Photo acquired from Aidan Jones and modified under Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License

Are you still having a problem with losing weight and/or keeping it off? If so, your biggest issue could simply be the fact that you do not have a buddy.

I believe I speak write correctly when I say that most of us are not as honest with ourselves as we think.  Now please understand that I mean no harm when I say the following…

If you have been trying to lose weight for years, and regardless of doing everything right, you still cannot lose weight or keep it off, it is possible that you are not being honest about really doing everything right.

Think about it.  When you do the right things consistently enough (change what you eat and how much you eat, and increase your activity), you will lose weight.  Period.

“But I really don’t eat that much…”

Ok, so you might eat only once or twice a day (which is part of the problem), but how much are you honestly eating?  What kinds of foods are you eating?

“I am active all of the time, but my weight just doesn’t budge…”

What is your definition of “active?”  Are you doing some form of cardio roughly an hour every single day?  If not, then you have room for more exercise.  Are you out-eating your exercise…because it is very easy to.  Be as honest as you can.

We tend to minimize stuff like how many sweets we eat and how many sodas we drink, and on the flip side, we tend to exaggerate how much exercise we engage in and how many servings of vegetables we consume.  It is our tendency as humans to make ourselves look better to ourselves and to others.

However, to put it simply, if you really want to lose weight and become healthy, you must put aside this tendency and be totally real and honest…

…which is where accountability comes in.

The “Miracle” of Accountability

Having someone hold you accountable in your weight loss journey can be like the difference between night and day as far as your results are concerned.  A good accountability partner is someone who will hold you to your commitments and help you in your weak moments.  This person will remind you of your goals, and will even be stern with you (in a loving manner) if necessary to get you back on track.

Check this out.  The discipline to lose weight does not come automatically.  That discipline must be developed, and only after then will the weight loss come.  And sometimes, a buddy is one of the greatest things around to help you develop a disciplined lifestyle.

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. – Prov. 27:17 (NLT)

Before I move on, let me tell you about bad accountability.

The Bad Accountability Partner

There is a kind of “accountability” partner that you must avoid if you are looking for one who qualifies.  This is the person who fits the following profile:

• always reminds you of your old, unhealthy and heavier self
• in your moments of weakness, encourages you to splurge on bad food
• is never available
• seems to dislike your healthier habits and your progress
• is not on the same path to healthier living

The list could likely go on, but my point is, if you have the wrong person holding you accountable, you may never lose weight. DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS PERSON.

Who Can Hold Me Accountable?

A good accountability partner can pretty much be anyone who will be honest enough and will help you stay on your path.  Consider the following as options:

• A friend.  You may already have a friend who is honest with you in other matters.  This person might be able to help you in losing weight as well.  An even better step would be to find a friend who either is also trying to lose weight like you, or has lost weight in the past.
• A personal trainer.  My job as a trainer (certification to be complete in Feb 2015) is not only to give people knowledge and techniques to lose weight, but also to hold my clients accountable.  I definitely believe that having a truly passionate trainer can be a great asset.  I will also say that, in my experiences with training people, I have consistently seen the best progress when I train at least two people at a time.  In other words, even if you get a trainer, bringing a friend along will, in my opinion, help you get even better results from your trainer.

If you have been struggling on your own to lose weight, it is probably time to stop fighting the fight alone.  Find an accountability partner so you can go ahead and lose the weight.  This might very well be your missing link.