Weight loss using Implementation Intentions and Mental Imagery.

12 week intervention using the strategies of implementation intentions and mental imagery to assist with behaviour change in the area of diet and physical activity. The use of text messages to augment the intervention effectiveness will also be explored. Behavioural, psychological, and biomedical outcomes and measures will occur at baseline and at various time periods to monitor behaviour change. Three conditions. 1. Psycho-education Control 2. Implementation intentions and mental imagery. 3. Implementation intentions and mental imagery with text messages. Following baseline measures, all participants will be required to watch a one hour weight loss video program. This video will contain the intervention manipulations. Two versions of the program will exist. Version 1, provided to control participants, will include general information including study details, and psycho-education regarding the diet and physical activity guidelines as per the weight loss intervention (consume recommended daily calorie intake; and participate in 30 minutes of daily exercise). Participants will also receive further information during the video presentation such as: the definition of a calorie, how to calorie count, which exercises are more intensive, tools to assist them with monitoring their physical activity and calorie intake (e.g., a provided calorie counting book), and how to record consumed calories and physical activity via a provided food and exercise log book. Participants will be asked to list some goals to help them met the diet and physical activity guidelines. Version 2, will be provided to participants in the two conditions with the mental imagery and implementation intentions components. Version 2 will include the exact information from version 1; however will also include instructions for goal setting, mental imagery and implementation intentions techniques. Specifically, participants will be provided with instructions to guide them to mentally imagine the steps needed to reach their goals. Participants are then asked to create implementation intentions plans using an If/then format. Participants viewing the Version 2 video intervention will be directed to record their Goals, If/then plans, and mental imagery steps to provide to the researcher. Participants within the implementation intention and mental imagery with text messages condition (condition 3), will receive weekly text message reminders during the 12 week intervention period. One text message per week will be sent to the participants mobile with a total of 11 text messages. The texts will contain goal reminders that relate to the participants diet and physical activity goals, implementation intentions and mental imagery. For example: “Hello, I would like to ask you to take the time to remember your goals and the steps you need to take to reach them. Remember when you visualised these steps for your diet and exercise goals when watching the video?"