How to Set a Goal You’ll Actually Achieve

Even goals with the best intentions—like giving up sugar or hitting the gym every day—can backfire fast. But there might be a way to help ensure that you don’t ditch your next plan of action. People are more likely to stick with something when they have a flexible goal, rather than a fixed one, according to a new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

In one study, people in a weight-loss program either set goals that incorporated a range (for example, lose 2-4 pounds) or specific fixed goals (for example, lose 3 pounds). At the end of the program, the people who set flexible goals were more likely to reenroll in the weight loss program than those who set specific goals, even though both groups lost the same amount of weight on average. The researchers found the same results in experiments with other types of goals, including ones that revolved around saving money or solving puzzles.

“The reason is that the high-low range (read: flexible) goal offers the best of both worlds,” says study coauthor Maura Scott, PhD, assistant professor of marketing at Florida State University. While the low end of the goal makes it seem attainable, the high end gives you something to aspire to—a combination that makes it more approachable than a super-specific end point. “The result is that high-low range goals tend to lead to a greater sense of accomplishment for the person pursuing the goal.  Having a greater sense of accomplishment makes people want to reengage in a goal.” And since most intentions require some follow-through, that willingness to reengage is crucial to actually achieving your goal.

Ready to make a mid-year resolution? Scott suggests structuring your goal so that the low point is similar to attainable goals you’ve achieved in the past and the high point is your aspirational target. Check out these swaps to get you started:

Old: Lose 5 pounds
New: Lose 3-7 pounds

Old: Save $ 100 every month
New: Save $ 50-$ 150 every month

Old: Cook dinner five nights a week
New: Limit takeout to 1-3 times per week

Old: Hit the gym every day
New: Exercise 3-6 days per week

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More from Women’s Health:
How to Set Your Weight-Loss Goals
Find Your Motivation to Get Fit 
Determination: How to Get What You Want

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Get This: Now You’ll Know If Your Meat Ate GMOs

Check out the list of links that should be on your radar today:

The USDA just approved the first label to certify that your meat consumed a GMO-free diet before it ended up in the grocery store. [NYT]

Nationwide, the smoking rate is on the decline. [USA Today]

The average American spent less time working last year… [WSJ]

…But she also spent more time watching TV, according to the American Time Use Survey released by the Labor Department yesterday. [WSJ]

Newly popular office perks like free lunch and snacks are hazardous to your waistline. Help work off those extra calories with these tips[NYT]

In light of James Gandolfini’s death, the American Heart Association says that cardiac arrests like his are scarily common: The organization predicts that 715,000 people will have a heart attack this year. [USA Today]

Rumor has it that baby Kimye has a name—and it’s North West. *Insert eye-roll here.* [Vulture]

More proof that the label gluten-free doesn’t automatically make something healthy: Dunkin’ Donuts just announced that it will introduce a gluten-free cinnamon sugar donut. [UPI.com]

Justin Bieber’s third—we repeat, third—fragrance comes out next month. That means a whole lot of people must have actually bought the first two. [The Cut]

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Get This: You’ll Probably See More Bikers Tomorrow

Check out the list of links that should be on your radar today:

Tomorrow is Bike to Work Day! Make sure you wear a helmet if you’re taking part. [ABC News]

Creative outlets like music, art, and dancing may help make cancer patients feel less anxious, according to a new study. [Reuters]

PBS has confirmed that Diddy’s Tweet about being on Downton Abbey was a hoax. Phew. [People]

Intensive care unit admissions spiked 50 percent between 2002 and 2009—but researchers aren’t sure why. [UPI]

Something doesn’t add up here: Locks of Love receives 104,000 hair donations each year. That’s enough for more than 2,000 hairpieces—but they made only 317 in 2011. [ABC News]

As many as 20 percent of U.S. children have some kind of mental disorder, according to the CDC. [Reuters]

From 2007 to 2012, only 28 percent of the speaking roles in films belonged to women. [The Frisky]

More than half of the pools in a recent study tested positive for feces. Kinda puts a damper on bikini season, huh? [USA Today]

In totally sickening news, a man in Florida has been accused of tricking his girlfriend into getting an abortion. [Medical Daily]

photo: Fuse/Thinkstock

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The Sign That Predicts How Long You’ll Stay Fertile

Waiting for the right time to have kids? First, consider your mom’s biological clock. New research suggests that your mother’s age of menopause may predict when your fertility will decline, according to an article published in the journal Human Reproduction.

Swedish researchers divided 527 women into three groups based on their mother’s age of menopause. Then, they assessed each daughter’s fertility by measuring a certain kind of hormone in the blood and by counting the number of antral follicles, the egg-containing cell clusters in the ovaries. Researchers found that both measures of fertility (also known as ovarian reserve) declined faster among the women whose mothers experienced menopause before the age of 45, compared to women whose mothers entered menopause after the age of 55.

Women’s eggs decline in number and quality as they age, but the study results suggest that the speed of this decline may be genetic. Meaning: If your mom experienced menopause early (i.e., before age 45) there’s a chance that you could experience an early decline in your fertility, and subsequent early menopause, also.

That said, your mom’s biological history isn’t an exact blueprint for your own fertility future. “We have always been aware that there might be a relationship between maternal age of menopause and your own, but it’s not necessarily a black-and-white relationship,” says Cynthia A. Stuenkel, MD, clinical professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, who is affiliated with The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). “Don’t feel like, ‘if this happened to my mother, this will happen to me’. Other factors may have been at play in the mother that are unknown to her daughter.”

