Need Help with Weight Loss? 5 Ways to Stay Accountable

Want to lose weight? Then you need to set up an accountability system.  For most, accountability is absolutely imperative when it comes to your weight loss journey.

What is accountability? To be accountable means to be subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify something. Or at least, that is what the dictionary says.

Accountability comes in many guises:  Here we will look at 5 accountability methods: self-accountability, sharing your goals, social media & going public, group support, and working with professionals.

Self-Accountability

Sometimes you need to psyche yourself out. It can start with writing out a personal contract of what you want to do and the steps to achieve it.

At the end of the day, you want to feel proud that you have accomplished something toward your weight loss goal. Did you stick to your meal plan? Did you meet the 10,000 steps goal? Did you write out that meal plan for the week? Did you log every bite you took? Did you weigh yourself? Or try on your favorite jeans? Or measure your waistline?

When you start logging all of this information (and there are many apps for weight loss accountability), you can begin to assess your lifestyle, and assess your needs and wants. Reviewing this information can provide immense satisfaction as to how far you have come as well as allow you to make adjustments to life’s hurdles.

Sharing Your Goals
Perhaps it simply takes verbally stating a goal to help you stay on track. Sharing with friends and family your goals will keep your goals at the forefront of your mind. When friends and family tempt you to stray, you can remind them of your goals, and vice versa.

Social Media and Going Public
Some are very private with your weight management challenges, but maybe you are the type who wants or needs encouragement and support from others. Luckily the Internet and social media provide many avenues for you to share your journey: blogging, videos, Facebook, Twitter. This public accountability is a reminder that everyone has their own weight challenges and your public sharing can be an inspiration to them and to you.

Group Support
Maybe you need a more formal support group for your weight management challenges. You may have a unique medical condition with medications that make things difficult. Or you may want to get to know people locally or online that can share with you what works for them. Many support groups address the mental challenges that come with weight management. Regular interactions can help you become more accountable for your health choices.

Group support can take the guise of team challenges for weight loss. From the variety of television shows to businesses taking an interest in employee health and well being, team challenges can provide time within your daily routine to support one another.

Another aspect of group support can be a workout buddy. This person may simply watch your children so that you can go to the gym. Or she could be like your favorite high school coach that can say just the right thing to motivate you for that last hill to climb. He can be that person waiting for you at the gym before work. Or she can be that person a text message away when you’re thinking about the latest seasonal latte at the coffee shop.

Work with Professionals
Professionals in weight management come in many guises such as lifestyle coaches, dietitians, and personal trainers.

A step further is when you decide to work with a specific weight management plan, which will often provide a combination of these kinds of services to help you. Much like a follow-up visit to the doctor, regular appointments with your weight management experts will guarantee that certain information is being documented and evaluated regularly to help you stay on track and to make adjustments accordingly.