It’s a fact, people perform better when they are with others or others are counting on them to come through on what they say they will do.
Essentially, it’s peer pressure of the most positive kind.
The goal is harness it to help you get over that hump when beginning to make changes for the better. You know, that internal resistance we all come up against when trying to change long ingrained habits.
In addition to that, having others in your corner in the role of cheerleader, coach or accountability partner is one of the KEY elements to your success at weight loss.
So here’s what you do:
Blab about your goals and your program to those around you who will support you. Don’t keep it a secret.
Think about it, you may talk yourself outta working out on any given night or early morning but if you know that you have a group of people, a coach or a workout partner who is expecting you, you’ll be much more likely to go.
You may rationalize that it’s ok to eat 5 slices of pizza tonight instead of cooking, but if you told a buddy that you and her were in this “diet” thing together and you would stick to the plan, you’re more likely to stick to the plan. You may even give her a call to get some support and motivation to stay focused.
So how do you enlist this positive peer pressure?
- Ask a friend to be a workout buddy. However, they must be just a committed as you. If they are apt to cancel for a myriad of reasons then that defeats the purpose. It doesn’t make them a bad person, just not the one suited to be your workout buddy.
- Ask your spouse to help keep you on track when in the privacy of your own home
- Tell your co-workers, even start a “Biggest Loser” team at work
- Ask a friend to check with you randomly throughout the week to see how you’re doing.
- Ask your kids to help. Go to the park and let them put you through a workout. Kids LOVE to tell their parents what to do. They’ll have you running, crawling and doing all kinds of other fun stuff and don’t think you’ll be able to sneak ANY “treats” in your mouth with them around.
What other things to YOU do to hold yourself accountable? Reply back and let me know. I’d love to hear it.
Always in your corner,
