Losing Weight With a Friend
Dieting isn't always easy, especially when first getting started, but a friend can make dieting considerably easier and much more fun. Turn your dieting efforts into a group effort by including a friend or two. Your chances for success will be much greater, and the process of dieting and exercise will be much less painful. Talk about exercise and dieting with close friends, and chances are you'll find someone who also wants to improve their health as well as their physique.
Support
A weight-loss partner can lend support like no other friend or loved one. Someone else struggling with weight-loss understands the difficulties, and a friend such as this can better lend much needed encouragement. Call your weight-loss friend on a daily basis. Together you'll discover what doesn't work as well as what does, and you can share tips and suggestions as you both travel down the road to weight-loss success.
Diet Plans
There are numerous diet plans to choose from, and sticking to the same diet plan with a friend isn't as important as supporting each other on whatever plans you choose. Find a diet plan that best fits your lifestyle and individual taste, and make sure it includes balanced meals and healthy snacks. If you don't know of any suitable diet plans, check into Nutrisystem and Medifast.
Avoid fad diets since they usually don't promote a wide variety of healthy choices, and they don't encourage long-term change or permanent success. Simply losing weight and appreciating a new and improved body isn't always enough to keep the weight off for good. Lifestyle changes must take place. If you revert to old eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle, the weight will eventually return.
If you get started on a diet plan and can't imagine sticking to that particular plan for months on end, instead of giving up altogether, find a plan that you can live with. A diet plan that works for a friend may not work for you, so carefully consider your strategy, and don't be afraid to alter your plan if necessary. Stick to the diet plan that works for you, and once you reach your weight-loss goal, continue to follow your strategy for long-term weight control and maintenance.
Eating Out
Restaurant dining with a friend is always fun, and if you and a friend are dieting together, make eating out a part of your weekly routine. Reward yourselves for sticking to your diet plans with tasty restaurant meals that won't sabotage your diets. You'll look forward to eating out every week, and you'll help each other stay on track.
Choose restaurants that offer low-calorie menus or restaurants that post details regarding calories, fat grams, and carbohydrates. Today there is more focus than ever before on health and nutrition, and many major eating establishments offer this type of information as a service to their patrons. There are countless restaurants that offer nutritional information, and there are usually numerous choices and options for diners.
Exercise
Exercise is a chore to some, and what better way to make exercise less of a chore than by exercising with a friend? This doesn't mean that you and a friend on a weight-loss mission have to sign up at the local gym or join an aerobics group. You and your dieting partner can involve yourselves in calorie-burning activities such as walking or participating in sports. Contemplate the activities you and your friend enjoy, and get moving. You have nothing to lose but excess calories and extra pounds and inches.
If the weather isn't ideal for outdoor activities such as walking or participating in sports, consider investing in an exercise DVD or video that you and a friend can exercise with. Neither of you will be embarrassed if you need to take a break, and if the workout becomes too strenuous, briskly walking in place will suffice. Take turns hosting an exercise session, and make it an enjoyable time to visit and become healthier with a friend.
Weighing-in
Unless you don't mind divulging your weight, you don't have to share how much you weigh with your diet and exercise buddy. Feel free to share the amount you want to lose as well as the amount you've lost, but don't count on your friend telling you how much he or she weighs even if you do. It's a personal matter, and many people prefer to keep it that way.
Weigh yourself within the comfort and privacy of your home on a daily basis, and don't become discouraged if you don't see immediate results. It takes time for the weight to start coming off, and when it does, you'll notice your clothes fitting better than ever before. The extra weight didn't suddenly appear, and it won't disappear any faster.
Rewards
Set goals for yourselves, and once both you and your weight-loss partner reach predetermined objectives, go on a shopping spree. Reward yourselves by purchasing new clothing or other items of encouragement. Repeat this satisfying ritual after meeting every goal, and you'll have fun while sharing the joy of your weight-loss success with an understanding friend.