Just discovered a low-calorie recipe that’s easy and delicious? Need some advice on how to push through a plateau in your weight loss? Want to explore some healthier eating options around town or just need some company on your daily walk/run?
These moments and thousands more arise daily on your journey to better health. These are the among the reasons you might consider finding a weight loss partner or becoming one to someone who is on the same adventure.
Being a weight loss buddy is not only a benefit to the person you reach out to, it’s also a great motivator for your own continued success in maintaining your best health! Sharing your wisdom, friendship and time with a friend who shares your goals is a two-fold gift. Anyone who has been on a weight loss journey remembers the moments of loneliness, uncertainty and frustration that were a natural part of the landscape. You also remember the excitement of reaching your first goal and the thrill of feeling energized by your new healthier body. All your wins and losses can be a priceless tool for the one who is just starting out or struggling just to keep going. Sometimes, the simplest of acts, like a phone call or a text is just the medicine needed to get our heads back in the game. I once received a picture text of an item on the grocery store shelf that brought tears to my eyes! It was a low carb, gluten free treat that I had been longing for but could not find. Crazy as it sounds, hope and joy overflowed as my friend informed me that she was on the way to my office with that little lifesaver!
In an article posted on WebMD.com, Adam Shafran, an exercise physiologist, is quoted, “Most people put all their effort into finding the right diet or exercise program but don’t put any energy into creating a support and accountability system.” Shafran says that people fail not necessarily because they’re following a bad weight loss plan, but because they lack a good support system. “It can be the deciding factor that makes a diet work — or not work.”
A study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in 2005, states that doctors at Brown Medical School and Dartmouth University found that people who had an exercise buddy who successfully lost weight were also more successful at losing.
Even if you have not yet achieved your ultimate goals, don’t underestimate the value of supporting someone who is walking the same road. Traveling this road alone can be tough. That’s why the LetsLose team is so committed to being a supportive force for each of our patients. We understand that community is a key ingredient to success in every area of life, especially when it comes to weight loss.
“Diet buddies are just two people who share a common goal and know they can count on each other to help them achieve that goal in whatever way it takes to do that,” says Shafran.
You can work out together or just share work tips. You might want to get together to cook or exchange tips and recipes online. You might even be willing to take turns babysitting so that each of you can get to the gym separately. Don’t make it complicated. If you are on the same page and you “click” you will find that teaming up is both fun and beneficial for both partners.
Reach out. Find a partner, mentor or buddy you can trust who will share the challenges and joys of your journey or decide to reach out and be a weight loss buddy to one who needs a trusted friend. Achieving our best health is a challenge that can be rich and fulfilling when we unite with others and discover that we are better TOGETHER!!