Great Ways to Get the Most Out of Dieting with a Buddy

Dieting with a buddy can make the difference between successfully reaching your goals and giving up entirely. If you’ve never tried to lose weight with anyone else, then you have not yet experienced the kind of support it can provide you.

That said, if you want to get the most out of dieting with a buddy, it’s not just a matter of trying to lose weight at the same time as another person. Interestingly, it also doesn’t mean that you need to have the exact same strategy. Instead, you need to align your weight loss motivation and dedication with those of someone else.

One of you may be calorie counting and the other may be sticking to intermittent fasting. As long as you are both dedicated to keeping each other accountable, and driven, the specific methods don’t need to align. Similarly, you don’t even necessarily need to do exercises with another person when you’re dieting with a buddy, provided you’re encouraging each other.

Dieting with a Buddy for Eating Accountability

Tracking your food is a great way to keep yourself accountable. However, it still means that you need to trust yourself. When the only person who knows you’ve moved away from the healthy habits you were hoping to build is yourself, it can become easier and easier to give up. However, when you’re also reporting in with a friend – for example, by exchanging pictures of every meal – you’re more likely to make the right choices. Not only do you need to admit to yourself what you’ve eaten, but you also need to provide evidence to your buddy.

Dieting with a Buddy for Exercise Accountability

When you first start your effort to lose weight, it can be easy to drive yourself to exercise. However, over time, it can become more difficult. The motivation just isn’t always there. This is particularly true when you need to do a workout that isn’t one of your favorites. When you’re dieting with a buddy, you’ll feel prouder of each new workout you complete. At the same time, you will feel less likely to skip a workout because you won’t want to have to admit it to the other person.

Dieting with a Buddy to Renew Motivation

Every now and again, keeping up the same eating and exercising habits can seem tougher than usual. You can feel tempted to want to climb back into those old comfortable habits. Remember that those are what caused you to gain weight in the first place. Instead, this can be a great opportunity for a fresh challenge. This doesn’t mean that dieting with a buddy means you should compete with one another.

Remember, you’re on the same side. This is about support so it’s not about one of you achieving over the other. Instead, set the same goal and work together to achieve it. For instance, consider making three days per week all about self-care. This means only taking on activities that are good for your physical and mental health, including the way you eat and exercise. Three days is short enough to be achievable and not daunting, but long enough to make a real difference.