Why You SHOULD Tell Everyone You're on a Diet

Did you set a weight-loss goal for the new year? Have you told everyone about it? You should! That is, if you want to succeed...

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It can be tempting to keep your goals a secret, whether they're diet and fitness-related or not. Why? Maybe you're afraid of failing in public, or "jinxing" your dream. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone -- almost one-quarter of respondents in a Self.com poll say they keep their New Year's goals on the down low.

But according to University of Scranton Psychology Professor John C. Norcross, PhD, co-author of Changing for Good, keeping your plans a secret is a bad idea. "Public commitments are more effective that private declarations," he says.

You should share your diet goals -- and any of your other New Year's resolutions! According to Norcross, decades of research have shown that making your goal public increases your chances of success because it puts you out there: "Y