Karine Laudort Post in Collaboration with Lauren Donaldson
While your goals and motivations for weight loss can be primarily personal, you don’t have to go through the journey alone. Research published in JAMA Network Open shows that individuals who seek professional help through evidence-based weight management programs are more likely to achieve their weight goals. In the study, participants who received informational support and recommendations on weight loss
strategies lost more than twice as much weight as those who relied on self-monitoring for diet and exercise.
But aside from enrolling in a lifestyle management program with professional support, a network of family, friends, and peers can help you adapt to and maintain healthy lifestyle habits. This article will show that a support system can mean the difference between success and failure. Here is a closer look at the role of support systems in successful weight loss and how you can build one of your own.
The role of support systems in weight loss journeys
Weight loss journeys encompass various aspects of your life, encouraging you to transform your eating, exercise, and overall lifestyle. But these multifaceted changes tend to get overwhelming and can even cause everything from stress and anxiety to social isolation if you go through it alone.
This is why recent research on lifestyle management programs, which include healthy diet and exercise, emphasises the role of social support as a predictor for success. The findings of the study indicate that friends can provide support in terms of information on how to eat better and move more, practical help for solving health-related problems, and encouragement for meeting goals and celebrating achievements.
Beyond family and friends providing emotional, practical, and inspirational support, a different study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that having a support system can also enhance both short-term and long-term results of one’s weight loss journey. Among those who received standard behavioural treatment with social support strategies, 95% completed treatment, and 66% maintained their weight loss within ten months of follow-up.
Ways to build a robust support system
Find an accountability partner
Giving your family and friends specific ways to help you reach your weight goals can help discourage unsupportive behaviour. A primary example of this is asking them to serve as your accountability partner; seek to choose someone who wants to achieve a similar weight loss goal and can balance support and tough love to motivate you and challenge you to do better. Accountability can come in the form of meeting up once or twice a week to exercise together or texting each other daily to check whether or not you’re adhering to your weight loss diets.
Join online communities
Health apps often have online communities that can also serve as a source of support, as you can connect and track your progress together with other users. Some weight-loss programs come with a dedicated mobile app where you can access a personalised meal plan and a substantial online community of health experts, coaches, and fellow program members.
Experts can help you overcome common weight loss hurdles by using evidence-based strategies, while coaches can lead workshop sessions that provide a sense of belonging and accountability. Lastly, communicating with millions of other people seeking to lose weight gives you on-demand access to weight-loss tips, recipes, and informative resources.
Look into peer support groups
Whether geographically or clinic-based, peer support groups are also an effective intervention for individuals who receive little to no support in their everyday lives. Almost everyone will have a support group; search ‘weight loss groups near me‘ to find a suitable group. You will receive advice on diets and the like and meet a network of like-minded people. In-person peer support groups have also been found to help underrepresented groups such as women, ethnic minorities, and people with medical conditions or disabilities meet their weight goals.
The common elements of good peer support groups include expert-led content and attendance and supplementary, peer-led activities or discussions. If you can’t find a
You can create a peer network within your area by meeting with people at neighbourhood events, community organisations, or local exercise classes.
Remember to keep your support system updated and informed about your progress as much as possible. They can help motivate you right from the start, as well as reach out and remind you of how far you’ve come if you ever find yourself falling off track.
