Weight loss is a complex process and isn’t just limited to physical exercise. From diet to lifestyle changes, a lot goes behind shedding those extra kilos from the body. A LinkedIn user shared some unique behavioural changes that helped him shed 45 kilograms. Ram Prasad, the co-founder and CEO of behavioural science solutions company Final Mile Consulting, shared four “sustainable habits" that he employed in his weight loss journey. His first change was adopting “Habit Laddering Vs Motivation", in simple words, Ram Prasad suggested that instead of aiming to hit multiple lifestyle changes it’s more effective to stick to one habit change first.
After you solidify one habit, then move to another. This way, one does not get overwhelmed. He mentioned that he took his time to build habits like eliminating sugar from the diet (2 months), daily one-hour walks (one year), and eating clean (four to five months).
His second advice is to value “state" over “trait". Ram Prasad argued that “context and goals significantly influence our behaviour" and he has observed that people who set specific and “higher" goals are much more likely to succeed. Giving an example of TB patients, he said, “Patients with higher-order goals (e.g., getting married or returning to work) did much better than those just aiming to cure TB." Based on this, he managed to set higher-order goals that moved past just weight loss.
The CEO also asserted that one should not postpone rewards because that can lead to a breakdown. While trying to lose weight, he always gave in to his craving once a day. His last advice, “Explore vs. Exploit", states that one must test different behavioural motivation methods to understand what works the best for them and then incorporate that habit into their routine. For instance, for some people, caloric restriction works the best, while some people do better with time-restricted eating.
Many people praised Ram Prasad for his suggestions. A LinkedIn user commented, “I’m going through a similar phase of applying behavioural science mechanisms on myself Ram Prasad. So good to hear this! 1. Trial and error does work over time – many give up too soon. The failures are taken too seriously. 2. The higher order goals seem like anchors to an identity – a person I want to be and feel like has these things sorted." Another person shared, “Very insightful, I felt very motivated in my health journey!"
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