Have you heard the story about the child trying to move the boulder while his father watches? The kid pushes and shoves with all his might, but the rock hardly moves an inch. He finally turns to his father and tells him that he can’t do it, that the job is impossible.
His father tells him not to quit, that he hasn’t yet used all the resources available to him. The boy responds that he has pushed his hardest, using all his strength, and still can’t move the boulder. It is just too much. Finally the father looks at him and says, “You didn’t ask me to help you yet.”
Sometimes trying to lose weight can feel like trying to move that impossible boulder. You figuratively push and shove with all your might. You throw yourself into a strenous workout program, count every calorie that comes near your mouth, read all the latest diet books. But no matter how much you try, you find sticking to a diet and workout program impossibly hard. Eventually you give up.
But there is one technique that you probably haven’t tried, one that could push you over the hump: using the fat loss buddy system. That means putting together your own personal support group of friends, family, and acquaintances. The best support group are people who are positive, who genuinely care about you, and who also could benefit from losing weight. This kind of group can positively reinforce everyone’s desire to lose weight, offer encouragement, and help you get through setbacks that would have derailed you.
Here are some tips to help you build that support group:
1. Find an exercise buddy who will commit to work out with you on a regular basis. If you can’t find someone among your regular friends and family, join a gym and look for someone who has the same goals as you. Quite often, having someone to meet and workout with is the big difference between failure and sticking it out. This is especially true in the beginning, when your muscles will be sore as you start doing activities you haven’t done regularly in the past. Getting through this time is greatly aided when you have someone else to share complaints and sympathy with. You might even find that you’ve made a wonderful new friend in the process!
2. Make sure your family is a help and not a hindrance. Don’t let them sabotage your diet efforts or belittle you. Unfortunately, many families can do more harm than help when you are trying to change your behaviors or correct bad habits.
3. Think about joining a fat loss group, such as Weight Watchers. Often, the best support group you will find is a group of people who are trying to make the same changes that you are. It can help a lot to have people to share your successes and failures with, plus you will hear many tips you probably hadn’t thought of before. You may also find people in this group who will agree to be your exercise buddy. Best of all, you’ll get the encouragement you need to stick it out when nothing seems to be happening.
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