Finding good weight loss support van mean the difference between succeeding in your weight loss efforts or failure. This is not always easy. Often the people closest to us are the least supportive; sometimes they can be quite discouraging. If losing weight is something you have tried to do many times in the past but never managed to succeed, or if you lost weight only to gain it back as so many of us have, then maybe they have heard you say you were going to do it before. While it is not fair that they wouldn’t be supportive now, often that is the reason the people closest to us don’t get excited about our new efforts.
If you feel the people closest to you might have that discouraging attitude, then consider not even mentioning your efforts to them. You won’t get any weight loss support from them if they don’t know, but if they are not likely to be supportive anyway it is better to keep it a secret than have to deal with someone discouraging.
Sometimes the people we love sabotage our efforts without meaning to. The husband will start bringing home candy bars when the wife announces her new diet, for instance. When people fear change or worry that a new, slimmer you might make you want them to lose weight or change something about themselves, this saboteur-like behavior can start just when you need weight loss support from them the most. Don’t take this personally; most people don’t even realize they are doing it.
If you have friends or family who also need to lose weight but are not currently concerned about it (at least, they don’t mention it to you) be careful how much you talk about your own efforts. At best, they will be happy for you at first but then wonder why you keep bringing it up, at worst they will feel like your success just points out their own failure in that area. It is one thing to need weight loss support from those we love, but we also have to take into account that everyone is human and people will react differently to your efforts and your success.
If all this seems discouraging, take heart! There are two great ways to find weight loss support that pretty much guarantee you won’t be unintentionally alienating any family or friends, and you also won’t be giving them the opportunity to take the wind out of your sails by unintentionally (or intentionally) being hurtful and discouraging. Look in your local paper for weight loss groups that meet once a week for the purpose of supporting each other. Several that cost a certain amount per week like Weight Watchers exist, as well as meetings that only require a donation like OA or TOPS.
Online support groups are another great way to meet people on the same journey. This also has the benefit of anonymity, and convenience. An Internet search will lead you to dozens of places where you can find great weight loss support online.
