Are you making this mistake?

The new year always seems like the perfect time to create a new you—but is it really effective?According to research conducted by Richard Wiseman, Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in England, new year’s resolutions are an abysmal failure for most. In his case study, a test group of 3,000 individuals embarked into the new year, determined to follow their resolutions, yet a mere 12 percent were actually able to claim success one year later. What’s more discouraging? Most participants failed within the first two weeks of the new year.

Incidentally, it has been just over two weeks since glimmering balls dropped ‘round the world and we each shot our aspirations for 2012 to the sky. Are you still going strong? If so, great! But if you’re already disqualified from the elite 12 percent, no worries; it’s actually not that surprising, given the manner in which we typically approach new year’s resolutions.


Some studies suggest that we try to do too much at once with our new year’s resolutions—quit smoking, exercise more, eat vegetables, count calories, limit carbs, give up sweets, read more, watch less television, take on interesting new hobbies…Sound overwhelming? That’s because it is, quite literally, a prefrontal cortex overload.


Recent neuroscience studies from Stanford University suggest that, just like any other muscle, the brain—specifically, the prefrontal cortex, the area thought to be responsible for focus and discipline—can also become fatigued when faced with what Professor Baba Shiv calls “cognitive load.”1


Have you ever come home from an especially busy day at work and found it difficult to resist that comfort food calling your name? Case in point. This particular Stanford case study showed that “all it takes is five extra bits of information before the brain starts to give in to temptation.”1 You think too much; therefore, you eat.



The brain is an amazing organ and can handle vast amounts of information, if given in the proper dosage. The bottom line? Simplicity is the true key to success when it comes to reaching our weight loss goals for the new year.






All you need to get started is our Products, our Coach and our FITworks Community! The FITworks Community is packed full of the amazing It Works meal plans you’ll need to see those life-changing results in the coming weeks.

1 Lehrer, Jonah. "Blame It on the Brain." The Wall Street Journal December 26 (2009).

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