Habits are tricky: We can use them to help ourselves improve — or we can slip into habits that push us further from our goals. Habits that influence weight loss or weight maintenance are no exception.
“Habits are the foundation of our daily behaviors, and they play a crucial role in achieving weight loss goals,” says Supatra Tovar, PsyD, RD, author of Deprogram Diet Culture: Rethink Your Relationship with Food, Heal Your Mind, and Live a Diet-Free Life, who is based in Pasadena, California. “When we automate healthy behaviors through habits, it becomes easier to make consistent progress without relying on willpower alone, which is often limited. For weight loss, habits such as choosing healthier foods, exercising regularly, and managing stress can make all the difference.”
Read on to learn how you can use your habits as powerful tools in bringing about weight loss, and how you can “stack” new habits onto your existing habits for added success.
How Habits Influence Weight
Whether you’re a person who thrives on habits and strictly adheres to the same routine daily, or are more spontaneous, your biggest habits show up in how you eat.
“Whether we realize it or not, most of our behavior is governed by habits, not conscious decisions,” says Candice Seti, PsyD, a clinical psychologist and certified nutrition coach specializing in eating and behavioral change. “When we come home from work and open the pantry door looking for a snack, we are doing so based on habit. When we are sad and decide ice cream will cheer us up, we are doing so based on habit.”
Because most of your eating behaviors are based on habit, you need to replace unhealthy habits with more positive and productive ones if you want to lose weight or maintain it, Dr. Seti says.
Research has also found that habit-based interventions lead to successful weight loss. In one study, participants reduced their body weight by more than 5 percent — a clinically significant change — throughout a year. Furthermore, the participants maintained their weight loss after 12 months. “These findings highlight the importance of focusing on developing sustainable habits rather than quick fixes,” explains Dr. Tovar.
Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Healthy Weight Loss Habits
The road to good health looks different for everyone, and it often involves detours, setbacks, and obstacles to overcome. While some aspects of your health are outside your control due to unchangeable risk factors like your genetics and age, others are more easily influenced by your day-to-day behaviors. And you can often change these factors by baby steps along that bumpy road.
Small adjustments like adding spinach to your standard breakfast smoothie, parking farther away from your office, and going to bed 15 minutes earlier can all add up to bigger health benefits over time. But how much do you know about which little changes deliver the biggest payoff? Here are 10 questions that will put your knowledge of healthy diet habits to the test.
What Is Habit Stacking?
Habit stacking is a concept that adds a new habit onto an existing habit, ideally one you already do automatically.
“By anchoring the new behavior to something you already do routinely, you create a strong, lasting habit more easily. This approach is based on the concept of ‘tiny habits,’ where making small, incremental changes leads to significant, long-term results,” says Tovar. “Habit stacking works because it leverages the existing neural pathways in your brain, making it easier for the new habit to stick. Instead of overwhelming yourself with drastic changes, you build on what you’re already doing, which increases your likelihood of success.”
For example, let’s say you have a goal of hydrating more throughout the day, which can start as a habit stack. First, identify an already established habit, such as brushing your teeth. Leave a glass of water next to the sink when you brush your teeth at night, suggests Seti. In the morning, drink that water after you brush your teeth. The established habit of toothbrushing becomes your cue to drink more water.
“Habit stacking is really the idea of taking advantage of habits we already have and using them as an opportunity to create a new habit. Because the initial habit is already established, it can make it easier to remember or to integrate the new behavior. And as the new behavior continues, it becomes more likely to become a habit on its own,” says Seti.
While it may be tempting to integrate multiple habit stacks all at once, Tovar suggests easing in one new habit stack at a time.
“[Easing in] helps ensure that each habit is well established before adding another, reducing the risk of feeling overwhelmed or burning out. By focusing on one habit at a time, you give yourself the best chance of creating sustainable changes that will stick over the long term,” says Tovar.
After you have established a new habit in your routine, you can move onto the next habit stack. This incremental approach allows you to feel a sense of accomplishment so it keeps you motivated, Tovar explains.
How to Use Habit Stacking for Weight Loss
Here are some ways you can use habit stacking specifically for weight loss, according to Tovar.
1. Hydration
As mentioned above, drink a glass of water before brushing your teeth in the morning (an existing habit). Bonus if you drink another glass before your morning coffee. Hydration is a must for weight loss goals. It helps control appetite and support your metabolism, says Tovar.
2. Post-Meal Walk
After you finish lunch or dinner (an existing habit), go for a 10-minute walk. “This light exercise aids digestion and can prevent late-night snacking,” says Tovar. A widely cited study shows that brisk walking can help curb cravings for sweets. So if you’re trying to skip dessert, lace up your walking shoes.
3. Meal Planning
After your morning coffee (an existing habit), spend five minutes planning your meals for the day. If you’d rather plan meals for the week, do it while having your coffee on a weekend morning. Meal planning is very effective in making healthier food choices and avoiding impulsive eating, says Tovar.
4. Double-Duty Dinners
As you cook dinner (an existing habit), get as far ahead as you can on prepping other meals for the week. For example, prepare the next day’s lunch, chop any veggies that need to be chopped, or defrost or marinate meats for dinner, suggests Seti. This will help minimize the temptation of takeout when you don’t have the energy to start a meal from scratch or inevitably run out of time in the morning.
5. Evening Stretching
During or after you watch your favorite TV show (an existing habit), do a simple stretching routine, even if just for five minutes. “This can reduce stress and improve sleep quality, both of which are important for weight management,” says Tovar.
6. Journaling
If you’re someone who enjoys journaling (an existing habit), consider incorporating the habit of writing down what you ate that day beforehand. You can use the Lose It! app to log your meals and snacks.
If you don’t journal regularly, you could also take a photo of your food before you eat as a photo diary, or jot a note about what you ate before bringing your plate to the sink or starting the dishes. Food journaling isn’t meant to spur feelings of shame or guilt, but rather to help you stay mindful of what you consume daily.
According to the American Heart Association, research has shown that those who keep food records have had more success with weight loss. They lose nearly twice as much as those who don’t keep track of their food. Furthermore, tracking your food can help you identify healthy habits versus unhealthier ones.
Take Time to Celebrate
The final crucial element in solidifying habits is to reward yourself for your progress.
“It’s important to celebrate small wins along the way. Recognizing your progress — no matter how small — reinforces your commitment to the habit and boosts your confidence in achieving your weight loss goals,” says Tovar. “Remember, long-term success comes from the accumulation of small, consistent actions over time.”
Pick out your reward beforehand so you can treat yourself after your weeklong efforts to integrate a new habit. Some weight-loss-friendly ideas could be taking a bath, buying yourself flowers, or getting a manicure.
The Wrap-Up
Habits are crucial for helping you achieve your weight loss goals. Take an inventory of your established habits and then see what new ones you can add to create a habit stack. Start small and work your way up to incorporate more habit stacks, making sure to celebrate your progress along the way.
Editorial Resources and Fact-Checking
- Cleo G et al. Habit-Based Interventions for Weight Loss Maintenance in Adults With Overweight and Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial. International Journal of Obesity. April 23, 2018.
- Ledochowski L et al. Acute Effects of Brisk Walking on Sugary Snack Cravings in Overweight People, Affect and Responses to a Manipulated Stress Situation and to a Sugary Snack Cue: A Crossover Study. PloS One. March 11, 2015.
- Food Diary – Keep Track of What You Eat and Drink. American Heart Association. September 12, 2023.
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