People who have weight-loss surgery are often tempted to simply let the surgery do the weight-loss work without making an effort to adapt to a new, healthier diet and fitness habits. But bariatric surgery patients who want to achieve weight loss and maintain a healthy weight for years to come will use surgery as an opportunity to form new habits creating a new, healthier way of living. Using checklists to set goals, make a plan, and promote accountability is a key way for weight-loss surgery patients to make the most of their surgical opportunity to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight long-term. Here are three checklists of benefits they provide:

map to plan. We’ve all been heard saying things like, “I need to lose some weight” or “I need to plan my meals and eat better” or “I really should start exercising.” And we know that saying these things rarely sets in motion the actions to achieve results. Using checklists can turn words into results because they give us a place to make a plan. A good checklist will provide an opportunity to set a goal and then outline the steps necessary to achieve that goal. Like a well-planned road trip, a good checklist maps the route of the trip to ensure the destination is reached.

Establish responsibility. We may not like to admit it as adults, but the simple fact is that we perform better when we are responsible. That includes being personally and possibly privately responsible to ourselves when we pursue goals that are important to us. A good checklist holds us accountable to milestones and deadlines. Saying “I’d like to sign up for a 5K” doesn’t have the impact of writing “Run in the charity 5K in three weeks” on a checklist. Seeing the goal in writing keeps it present in our thoughts and actions. And the best thing is that little checkbox where we can put a big X when the goal is met. Accountability with checklists can be a private action or it can be shared by like-minded people. People with shared goals may want to share their checklists adding another layer of accountability that is both motivating and empowering.

Tap Action. The literal act of holding up a checklist, filling in the blanks, and checking boxes is physically rewarding. But more importantly, the act of writing a checklist, marking progress, and accomplishing tasks or goals with a checklist gives us pause to consider our goals and assess our progress. Effective time management strategies require small blocks of time set aside to focus exclusively on making checklists, marking progress, and recording accomplishments. For effective weight loss and weight management, time must be spent each day making and reviewing checklists while keeping an eye on our big goals and the path we will take to reach them.

Checklists can be as simple or as complicated as you make them. When the goal is just as important as long-term health and weight management, investing time and thought into a well-executed checklist pays off big.