here are some examples:
- walk and talk: Whether it’s a phone call with colleagues or a chat with friends, adding an extra 20-30 minutes of walking to your day can help you burn up to 100 calories.
- take a break: Most TV commercial breaks last about 2-3 minutes. Take this time to exercise by doing some push-ups or squats. During a one-hour program with three commercial breaks, you can burn up to 100 calories.
- avoid condiments: While many of us like to add things like cheese, butter, mayonnaise, and ketchup to our meals for added flavor, they tend to contain more calories than many of us realise. For example, just 30g of cheese (about the size of a small matchbox) has 100 calories, while 30g of mayonnaise (about two spoonfuls) has around 200 calories. Limiting portions or eliminating them altogether can make a big difference in the long run.
- Drink your coffee without sugar: Hot drinks like lattes, cappuccinos and hot chocolate may be higher in calories than you think. You can reduce your calorie intake by about 100 to 200 calories by cutting them out. If you can’t go without your morning coffee, consider buying a smaller size or drinking it without sugar.
Keeping an eye on your weight doesn’t have to be complicated. Making small changes to your diet and lifestyle can add up over time and make all the difference, as the small changes approach shows.
