Trust Me, I'm An Expert: What research says about how to stick to your New Year’s resolutions

It’s that time of year when we all start to make promises to ourselves about how this year it’ll be different. This is the year I’ll get my health in order, exercise more, save money, cut that bad habit, do more of this, less of that, and just be better. But the fact is, change is hard. Most of us need help.

So, we found some.

Today, experts who have researched this terrain will be sharing with us insights into how to make a change – big or small – using evidence from the world of academic research.

Read more: Trust Me, I'm An Expert: the science of sleep and the economics of sleeplessness

We’ll hear from Amanda Salis, a professor of obesity research at the University of Sydney’s Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders in the Charles Perkins Centre. She explains exactly is happening inside your body when you get that feeling you’ve eaten too much this silly season, that it’s time to step away from the festive feasts, put down the bubbly beverages and do a bit of exercise:

If you’re interested in participating in one of Amanda Salis’ weight loss trials, please contact her.

Also on the podcast episode Lisa Williams, a social psychologist from UNSW, shares with us all the research-backed tips and tricks for setting a goal and meeting it:

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We’ll also hear from Amy, our case study, on how she stuck to her goals and made some big changes in her life:

Trust Me, I’m An Expert is a podcast where we ask academics to surprise, delight and inform us with their research. You can download previous episodes here.

And please, do check out other podcasts from The Conversation – including The Conversation US’ Heat and Light, about 1968 in the US, and The Anthill from The Conversation UK, as well as Media Files, a podcast all about the media. You can find all our podcasts over here.

The segments in today’s podcast were recorded and edited by Sunanda Creagh, with additional editing by Dilpreet Kaur Taggar.

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Additional audio and credits

Kindergarten by Unkle Ho, from Elefant Traks

Refraction by Podington Bear, Free Music Archive

Gruyere by Podington Bear, Free Music Archive