New Year's resolution to lose weight: how to make it last

A New Year’s resolution to lose weight is more likely to last when it’s about something you do, not something you avoid. In the studies below, people who felt ready before January 1 did better, and so did one group that had a named supporter and monthly check-ins.

We’d go one step further: make the resolution a small daily action, not a number on the scale. Resolutions about weight and eating are among the most common ones people make (two of the studies below found the same).

This guide covers what the research measured, then turns it into six steps you can start in December.

Key takeaways

In a 2002 study, 46% of New Year’s resolvers said they’d kept at it for six months. Only 4% of people who planned to change later said the same.

In a 2020 study, 59% of people with a “doing” resolution who answered the one-year survey rated themselves successful. It was 47% for an “avoiding” resolution.

Readiness, confidence and the skills to change, measured before January 1, predicted who kept going. Our reading: December is when to prepare.

In a 2020 trial, a group with a named supporter, monthly check-ins and one email on setbacks did better than a group with three check-ins a year. Extra goal-setting material on top did not help.

New habits took about 66 days on average to feel automatic in one study, and missing one day didn’t undo the progress.

How long do New Year’s resolutions last?

Longer than the jokes suggest, for many people. But a lot of the drop happens early.

A study in the Journal of Substance Abuse (Norcross and Vangarelli, PMID 2980864), from the late 1980s, followed 200 New Year’s resolvers for two years. One week in, 77% had kept their resolution, and after two years 19% had. A 2020 paper’s summary of the study gives the figures in between: 55% after one month, 43% after three months and 40% after six months (Oscarsson et al., PLoS One, full text).

Source: Norcross and Vangarelli, Journal of Substance Abuse, 1988 to 1989 volume, PMID 2980864; one month to six month figures as summarized in Oscarsson et al., PLoS One, December 2020, PMID 33296385.

The first month is where the most people drop off. Between three and six months, the line barely moves. Get through the early weeks and the habit seems to hold better.

People who made a resolution also did better than people who planned to change later, though the groups weren’t randomly assigned. A 2002 study in the Journal of Clinical Psychology (Norcross et al., PMID 11920693) followed 159 resolvers and 123 people who wanted to change a similar problem later. It tracked them by phone for six months.

Weight loss, exercise and quitting smoking were the most common goals. At six months, 46% of the resolvers said they had been continuously successful, against 4% of the others.

Its authors call the 2020 study probably the largest study of New Year’s resolutions so far. Researchers in Sweden randomly assigned 1,066 adults who signed up online to three levels of support. Physical health (33%), weight loss (20%) and eating habits (13%) were the most common resolutions. After a year, 55% of those who answered the final survey considered themselves successful.

What made a resolution last?

Three findings stand out, and they’re about setup more than willpower.

What you did before January 1

In the 2002 study, three things measured before the new year predicted who succeeded. They were how ready people felt to change, how confident they were, and whether they had the skills to do it. Once January started, successful resolvers used more cognitive-behavioral strategies.

Our reading: a resolution made on December 31 with no plan starts at a disadvantage. The work of getting ready can happen in December.

Doing something beats avoiding something

The 2020 study sorted each resolution as approach (doing something, like starting a morning walk) or avoidance (not doing something, like cutting out sweets). Those examples are ours. After a year, 58.9% of people with approach goals said they were successful, against 47.1% with avoidance goals.

That’s a small effect, and self-reported. Still, it points somewhere useful: a resolution you can do today is easier to keep than one you can only break.

Here’s how that could look for eating. These rewrites are our examples, not the study’s.

Avoidance version	Approach version	Why it’s easier to keep
Stop snacking at night	Have a planned evening snack, logged	You can succeed every evening, not just fail
No more takeout	Log every meal, takeout included	Takeout stops being a reason to quit
Quit sugar	Add a fruit or yogurt to breakfast	It adds a habit instead of fighting one
Stop eating so much	Send a photo of each meal before eating	It gives you something to do at each meal

One person, and regular check-ins

People in the 2020 study’s “some support” group named one person to support them. They also got a short note on social support, a monthly check-in and one email on handling setbacks. They reported more success than the group with only three check-ins a year.

The surprise: a third group got all that plus lessons on SMART goals, six interim goals and three more emails. They did no better than the group with three check-ins. The authors suggest that a very specific goal also makes it obvious when you’re off track.

Our reading: a regular check-in seems worth more than a perfect plan on paper. The study tested a named person and monthly surveys, not reminders, so treat anything else as our extrapolation.

How to make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight last

These steps are our recommendations, built on the studies above. None of them sets a weight target, and that’s on purpose: a number on the scale is an outcome, not something you can do on a Tuesday.

