title: Identifying success on the process level reduces negative effects of prior weight loss on subsequent weight loss during a low-calorie diet.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dieters often show weight cycling, i.e. prior successful weight loss is followed by weight gain. The current study examined how goal progress during a diet (i.e. weight loss) impacts subsequent weight loss depending on whether success is identified on the process level or the outcome level of dieting.
  
  
  METHODS
  A short-term longitudinal study examined lagged effects of weight loss and identifications of success in one week on weight loss in the subsequent week. Across 6 weeks, N = 126 overweight women reported their weekly weight and the degree to which they considered themselves as successful regarding the process of dieting (e.g. changing eating behavior) and the desired dieting outcomes (e.g. improving appearance).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Successful weight loss in one week negatively affected weight loss in the subsequent week. However, identifying success on the process level reduced this negative effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although people might feel generally that goal progress licenses subsequent goal-inconsistent behavior, identifying successful goal-pursuit on the process rather than the outcome level of a goal may counteract the subsequent loss of dieting motivation.
authors.affiliation: University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hennecke
authors.forename: Alexandra M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Freund
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D031204:Caloric Restriction / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D050177:Overweight / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: coasting; dieting; goal focus; goals; weight cycling; weight loss