Thyroid disease, radiation, and heart disease risk factors such as hypertension, type 1 diabetes, and elevated blood glucose are suspected to contribute to early menopause. And while there’s no guarantee that a healthy lifestyle will contribute to a later menopause, your lifestyle factors (i.e., smoking), and your mother’s lifestyle factors (i.e., smoking while she was pregnant with you) could potentially impact your reproductive age. Also, don’t forget that half your genes come from your father. There’s been no data that links paternal side age of menopause to early reproductive aging, says Stuenkel.

“This study is just a call to action if you’re on the fence about having a family,” Stuenkel says. “If you seriously want to conceive, talk to your doctor about whether your ovarian reserve should be tested, based on your age, family history, and existing health conditions.”  An infertility doctor may be able to estimate how many years you have left before menopause by using hormone measurements and an ultrasound to assess your antral follicles.

While you can’t necessarily control how quickly your genetically-set biological clock will tick, you can make these lifestyle changes to begin preserving your fertility, pronto.

photo: Dynamic Graphics/Creatas/Thinkstock

More from WH:
Getting Pregnant Tips
Should You Freeze Your Eggs?
18 Self Checks Every Woman Should Do

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The Horror Flick Trick You’ll Love


Horror movies are a Halloween staple–and they’re good for more than just chills and thrills. Turns out your favorite scary flick may help you burn calories, too.

According to a new study from the University of Westminster, the sudden scares in frightening movies can raise a viewer’s heart rate, which helps burn calories.

Researchers recorded participants’ heart rates, oxygen intake and carbon dioxide outputs while they viewed certain films. The people watching scary movies burned twice as many calories on average as the people watching movies that didn’t get their hearts pumping.

The more the movie makes you jump, the more likely you are to see a boost in heart rate and calorie burn. “As the pulse quickens and blood pumps around the body faster, the body experiences a surge in adrenaline,” Richard Mackenzie, PhD, a senior lecturer and specialist in cell metabolism and physiology at the University of Westminster told The Telegraph. “It is this release of fast acting adrenaline, produced during short bursts of intense stress, which is known to lower the appetite, increase the Basal Metabolic Rate, and ultimately burn a higher level of calories,” he said.

Before you go on the horror flick diet, however, it’s worth noting that simply sitting still for an hour and a half will burn around 100 calories (burning calories just by existing is referred to as the basal metabolic rate). So freaking yourself out won’t make up for all the extra Halloween candy you eat around this time of year. Still—fifty or so extra calories burned is better than nothing.

Wondering which flick will give you the best burn for your buck? Fire up one of these spooky motion pictures and feel less guilty about that extra handful of popcorn:

1. The Shining: 184 calories
2. Jaws: 161 calories
3. The Exorcist: 158 calories
4. Alien: 152 calories
5. Saw: 133 calories

photo: Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock

More from WH:
The Hunger Paradox: Calories In VS Calories Burned
Fat-Burning Workout Routine
Eat This, Not That: Movie Theater Snacks

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No-Cook Meals You’ll Love

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E Links to other Time Inc. websitesGo to Health.comSweepstakesHealth NewsettersSubscribeHealthy & HappyNews & ViewsFamilyHome and TravelMind and BodyMoneySex and RelationshipsDiet & FitnessFitness • Cardio • Strength • YogaWeight Loss • Diets • Dieting TipsFood & RecipesEating • Cooking • Nutrition • Restaurants and Fast    FoodsRecipesBeauty & StyleBeauty • Skincare • Hair • Makeup • StyleCelebrity • Celebrity Tips • Celebrity HealthHealth A-ZAlzheimer’s DiseaseAsthmaBipolar DisorderBirth ControlBreast CancerChildhood VaccinesCholesterolChronic PainCold, Flu, and SinusCOPDCrohn’s DiseaseDepressionDiabetes (Type 2)FibromyalgiaGERDHeadaches & MigrainesIncontinenceMenopauseOsteoarthritisOsteoporosisRheumatoid ArthritisSexual HealthSleep DisordersUlcerative ColitisMore ConditionsMagazineCurrent IssueSubscribeTablet EditionArchiveGive a Gift SubscriptionCustomer ServiceMedia KitAge-Proof Your BonesHome >> Food & Recipes >> Eating >> Cooking >> Simple Steps to a Healthier You. >> Eating Healthy >> Vignette StoryServer 6.0 Wed Aug 22 18:23:45 2012 Simple Steps to a Healthier You.Too hot to turn on the stove? No need to—just make our yummy throw-together dinners! Comments: Add | Read lobster-panzanellaCredit: Con Poulos

prev1 of 6nextFast and fresh summer fare

Recipes by Lori Powell

Too hot to turn on the stove? No need to—just make our yummy throw-together dinners!

Lobster Panzanella

Pick up cooked lobster from the seafood counter for the world’s easiest weekday treat.

Ingredients: Lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, ground black pepper, cooked lobster meat, cherry tomatoes, shallots, fresh chives, fresh basil, whole-wheat bread

Calories: 167

Try this recipe: Lobster Panzanella

Next: Tuscan Kale with Almonds, Plums, and Goat Cheese

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