Lose Weight with a Friend

June 10th, 2009

If you’re trying to lose weight, you don’t have to do it by yourself. Enroll your family members and friends. You can help motivate and monitor each other’s goals to ensure success for everyone! Here are some tips that you can do in a group setting to advance your weight loss goals:

Exercise
Get a workout buddy. Having someone there to exercise with you can be really motivating. It can also make your workout go by a lot faster if you have someone there with you. Set up a schedule that works for you both and make a commitment to each other to go regularly.

Take group exercise classes. Take advantage of the classes at your local gym or activities center. Most facilities offer a range of activities in varying difficulty levels that may interest you – yoga, pilates, kickboxing, spinning, and even dance classes. Don’t be intimidated; you’ll be surrounded by people who have the same goal as you – to be healthy.

Eating
Cook for your family. If you’re creating a new diet for yourself, involve those around you and who you regularly eat with. If it’s healthy for you, then it’ll be healthy for them, too. Also, if they’re eating along the same guidelines, then there will be less temptations to distract from your new diet plan.

Split your meal. If you’re going out to eat, suggest splitting a meal with a friend or just eat half of your meal and doggy bag the rest for later. It can be astonishing to find out how many calories were in those tempting, yet seemingly harmless bites you just ordered. Splitting it can help to control portion sizes and prevent from overeating.

Other
Keep a food/exercise journal. There are plenty of great websites to help you monitor your daily food and exercise choices. Many of these websites also have a community forum where you can get great tips and encouragement from others.

If you’re feeling more traditional, keeping a journal with you and logging everything works great too. Don’t have room to carry a journal?

Thank goodness there’s an iPhone app for practically everything now. Lose It!, is a great free application, that already has calorie counts for a plethora of foods (even major brands and your favorite chain restaurants) and physical activities. Any way will help you actively keeping track of your calories to give you a clear insight on how your progress toward your goals.

If you decide to have bariatric surgery even after adapting these tips in your new eating and exercise habits, there are plenty of group activities you can get involved.

According to the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, more than 200,000 Americans are expected to have conventional forms of obesity surgery. So, you’re not alone.

Contact your surgeon about finding local support groups for recent bariatric surgery patients. Having that constant motivation and support from others who can relate to your same problems can provide that extra push you need to help you and your goals. Even years after their surgery, many patients continue to be involved and help lead these support groups.

The American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery is the largest organization of its kinds in the world. Members include practicing surgeons, physicians, and Allied Health members. Visit their website for great resources regarding support groups and what they’re doing to improve public health.