Sharing Your Weight Loss Goals

I went to a birthday party Sunday evening for a close friend of mine. I have to admit that my husband and I were not super excited about going, not because we didn’t want to visit with our friends, but because we didn’t want to be faced with all the delicious foods and drinks that are usually abundant at these occasions. We both agreed, however, that you can’t live your life avoiding social events simply because you are afraid of what temptations may be there. We already miss enough events because we are dieting and trying to lose weight, such as the Easter Dinner invite from a friend of ours that we had to make excuses for missing.

Anyway, we did go to the birthday party and I was blown away by how considerate my friend was. Even though it was her birthday and she could have had all sorts of amazing foods and treats, because of me she offered a wonderful spread of low-calorie and low-fat snacks. I was moved to tears by her consideration and support of my goal to lose weight. Of course my friend and I have spoken extensively about my weight loss and she is a huge support, but I never expected this. When I was thanking her over and over for such a thoughtful menu plan for her birthday she smiled and said the nicest thing, “I want to support you and this is one way that I know how”. Now that is one good friend!

Sharing your weight loss goals with family and friends helps them to understand better how to support you in your weight loss efforts.

Dieting is often a very personal journey, but as you can see you do not have to go it alone. Unless you are completely isolated from friends and family, you have to let someone know what you are doing. It may seem private and even painful, but if you have support from those that love you, you are going to do much better. There are many reasons for this, and all are reasons why you could succeed. Your family and friends can be more helpful in you reaching your weight loss goals than you think.

Above all else, it is most important that you share your weight loss goals with the family members you live with. Likely they will know you are trying to lose weight because there is no way you can hide your diet from them. They are going to notice the change in what you eat, and even that you are trying to be more active. If you are the adult, or one of the adults, in your family then sharing your weight loss goals with your family is even more important so that they understand your motives and support you in your efforts. For example, in many households, children and even spouses will expect certain snack foods and treats to be in the house although you may find these things too tempting to have around. Speaking with your family about this and coming up with compromises about these types of foods can help you as well as keep your family happy.

When it comes to family, if you are the person who prepares the main meals then you are going to need your families support to make sweeping changes to your meal plans. You can not always make one meal for yourself and one for everyone else when you’re on a diet. In a situation like this, sharing your weight loss goals with you family is very important so that they can support you. Also, discuss with you family how everyone will be healthier because of eating a better diet and it is not just because you want to lose weight. Focus on the health part of dieting and not the vanity side. Also, compromises when dealing with your family meals can go a long way to keeping the peace. For example, a compromise would be to make Friday pizza night and order them pizza in. This way you can make a small meal for yourself and the rest of your family can have a meal that they all enjoy.

When it comes to extended family and your close friends, they are going to know that something is up as well, and it might be in your best interest to share your weight loss goals with them. If everyone is more aware of your mission to lose weight then they can be more supportive. A wonderful example of this is how my friend prepared a special low-calorie, low-fat menu plan at her birthday party with me in mind.

Family and good friends should be there to support you no matter what you are going through in life – and losing weight should not be an exception. If they seem not to be giving you the support you need from them, speak to them about it in a calm and understanding way. Talking things out is always best, as the solution is often simpler than anyone could imagine. Often, it’s a matter of misunderstanding each other and by sharing your weight loss goals with family and friends you will find the peace and support you need to succeed at losing weight.