When it comes to weight loss, we often focus on diet and exercise and forget about the value of social support. Experts report that teaming up with others helps you enjoy the process and lose weight faster. See how a food buddy can help you take off excess pounds and live a healthier life.
Benefits of Having a Food Buddy
1. Share moral support. A weight loss buddy shows you that you’re not alone. You provide each other with companionship, encouragement, and empathy.
2. Learn new skills. You may need a little help learning to eat healthy or you may enjoy discovering new ingredients and techniques that add variety to your diet. Your food buddy can introduce you to exotic vegetables or a better way to cook quinoa.
3. Overcome personal obstacles. If you weigh more than you’d like, you probably have at least one pitfall that’s been difficult to master on your own. Ask your partner for help with emotional eating or sticking to your diet while traveling.
4. Increase your chances of success. Most of all, collaborating with a food buddy boosts the odds that you’ll shed excess pounds and keep them off. You’ll both emerge as winners.
How to Choose a Food Buddy
- Make new connections. You may need to look beyond your family and friends if they’re snacking on chocolate cake while watching TV every evening. A different partner may be more effective.
- Know where to search. On the other hand, recommendations from people you know are a great place to start. Ask if they know anyone who is trying to lose weight. Visit community organizations or weight loss websites. You may want someone close to home or you might prefer chatting online.
- Picture your ideal background. If you choose someone physically similar to you, you both can lose weight at a similar pace. Lifestyle is also a factor. If you’re both single parents or have diabetes, you’ll have more in common.
- Identify essential traits. Personality also counts. Pick someone who shares your sense of humor or knows how to be tactful about telling you that you’ve eaten enough potato chips.
- Clarify expectations. You’re likely to be more compatible if you and your food buddy are both aiming to lose about the same number of pounds. State your goals in a written contract to make it official.
How to Work With a Food Buddy
- Choose your communication style. Agree on the best way to stay in touch. You may prefer face to face meetings or calls and texts.
- Confirm your availability. Estimate how much time you can give to the partnership and the hours when you’re reachable. Let your food buddy know if you’re a night owl or take frequent business trips.
- Share personal information. Knowledge helps you support each other. Talk about how you gained weight during pregnancy and whether you love to cook or eat out.
- Listen carefully. Be generous with your attention. Take an interest in each other’s lives and validate your hard work.
- Set short and long term goals. Interim goals will boost your motivation while you head towards your ultimate weight target. Meet with your food buddy and talk about what you want to accomplish each week or month.
- Plan for the future. Your food buddy may turn into a friend who will stick around for years. However, if you decide to part ways, express your gratitude and think about how you’ll keep the weight off on your own.
Find a compatible food buddy and get started on your weight loss journey. You’ll soon realize it’s easier to stick to your diet when you connect with a partner who is going through the same weight struggles as you. You’ll experience the satisfaction of reaching your weight loss goals while helping someone else reach theirs as well.