For some University of Memphis students, January is nothing buta long and desperate attempt to make sure all the accumulatedholiday weight does not follow them throughout the new year.
According to a survey done by the Consumer ElectronicsAssociation, the number one New Year's resolution is to loseweight, with 21 percent of the study's participants vowing to takeoff those extra pounds.
The second most common resolution is to exercise more.
Scott George, a graduate student in the College of Education,said that while getting in shape is not a specific resolution forhim this year, it has been in the past.
He said it is still something he will think about this year.
"Staying physically active is a goal of mine every year," saidGeorge.
The study also concluded that all of the resolutions made lastyear, only 46 percent were achieved.
Dr. Carol Eady, Professor of Nutrition in the Department ofHuman Movement Sciences and Education, said people often fail bytrying to do too much.
"Whatever you try to do, it is not going to happen overnight,"said Eady. "People set themselves up for failure by wanting toomuch too quickly."
Eady said one of the key factors to success in fulfilling yourresolutions is prioritizing your goals and knowing what youwant.
"Ask yourself what you want, how much it is you want to lose andwhat are your reasons for doing it," she said. "Do you want to lookbetter or feel healthier?"
Eady advises anyone wanting to lose holiday weight to setspecific goals before starting a new weight loss program.
Once you have decided on what is most important to you, Eadysuggests taking action by coming up with a specific plan,constantly reevaluating your actions and examining how they helpyou work towards your goals.
"Sit down at the end of the week and look at how you're doing,"she said.
Eady also said weight loss goals must be realistic.
"It may just be changing habits a little bit at a time," shesaid.
Some experts say choosing dieting over permanent lifestylechanges isn't the best way to lose weight because not all dietswork for everyone.
"Look at the different aspects of (the diets) and come up withsomething that realistically works for you," she said. "Noteveryone can cut out carbs or sugars."
Some health experts urge dieters to carefully weigh the cost ofcompletely cutting out a major food group, which is a requirementof diets like the Atkins Diet.
"Trying it for three or four weeks to give your diet a boost isone thing, but the diet has been around for 25 years and there isnot a single health association that advocates it," said EddieEllsworth, assistant professor in the Department of Human MovementSciences and Education.
Ellsworth also said the Atkins Diet is misleading in that itpromotes artificial weight loss through water, but the minute youeat carbohydrates again, the water weight will come right backon.
He recommends a diet consisting of 55 percent carbohydrates, 15percent to 30 percent fat and 15 percent protein.
Ellsworth also suggests using the food pyramid as a guide.
"Good food is still good food," he said.
Ellsworth also sticks by his tried and true advice that watchingyour fat intake can be helpful.
"Fat makes you fat faster," Ellsworth said.
He said this is because fat has over twice as many calories ascarbohydrates per gram and takes less energy for the body toprocess.
Ellsworth points out, though, that the most important factor inweight loss success may not be in what you eat at all.
"The people who keep the weight off are almost always also on anexercise program," he said.
Despite the many failed resolutions of New Year's past, peopleshouldn't give up hope that they can change.
"Whatever the goal is, if you have the desire and really believein yourself, it is probably going to work," said Eady.