Write the resolution as a daily action. “Log every meal” or “eat a protein breakfast on weekdays” is something you can do today. “Lose weight” is something you wait for. For the eating side, our guide to how to stick to a diet explains why the plan you keep matters more than which one.
Start in December, not on January 1. Try the action for a week before the new year. If it’s annoying in December, it’ll be annoying in February. Make it smaller now, while there’s no pressure.
Attach it to something you already do. A 2012 paper in the British Journal of General Practice reviewed the habit research (Gardner et al., PMID 23211256). In one study, people repeated one action after a daily cue, like “after breakfast”. Logging right after you eat is that kind of cue.
Expect about ten weeks, not three. In that research, a new daily behavior took about 66 days on average to feel automatic, with wide variation. Simple actions got there faster than elaborate ones. The paper notes the 21-day figure is a myth.
Pick one person to support you, and a regular check-in. The 2020 study’s most successful group named one supporter and answered a check-in every month. A daily reminder wasn’t tested, but we think it’s worth a try.
Plan for the miss. Slips are normal, even for people who succeed. In the two-year study, 53% of the successful resolvers had at least one slip. In the habit research, one missed day didn’t seriously set back the habit. Log the next meal and carry on, without waiting for Monday.

You’ll know it’s working when the habit is still running in February, after the first month where the most resolvers dropped off. In our view, that’s a better early sign than any single weigh-in.

Why a habit beats a New Year diet

A New Year diet is a set of rules to keep. A habit is one action you repeat. The habit research above is about the second, and so are these steps. If you do pick an eating plan, choose one you’d still follow on an ordinary Tuesday in March.

Get December right first

The holidays sit right before the resolution, and many people start January a little behind their plans. That’s normal. The research on holiday weight gain found the average gain is smaller than the folklore says. The habit the holiday trials tested most was self-monitoring, mostly regular weigh-ins. A simple food record is the same idea: noticing is most of the work.

If you want to practice in December, log the parties too. A rough entry for a glass of wine or a plate of sides counts. Our guide to calories in alcohol has the numbers by the glass.

What this looks like in a chat

This is where Getfiit fits, and we make it, so weigh this section with that in mind. Getfiit is an AI nutrition and fitness coach that lives in WhatsApp. You send a photo, a voice note or a sentence about a meal, and it sends back calories, protein, carbs and fat. A photo gives an estimate, and when something like oil or a sauce is unclear, the coach asks before it logs.

It also checks in once a day at a time you pick, which is one way to do step 5. Here’s an illustration of what a first week in January can look like. It’s an example, not a real user:

You: new year, trying again. I just want to log every meal this time Getfiit: Good plan, and a doable one. Send each meal as you eat it. A photo, a voice note or a sentence all work. You: (photo: Greek yogurt with berries and granola in a bowl) breakfast Getfiit: Looks like Greek yogurt with berries and granola. Is the yogurt plain or sweetened? That changes the estimate most. You: plain Getfiit: Logged. Want a check-in at 8pm so dinner gets logged too? You: yes please Getfiit: Done. I'll message you at 8.

So the resolution becomes one message per meal, plus a nudge at the hour you chose. Entries can be fixed or deleted with a reply, and there’s no new app to install. Our guide to how AI calorie counters work explains what a photo estimate can and can’t do.

As of November 10, 2026, Getfiit costs $19.99 a month after a 3-day free trial, and you can cancel anytime. The how it works section on the home page shows the rest.

Where this evidence is weakest

Every success figure here is self-reported: people said whether they were keeping their resolution. None of these studies weighed anyone.

The samples are narrow. The 2020 study recruited motivated volunteers in Sweden, 81% of them women, and only 69% answered the final survey.

Three of its four authors also receive royalties from a book on New Year’s resolutions based partly on the study. The 2002 study is small, and some of the older study’s figures come from the 2020 paper’s summary rather than its abstract.

And approach goals beat avoidance goals by about 12 points, a small effect. Treat these findings as nudges, not rules.

When tracking isn’t the right tool

Tracking is not for everyone. If logging food brings on stress, restriction or guilt, or you have a history of disordered eating, a resolution built on tracking may do more harm than good. The National Institute of Mental Health has information on eating disorders, and a doctor or registered dietitian can help you find an approach that suits you.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage of New Year’s resolutions fail?

It depends on when you ask. In a two-year study of 200 resolvers, 81% had not kept their resolution by the end. After one week, only 23% had stopped. A 2020 summary of that study puts the share still going at 55% after one month and 40% after six months.

Is a New Year’s resolution to lose weight a good idea?

It can be, if the resolution is something you do rather than a number you wait for. In a 2002 study, people who made a resolution were far more likely to report success at six months than people who planned to change later. The groups weren’t randomly assigned, so readiness may explain part of it. Weight was one of the most common goals.

How do I stay motivated after January?

Rely less on motivation and more on a habit tied to a daily cue. In the habit research reviewed in a 2012 paper, a new daily behavior took about 66 days on average to feel automatic. After that it takes less effort. Regular check-ins help in the meantime.

What if I slip up in the first week?

Carry on with the next meal. In a two-year study of resolvers, 53% of those who succeeded had at least one slip along the way. In the habit research, missing one day didn’t seriously set back the habit. A rough log kept most days is worth more than a perfect one you drop, as our guide to tracking macros without weighing everything explains.

Should my resolution include a weight goal?

That’s your choice. Our view is that the daily action is the part you control, so make that the resolution. If you have a medical reason to lose weight, set any target with your doctor. More answers are in the FAQ on the home page.

Your next step

Pick your one daily action by December 20. Try it through New Year’s Eve, and make it smaller if it feels like a chore. Then put a note in your calendar for February 1 and check one thing: is it still running? If it is, that’s the resolution working.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or a registered dietitian before changing how you eat, especially if you have a health condition, are pregnant, or have a history of disordered eating.