Thinking about this often during dieting... will help you lose weight quickly

Even when using the same method for dieting, some people lose weight quickly while others do so more slowly. This is because various factors influence the process, and there are research findings suggesting that having certain thoughts while dieting can enhance weight loss effects.

First, it is helpful to vividly imagine your appearance after losing weight through dieting. A research team from the University of Plymouth in the UK conducted a study with 141 adult men and women with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher. One group received motivational interviewing (MI), while the other group underwent functional imagery training (FIT). Motivational interviewing is a method where a professional counselor discusses ways to strengthen motivation for dieting. Functional imagery training goes a step further by encouraging participants to vividly imagine their successful dieting self. For example, they imagine what clothes they would wear, what conversations they would have with others, and how the surrounding people's gazes would change, including detailed expressions and tone of voice. The research team conducted dieting interventions over six months using each method. Both sessions lasted no more than four hours, and no specific dietary advice was given separately. After six months, participants' weight and waist circumference were measured, and measurements were taken again after 12 months. The results showed that the group undergoing functional imagery training experienced significantly greater weight loss compared to the motivational interviewing group. At six months, the FIT group lost an average of 4.11 kg in weight and 7.02 cm in waist circumference. In contrast, the MI group lost only 0.72 kg and 2.72 cm. By 12 months, the difference between the two groups had widened further. The FIT group lost 6.44 kg and 9.1 cm, while the MI group lost only 0.67 kg and 2.46 cm. The MI group showed a slight increase in both weight and waist circumference compared to the six-month mark. These findings were published in the 'International Journal of Obesity.'

Secondly, let's consider the movements we usually do as exercise. A research team from Harvard University’s Department of Psychology in the United States divided 84 hotel employees who clean 15 rooms a day into two groups. They informed only one group that "the tasks you are currently doing are equivalent to 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every day and meet the recommended exercise amount." Specifically, they explained that making the bed for 15 minutes burns 40 kcal, vacuuming burns 50 kcal, and cleaning the bathroom burns 60 kcal. No information was given to the other group. The research team compared the weights of both groups after four weeks. As a result, the group that believed their daily chores were exercise showed reductions in weight, blood pressure, body fat, waist-hip ratio, and BMI compared to the uninformed group, with an average weight loss of 0.9 kg. The uninformed group showed almost no change in weight.

Creating friends who compete with you in dieting is also effective. A research team from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine divided 602 overweight and obese adults into two groups, A and B, and had them wear pedometers for 24 weeks to increase their daily steps. Group A only monitored their steps, while Group B was informed of Group A's steps to encourage competition. As a result, the number of steps in Group B, which was encouraged to compete, was up to 1.33 to 1.5 times higher than that of Group A, which only monitored their steps. In terms of steps, they walked an average of 2,000 to 3,000 more steps per day. Additionally, even after the study ended, Group B continued to walk an average of 569 more steps daily than Group A. The researchers stated, "When doing walking exercises, competing with friends or acquaintances while wearing a pedometer is more effective in burning calories than simply wearing a pedometer alone." This study was published in the 'JAMA Internal Medicine'.

<Source: Health Chosun>