Your weight loss accountability partner is someone who will help you stick at your plans to lose weight. Firstly, your partner keeps things in perspective, and saves you from the emotional turmoil you can face when you feel like you’re failing. Sometimes, you can get in your head and not see the wood for the trees, but your partner will be there to remind you that you aren’t thinking rationally, and that weight loss is a gradual process.
However, don’t think that you’ll let them convince you to stop trying. You know that when people are watching you, you act differently. If someone is there to hold you accountable, your reputation is at stake and will be an incentive for you to produce good results. Even if you resent your partner a little bit for it, knowing that they’re going to ask you how it’s going will make you drag yourself to the gym more often.
You might want to consider an accountability partner who has faced or is currently facing the same challenges as you. Weight loss is simple in principle, but the mental and emotional strength you need isn’t easy to achieve and someone who is doing it too, or who has done it before, can show you that you’re not alone in it. There’s strength in numbers and if they did it, or are doing it, why can’t you? Also, they can share the burden of learning about weight loss, and give you new opinions, strategies and ideas.
Finally, an accountability partner is there most of all to give you the confidence you need to succeed. Just by talking about thing with someone, your mental wellness will improve and you’ll feel more likely to achieve your goals. Once you get comfortable talking to someone about your weight loss problems, you’ll begin to believe you can actually lose the weight – which is half the battle. So look for someone you feel you can talk to regularly, like a co-worker, friend or family member. You might feel embarrassed, and want to hire a weight loss coach, which is fine, as long as you find someone with an assertive communication style that will actually hold you accountable. The right person won’t be harsh or simply tell you what you want to hear, and you want someone who will support you, but who you’ll want to impress with your success.