Are you ready? Chances for successful weight loss are greater if the time is right.

Perhaps the most commonly heard refrain in the weight loss field is that "95 percent of the people who lose weight regain it." This number may or may not be accurate, but it does point out that relapse is a serious problem for many dieters.

There are many reasons some people regain lost weight--genetic, biological, psychological, and cultural.

One of the key issues in losing weight and keeping it off is dieting readiness. Sometimes conditions are fight; sometimes they are not. Chances for success are greater if the time is right.

Knowing when you are ready. A person who wants to lose weight is like someone who wants to climb a mountain. It is possible to climb the mountain, but it will take hard work. It is possible to lose weight successfully, but lots of effort will be needed.

A smart person waits for the fight conditions before beginning to climb the mountain. One climber might begin the ascent on a clear, sunny day, while another might begin in the middle of a blizzard or a furious rainstorm. Who has the clearest path?

Most experienced climbers know the importance of the right conditions. The same cannot be said for people who want to lose weight. Even though it makes all the sense in the world to first check the conditions, many people rush headlong into a diet, without regard for the likelihood of success.

Two issues are important here. The first is appreciating the central role of readiness. The second is how to assess whether you're ready.

Three of the major areas to consider when you are thinking about beginning a weight-loss effort are motivation, commitment, and life circumstances.

Motivation. Before you begin another diet, give yourself a rating on a scale from 1 to 100, with 1 meaning no motivation and 100 meaning extreme motivation.

Think about past efforts and rate yourself according to your motivation with this in mind. Is there really something special about now? If not, is there anything you can do to make it different now?

Commitment. Once you know how motivated you are, you then need to analyze how long the motivation will last. Losing weight and keeping it off requires hard work.

Life Circumstances. Sometimes life is rosy, but sometimes it's complicated. A complicated time is a difficult point at which to begin a program. These complications can be distracting, can sap your energy, and can make your environment less than supportive. Think about how your life circumstances will influence your chances for success.

Dr. Kelly Brownell of Yale University has developed the Dieting Readiness Test. This test will provide you with a rough idea of whether now is a good time to begin a program. The test is relatively new and has not undergone thorough testing itself. Therefore, your results should not be used to make the final decision on whether to begin a diet. You will be the best judge.

This issue of dieting readiness should not be interpreted as deciding whether it will ever be a good time to lose weight. It is more a question of whether now is the right time. If the answer is no, then it is time to start changing things so the fight time will not be too far off. Remember that the first step in changing eating behavior is to understand the conditions that influence your eating habits.

Space does not permit us to include Dr. Brownell's entire test. These questions are excerpted from the complete test found in The LEARN Program for Weight Control. To order a copy of the book, call 1-800736-7323.

THE DIETING READINESS TEST

Goals and Attitudes

1. Compared to previous attempts, how motivated to lose weight are you this time?

1 2 3 4 5

Not at All Slightly Somewhat Quite Extremely

Motivated Motivated Motivated Motivated Motivated

2. How certain are you that you will stay committed to a

weight-loss program for the time it will take to reach

your goal?

1 2 3 4 5

Not at All Slightly Somewhat Quite Extremely

Certain Certain Certain Certain Certain

3. Consider all outside factors at this time in your life

(the stress you're feeling at work, your family obliga-

tions, etc.). To what extent can you tolerate the effort

required to stick to a diet?

1 2 3 4 5

cannot can Tolerate Uncertain Can Tolerate Can Tolerate

Tolerate Somewhat Well Easily

4. Think honestly about how much weight you hope to

lose and how quickly you hope to lose it. Figuring a

weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week, how realistic

is your expectation?

1 2 3 4 5

Very Somewhat Moderately Somewhat Very

Unrealistic Unrealistic Unrealistic Realistic Realistic

5. While dieting, do you fantasize about eating a lot of

your favorite foods?

1 2 3 4 5

Always Frequently Occasionally Rarely Never

6. While dieting, do you feel deprived, angry, and/or

upset?

1 2 3 4 5

Always Frequently Occasionally Rarely Never

If you score 17 to 23, you may be close to being ready to begin a program, but should think about ways to boost your preparedness.

A score of 24 to 30 indicates the path is clear with respect to goals and attitudes.

Hunger and Eating Cues

7. When food comes up in conversation or in something

you read, do you want to eat even if you are not hungry?

1 2 3 4 5

Never Rarely Occasionally Frequently Always

8. How often do you eat because of physical hunger?

1 2 3 4 5

Always Frequently Occasionally Rarely Never

9. Do you have trouble controlling your eating when

your favorite foods are around the house?

1 2 3 4 5

Never Rarely Occasionally Frequently Always

If you scored 10 to 15, think of ways to minimize your exposure to temptations so that you eat only in response to physical hunger.

Binge Eating and Purging 

10. Aside from holiday feasts, have you ever eaten a large

amount of food rapidly and felt afterward that this eat-

ing incident was excessive and out of control?

   2    0
  Yes   No

11. If you answered yes to number 10, how often have

you engaged in this behavior during the last year?

      1        2          3         4      5             6
  Less than  About    A few times  About  About three  Daily
  once a     once a     a month   once a    times a
  month       month               week      week

12. Have you ever purged (used laxatives, diuretics, or

induced vomiting) to control your weight?

     5    0
    Yes    No

The goal here is a score of 0.

Emotional Eating

13. Do you eat more than you would like to when you

have negative feelings such as anxiety, depression,

anger, or loneliness?

1 2 3 4 5

Never Rarely Occasionally Frequently Always

14. Do you have trouble controlling your eating when

you have positive feelings-do you celebrate feel-

ing good by eating?

1 2 3 4 5

Never Rarely Occasionally Frequently Always

15. When you have unpleasant interactions with others

in your life, or after a difficult day at work, do you

eat more than you'd like?

1 2 3 4 5

Never Rarely Occasionally Frequently Always

A score of 3 to 8 indicates you do not appear to let your emotions affect your eating.

Exercise Patterns and Attitudes

16. How often do you exercise?

1 2 3 4 5

Never Rarely Occasionally Somewhat Frequently

17. How confident are you that you can exercise regu-

larly?

1 2 3 4 5

Not at All Slightly Somewhat Highly Completely

Confident Confident Confident Confident Confident

18. How certain are you that you can work regular exer-

cise into your daily schedule?

      1          2         3       4          5
  Not at All  Slightly  Somewhat  Quite    Extremely
  Certain      Certain  Certain   Certain   Certain

The closer to a score of 15, the better.

After scoring yourself in each section of this questionnaire, you should be able to better judge your readiness strengths and weaknesses.

This article was adapted with permission from American Health Publishing Company, Dallas, Texas, from Brownell K. Dieling Readiness. The Weight Control Digest 1 (1990):1-9. All rights reserved.