From tying your shoes to performing sun salutations, the first step to tackling a new skill is often watching a pro do it first. Turns out, the same is also true for shedding pounds.
Watching someone who looks like you model healthy eating and exercise behaviors could help you make the same smart choices, finds new research published in The Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. Researchers recruited eight women to watch videos of similar-looking, computer-generated models exhibit actions needed for weight loss, like portion control, shopping for low-calorie foods, exercise, and controlling mindless snacking. After four weeks, participants said watching the models had influenced their behavior—to the tune of an average four-pound weight loss.
Observation is always a useful learning tool. But when your role model actually looks like you, it’s easier to imagine that it is you—which reinforces your own positive behavior. “Women could see a model who resembled them, which proved powerful for behavior change,” says lead study author Melissa Napolitano, PhD, associate professor at the departments of prevention and community health and exercise science at George Washington University.
And that’s something you can make work to your advantage not just through video, but also in real life, Napolitano says. Here’s how:
Watch your friends. Go ahead, take a lesson from your pal with the Michelle-Obama arms. Go grocery shopping and cook a meal together, or join her for a workout. By picturing yourself as eventually becoming as fit as her, you’ll pay close attention to the choices she makes, and adopt more of them for yourself.
Use your imagination. If you’re the first one in your family or group of friends who’s trying to get lose weight, being your own best role model could be just as effective as watching someone else. “Imagine yourself performing a healthy behavior, and you’ll be more likely to do it—like walking through the supermarket and filling your cart with lower-calorie foods,” Napolitano says.
Track your progress. By giving yourself positive feedback, you can actually encourage your own healthy behaviors as effectively as watching a model, says Napolitano. As you work to lose weight, “take a photo of yourself every Sunday. Seeing how your body changes over time can be a powerful reinforcer in itself,” she says.
