We’ve all done it. We start a health kick and then a few days or weeks later, we see a tasty vanilla slice at the bakery and we just can’t help ourselves. Soon enough, the health kick is out the window and we’ve put on 5 lbs.

Well, here’s a way you can stop that happening.

Have you ever seen those before and after pictures of people who were fat and then turn into fitness freaks with porn star bodies?

Did you ever wonder how they did it?

Well a big part of the secret is that “before” shot.

By publicising their intent to lose weight, they have effectively placed a societal pressure on themselves to do it. After all, if they don’t lose the weight, they are going to look like a hell of an idiot for publicising their “before” photo!

But that is positive pressure. It adds the consequence of public ridicule if they fail to lose the weight. It puts them under pressure to weigh up that extra consequence when they see the vanilla slice at the bakery.

In short, it massively reduces the chances that they will abandone their health kick!

Now, you don’t have to publicise a “fat photo” of youself to get the benfits of positive pressure.

You can make a bet with a friend, start a blog about your health kick, join an exercise group and yes, you could even staple up a photo of your fat self at your local gym with the promise to post an “after” pic in a few months.

Any way you can think of to get your peers informed about your intent to get in shape will put the pressure of society on you to get fit is positive.

Now, some people won’t like this. Some people will complain that conforming to the pressure of society is a bad thing.

The thing is, your arteries don’t care about your feelings. Your fat waist line doesn’t care that you weren’t loved as a child.

Health is important. If the risk of public ridicule is what it takes for you to get yourself in shape, then it’s a small price to pay.

Next time you start a health kick, think of a way to inform your peers and place that extra pressure on yourself. It greatly increases the chances that you will stick to it!