Having a Good Support System
As important as self-motivation is, having a good support system will help you stay motivated and reach your weight loss goals much more quickly. Fortunately, there are a few ways that you can find a good support system that will help push you to do what it takes to lose all the weight that you want and live a healthier lifestyle.
Here are some qualities to look for in a good support system:
Healthy
Even if your best friend offers to help keep you accountable for your weight loss, if they’re not living a healthy lifestyle, then there’s a good chance that they could pull you back into that, especially if this is someone that you spend a lot of time with. Numerous studies show that people pick up habits from the people they spend the most time with.
Instead, you want to find people that are making healthy choices on their own that you can get encouragement from and that can help pull you forward rather than pushing you back. This way, you can pick up their healthy habits and learn from them about how to be healthier as you rely on them for support.
Available
Your support system needs to be there for you when you need it most. If you’re having a horrible day, in desperate need of motivation, or even just have a simple question and someone isn’t there for you, it can make things seem even worse and be both frustrating and discouraging, so you need to make sure that your support system is going to be available for you.
Since most people are busy with their own lives, you’ll need several people you can rely on as parts of your support system. That way, when one person is at work, someone else will come through and help you through whatever you may be going through. Most of the time, these are people that you also support and are available for no matter what.
Honest
The truth can be hard to hear sometimes, but it’s also necessary for the members of your support system to be honest with you about things. This means giving your support system permission to be honest with you so that if you’re doing something that’s hurting your weight loss goals, they aren’t afraid to speak up and tell you so you can make a change.
Encouraging
The last thing you need your support system to do to you is make you feel worse about yourself. Although honesty is important, if they’re also not showing you a better way to do something and telling you that you can do it, then they’re not being supportive. In fact, they may actually be stalling your weight loss or even causing you to gain weight from stress or just being a bad influence.
If you do have people in your life that are consistently negative and discouraging, keep them at a distance, and certainly don’t let them be a part of your support system. You’d be surprised at how much more positive your life will start to be when you surround yourself with positive people that will help encourage you to reach your goals.