Losing weight is not easy. The simple phrase of "eat less and move more" is not so simple in the real world where food is readily available 24/7, inexpensive, and in such large portions! Our multitasking lives lead to eating on the run, skipping meals, and leaving physical activity at the bottom of the "to-do" list. A recipe for the dreaded "weight creep". We know what to do to lose weight (many of us are walking calorie counters), but can't seem to keep it together for the long term.

    A new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association has shed some light on a motivator supporting a weight loss effort, at least for the short term: money.

    Three groups were given the task of losing 16 pounds in 16 weeks (that's a pound a week - realistic and manageable with moderate effort). One group had no financial motivation and lost an average of 4 pounds in 16 weeks. The other two groups had financial motivation, and lost three times more weight - an average of about 13-14 pounds.

    The big question: could they keep the weight off? Even the financially motivated groups regained some weight in follow up, after the active study was completed (the money phase was done), but weighed less than when they started.

    While many diet studies don't easily translate to our real world lives, this one can. Create your own financial incentive to help stay on track. Set some reasonable goals, and "reward" yourself with a quarter, or a dollar, or whatever amount you choose when meeting your daily goals. These might include a 30 minute walk, 5 daily fruits and vegetables, or sticking to non/low-calories beverages. Establishing your "weight loss account" for a purchase of a special indulgence - like a manicure, massage, cosmetic, running shoes, DVD, or whatever is a treat to you - can both jump start your initial effort, and help keep you on track for the long term.

    How do you stick to your weight loss plan?

    減肥并不是件容易的事。“少吃多動”說起來容易，但在這樣一個食物以大份額、低價格大量供應的社會里，要做到這點卻不是那么容易。繁忙的生活迫使我們吃得很匆忙隨意，有時甚至沒時間吃，同時也使得運動被排在了日程表的最后面。這使我們陷入了可怕的“體重攀升”困境。我們知道如何去減輕體重（很多人使用卡路里計數器），但卻很難長期堅持。

    美國醫協會的期刊上發表的一項新研究發現了一個有助于減肥的因素（至少在短期內有效），那就是“錢”。

    三個小組接到同樣一個任務：在16周里減掉16磅（也就是每周減掉一磅—做出適當的努力是合理可行的）。其中一個小組沒有金錢獎勵作為誘惑，16周里平均每人減掉了4磅，而其他兩個小組有金錢獎勵誘惑平均每人減掉了13-14磅，是前面那個小組的三倍多。

    這里有一個很重要的問題：他們是否能夠一直保持減肥后的體重呢？即使是那些有金錢刺激的受測試者在研究結束（金錢刺激階段結束）后體重也有所反彈，但還是要比他們剛接受研究測試時要輕。

    很多關于節制飲食的研究要運用于實際生活中并不容易，但上面說的這個方法卻是可行的。你可以自己設置一些金錢刺激因素來幫助你堅持減肥。你可以設定一些合理的目標及給自己一些“獎勵”，如幾毛錢、一美元或任何你認為有助于你達到每日減重目標的數目。你的減肥計劃可以包括每日30分鐘的步行、5天的純水果蔬菜餐或堅持飲用無熱量或低熱量的飲料等。之后你可以將作為刺激因素而省下來的錢拿來好好犒勞自己，如享受修指甲、推拿按摩服務，購買化妝品、跑鞋、DVD或任何你認為可以慰勞自己的東西。這樣一來，既可以讓你原先作出的努力有所回報，有可以讓你的減肥計劃能長期堅持下去。

    你將如何堅持自己的減肥計劃呢？