Who's On Your Weight Loss Team?

I'm scrapping what I was going to write in order to bring you a message about the importance of having a social support team.
You might get it from your wife, husband, buddy, parents, children, workmate, or doctor. It might not matter who you get social support from, all that matters is that you get it.
So who's on your team?
And whats the importance of social support anyways?
Believe me when I tell you, social support is necessary if you want to succeed in the transformation game.
Let's take a look at the research.
Most people's first reaction to a friend's weight loss is jealousy. After all, you've been dieting and exercising too, so why hasn't your scale weight changed? Instead, your friends still eat whatever they want and lose weight.

But did you know that recent research has shown that your friend's weight loss can also help you lose weight? This just might convince you to round up a weight loss group at work.

Doctors from the Brown University School of Medicine studied the effect of partner support on weight loss. Overweight men and women were scheduled to attend group weight loss exercise sessions and were encouraged to bring up to 3 support partners to participate as well. The researchers expected bringing more exercise partners would increase the odds of weight loss for the subjects.

However, the findings were a bit of surprise. It didn't matter if subjects brought one, two, or three partners. Instead, subject's weight loss after 6, 12, and 18 months was associated with the weight loss success of their exercise partners.

BOTTOM LINE: If you hang around people that are successful at losing weight, you'll have a much better chance of losing weight yourself.
Don't spend time with "negative nancy's" when you are trying to change your life.

So if you start a weight loss program, you have a better chance of succeeding if you get another friend, family member, or even in an on-line community to start losing weight. If one person succeeds, everyone around them will have a greater chance of success.

So build a group of social support that eats and exercises together. You'll help one another avoid tempting foods and you'll be there for motivation when one of the group members just doesn't feel they have the energy to exercise.

That's how it's working down here in New Zealand hanging out with old friends. We are choosing activities over just sitting around. Climbing Mt. Manuganui, surfing, or just hitting the water...And the meals have been protein and fresh vegetables, prepared as a group effort - no pizza and sitting around.

So keep your friends motivated and they'll help take care of you.

Better yet, add a professional weight loss advisor to the mix, such as a personal trainer or nutritionist, and you'll have even more accountability to one another. This will also add to your chances of success.

Men's Health has the discussion forums, these blogs, their online personal trainer program, etc. I've even included a message board in my my membership site.

Don't try and go it alone. Don't sit passively by and think you can do it all yourself, and that the encouragement of others is not needed.

We all need to be held accountable, and sometimes we need a kick in the butt from others.

So from your doctor to your dietician, from your spouse to your siblings, and from your trainer to training buddy, make this a team effort. How can anyone not support you when you are trying to improve your health and fitness?

Go team,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
www.TTMembers.com
www.workoutmanuals.com