Do you need a weight loss accountability partner? Maybe you’re not sure. Everyone is different, and some people work better alone, while others need company to stay motivated on a diet.
Of course, as most people who are trying to lose weight would say, the hardest thing is managing to sustain the momentum.
Are you one of those people who eats healthy and exercises for 3 days, then looks in the mirror and imagines there’s a buff, rippling-muscled, sleek-physiqued person looking back at you?
That’s where the self image differential comes in. We start to think we’re really killing it when in reality maybe we just get a little excited?
Then what do we do? We get cocky about our perceived weight loss.
We think we don’t have to put in so much work. Someone’s offering fruity cocktails, and there’s birthday cake, and… by the time Sunday rolls around, we’re well off the weight loss wagon.
Then comes Monday… and our spirits sag. Now we’re carrying some extra water weight from whatever we ate over the weekend. Tonight we’re supposed to be back at the gym, but oh no!
We’ve lost the motivation already!
That’s no way to stay on top of weight loss goals for the long haul. But, what’s missing?
A Weight Loss Accountability Partner
Ask anyone who’s done the hard work of making the mental shift and the lifestyle changes to go along with it-and lost the weight.
They’ll tell you that the best way to stay on top of weight loss goals and stick to your healthy lifestyle changes is to find an accountability partner or a group to hold you accountable.
In fact, having an accountability partner can be just as good as taking part in weight loss counseling for many people.
What is an Accountability Partner?
An accountability partner is someone or a group of someone’s to whom you state your intention, verbally declare the goal that you’re striving for, report back with the actions you took, and receive encouragement and moral support.
A weight loss accountability partner or group can provide the following which will help you reach and maintain your weight loss, health and fitness goals:
- A receptive ear to listen to and understand the unique struggles you face in your personal weight loss experience.
- Someone to carve out a plan for you to follow that may include healthy meal plans, weight-loss-friendly recipes, tips for resisting temptation, nutritional information about a variety of foods, and meal prep suggestions.
- A personal guide, mentor, and cheerleader to help you stay on track with goals and continue to motivate you in your progress.
- A sounding board to hear your ideas, listen to your vents and rants, and commiserate with your emotional changes as you make the needed adjustments to your new lifestyle and commitment to staying fit, active, and healthy.
What Type of Weight Loss Accountability Partner is Right for You?
So you’ve decided that accountability will help you move more quickly toward your weight loss goals. How can you find an accountability partner to help you stay motivated toward weight loss success?
Find a Coach
A weight loss, fitness, or health coach can provide the information, inspiration, motivation, and tools needed to move forward with your plan for a fitter, happier, healthier you.
There are many different types and styles of weight loss coaches out there. Depending on your personality, lifestyle, budget and time constraints, you can find one who matches your needs.
Get a Group
The concept of a weight loss accountability group is nothing new. Probably the first one that comes to mind is Weight Watchers, and they’re still around after generations of success for countless members.
There are many different types of weight loss groups that you can discover online with a simple Google search or a peek at Facebook.
You’ll find a group for nearly every diet plan that’s trending, including TotalHealth, Whole30, Beach Body, Keto, and many more.
And if structured diet plans aren’t your thing, you can find a group emphasizing holistic health that shares info on yoga and meditation as tools to help you balance your body and stay healthy and fit.
Buddy Up
Sometimes it’s hard to sustain momentum when it comes to your weight loss plans.
Maybe the scale readout wasn’t what you were hoping for, or it was a stressful week and all you want to do is drown your sorrows in a pint of Ben and Jerry’s.
This is where it’s great to have a workout and healthy lifestyle partner. You can team up with a friend, your husband or wife, partner or family member.
Setting goals, tracking progress, swapping stories, sharing recipes, hitting the gym, track or bike path together… there are so many ways to stay accountable for each other when you’ve got a buddy who’s just as motivated for results as you are.
Join a Gym
Sometimes the easiest thing to do when you prefer “accountability from afar” is to join a gym.
You can surround yourself with like-minded individuals who are also committed to getting in shape and making healthier choices.
