Do You Discuss Your Weight Loss Goals?

Amid the Instagram tags and Facebook posts, do you share your weight loss plans with the people in your life? There are pros and cons of getting others involved in your personal journey, so you’ll want to do a bit of reflection before you share your plans with the world. Cōpare˚ encourages you to consider the following pros and cons of discussing your weight loss:

Pro: Support

Having a support system can be invaluable for weight loss. Making new, healthy routines can be fun if you have the right people doing it with you. If you share your goals with friends, they may help out by suggesting healthier restaurants when you go out, or having quality time be active rather than sedentary. If you live with someone, sharing your goals may keep unhealthy snacks out of the house (or at least out of your eyesight).

Con: Comparison

Sharing your goals with other people may encourage an unwarranted sense of competition. It’s important to remember that everyone’s weight loss journey is different. If you’re worried about people in your circle comparing weight loss, ask your friends if you can talk about tips rather than numbers. For example, it’s much healthier to compare quick weeknight dinner recipes than who lost the most in a week.

Pro: Accountability

Studies show that people who tell others about their weight loss goals tend to lose more weight or maintain it better than those who don’t. Holding yourself accountable can help you achieve your long-term goals, especially if you’re a person who tends to make NYE resolutions that fizzle out within the month. Having someone ask you about your goals, even if it’s just to make polite conversation, can be a great call to action.

Con: Group-think

Sharing your weight loss goals with others may encourage them to bring up their goals with you. Even though this can be a great opportunity for improving the health of everyone in your life, losing weight is a very individual process. You may have different levels of commitment or different ideas of what behaviors will help you reach your goals. Not sharing your goals can give you more time to focus on what you personally need to improve, and encourage you to be more mindful of what truly works for you .

Pro: Advice

Friends can be a great sounding board for when you’re struggling. Maybe a friend has a recommendation for a healthy lunch out, or has a workout app that has really helped them. Hearing advice from people who are close to you in age, have similar hobbies, or live nearby can help find things that will work for you personally with a little less trial and error.

Con: Advice

That said, chances are that your friends aren’t nutritionists. While there is nothing wrong with doing some solid internet research, not every source is reputable. The weight loss field is especially notorious for having mixed recommendations on foods and diet strategies, and sometimes diets are touted even if they’re downright harmful. If you’re a person who already has a strategy in place and knows people who tend toward extreme diets, maybe be more discrete about your specific strategy.

The Happy Medium?

To reap the benefits of accountability without uncomfortable competition, get a nutritionist to assist you on your journey. Having a health professional to support you will ensure that you’re getting current, scientific advice with multitudes of ideas on how to navigate hurdles and form healthy habits. Best of all, nutritionists can better prepare you for the transition from being “on a diet” to maintaining a lifestyle of eating well. This new year, consider making Cōpare˚ your new weight loss ally. With weekly body composition analyses and coaching, we can help you make 2019 the best (and healthiest) year ever.