At the gym, you get the choice of how involved you’d like to get with the people you meet and see working out at the facility.
You can decide to do your own workout, based on what you already know or what you’ve learned through research on the topic.
See also: Excercising at Home
Or, you can get one step closer to engagement with others by seeking support from a personal trainer or fitness coach who can walk you through what you need to do to know weight loss success.
Finally, a combo of free weights, machines, cardio and some fun and unique classes taught by knowledgeable instructors could be your choice for how you’d like to be held accountable at your local gym or fitness center.
Try Online Classes
Prefer to exercise in the comfort of home? This offers convenience because you can wear what you like, work out at any time of the day or evening, and not have to worry about impressing people.
And if you need accountability, just seek out an online exercise to take part in that’s led by a certified instructor which takes place on Zoom.
How to Choose a Weight Loss, Health, or Fitness Coach
There are many different types of weight loss coaches out there, each one with his or her own style and approach to fitness and weight loss motivation.
Thinking about working with a health coach, and wondering which will be perfect for you? There are a few factors to consider:
What are your values?
It helps to have a coach in your corner who supports your way of living. You don’t have to make your coach your BFF, but it certainly helps to have some common ground in terms of what’s important.
Do you put family first? Are you on a flexible schedule? If your coach lives (or has lived) in a similar way and can relate to how you live, then she’ll be an ideal person to work with on your goals.
What’s your personality type?
Suppose you’re the shy, quiet type, or maybe your self-esteem is shaky for you based on a traumatic life experience.
You may need a health coach who can gently guide you, offer empathy, work with you on confidence, and go at your own pace.
Or maybe you appreciate the nurturing type of health coach who has a very warm, loving and supportive personality.
Finally, a coach who cheers you on with plenty of vigor and pep could be the type that meets your needs.
What type of exercise appeals to you?
Maybe a combo of Zumba and dancing to modern dance music would inspire you. Or, how about an emphasis on yoga?
Yoga is a gentle form of exercise that regulates and resets the nervous system, releases stress from the muscles, strengthens and tones the entire body, improves posture and coordination, and helps you tune into your senses.
What’s your motivation preference?
There are all kinds of weight loss and health coaches to partner with you and hold you accountable. Pretty much, each one has his or her unique, motivational style.
Do you prefer a high energy leader who creates fun, energizing, upbeat workouts? Or would someone with a more soothing, gentle personality who embraces holistic health be more your style?
Some people might find a military training type of motivator exciting and inspiring to follow along with.
Or how about a kickboxing twist on your workout? It all depends on your preference and what you find yourself responding to when choosing your own accountability partner.
How do you prefer to work with your personal trainer or health and fitness coach?
Many coaches offer tiers of programs depending on your level of commitment to working with a partner to hold you accountable.
You can tailor the number of individual coaching hours you book each week or month.
You can select options like having your own, custom workouts created versus following along with a pre-existing workout.
You can hire your coach to create a custom meal plan or weekly menu. Or, have her work up a set of tips for choosing healthy, nutritious foods that help you lose weight.
See also: Best foods to eat to lose weight fast
How much engagement do you need?
Some people prefer their accountability partners to stay hands-off. Maybe you just want to log in and follow along with the workout of the day via Zoom.
Or you could be someone who needs more personal weekly feedback from your coach, to celebrate progress, work through pitfalls, and see where you tend to stumble and why.
Another option is to work with a coach who provides self-coaching materials only – such as ebooks to learn from, workout videos, recipes, personal journal and tracker products, and other materials.
Summary
Want to know why so may celebrity diets work for the celebrity and not so much for us?
We always think it’s the latest fad diet being advertised with their endorsement.
However, it’s not the diet itself that works so well for celebrities, it’s the fans.
That’s right, the celebrities know there fans are watching, so they are accountable to the fans.
Now that’s motivation to stick to a diet.
By finding your own weight loss accountability partner, you can get the same motivation and results.
By using one of the methods outlined in this post for a support team, you can get the body you desire.
So give up going it alone, find a weight loss accountabilty partner and lose that extra weight.