Achieve your health goals through weight loss accountability

Weight loss is a difficult health goal to set and maintain. Either the gym starts to feel more and more tedious after the first few weeks, or food temptations seem to pop up everywhere as soon as you go on a diet.

So, if you're contemplating getting on a weight loss journey soon, do things a bit differently this time--try getting accountability to make sure you stick to your goals! Being held accountable will not only make sure you accept responsibility for your goals but will also give you that extra willpower, push, and motivation to consistently meet them till you reach your goal weight!

Effective strategies for weight loss accountability

Set a specific goal

The first step in getting weight loss accountability is to set a specific goal. There are lots of ways to lose weight--you can start limiting calories, go on a sugar and carb-free diet, take a sport, or try getting to the gym every day. Make sure you know which path you're going to follow because following it consistently will be key to meeting your weight loss goals.

This means you can't decide to go on a diet for one week, then pause and try exercise, or so on. You can choose one or a combination of both, but keep it clear!

Set SMART goals

Once you've figured out how you're going to lose weight, set a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant/Realistic, Timebound) goal that aligns with it. For example, if you've decided on a diet, your goal can be:

I will lose 20 pounds (Specific) by limiting food to 1,700 calories a day (Measurable, Achievable). I will do this by meal planning ahead of time every week (Relevant) for three months (Timebound).

Now, if you're planning to take up fitness goals, your SMART goal can be

I will lose 20 pounds through cardio workouts and walking (Specific). I will do this by going to the gym four times a week (Measurable, Achievable) and working with a personal trainer (Relevant) for three months (Timebound).

Now sure how to set SMART Goals? Try our free tool here!

Maintain an exercise and food diary

Once you start on your diet and/or exercise goals, make sure you start keeping a record of your daily progress. Crack open a brand new diary dedicated to your weight loss goals and write down all things relevant to them. This is not just a good way to keep up weight loss accountability for yourself but also to help you stay motivated as you make progress.

Weigh yourself regularly

Let's face it, no one likes bringing out the weighing scale and seeing the numbers move up. But if you want to stay on track of your progress and maybe nudge yourself to greater weight loss strategies, you need to check those pounds regularly. This will also help you realize quickly whether your strategies are working or whether a shift in approach is needed.

Find a weight loss partner to keep you accountable

Who better to keep you accountable than a weight loss accountability partner? A good accountability partner will help you set your goals, make sure you follow them every day, and just make healthier lifestyle choices. Want to know more about how they can help? Read on!

Why you need an accountability partner for weight loss

To get the willpower to lose weight

An accountability partner does not just help you set goals but also makes you realize why they're important to you. When things seem too difficult or you do not see results right away, your partner will remind you of these reasons so that you can keep up your resolve to follow through with your aim.

Support and encouragement

As you start to try losing weight, you may find a lot of challenges--some you may overcome, some you may not be able to. Having someone with you on your path understanding exactly what you're facing will help you stay on track and be encouraged to focus and keep moving forward. Also, they'll be able to call you out when you're not following through with your goals!

Expert advice

Your weight loss accountability partner may be a health and fitness expert themselves, so will be able to provide you with proper advice on how to plan and approach things if you feel yourself getting stuck.

Celebration partner

When you start losing weight and hit some milestones, you'll need someone to celebrate with you--and periodically remind you of just how far you've been able to come.

How to find a weight loss accountability partner

Join a support group

Weight loss is a common goal that lots of people struggle with, and many of them find it better to lean on each other. Look for such a group at a gym or community center near you where you can help keep people accountable as they do the same for you.

Connect with a nutritionist or personal trainer

Rope in an expert who can understand what you need and help you design a food or exercise regime. Through regular meetings and appointments, they'll be able to keep you accountable and on track.

Join classes or clubs

A cooking class, health club, or even group yoga can be a great way to connect with experts and others looking to lose weight. You can connect with a small or larger group this way who is interested in your progress as a way to motivate yourself to keep going.

Look online

The world is connected now, which means there are a lot of options for weight loss accountability online. You can connect with an online health coach, a virtual group or, if you want to do something different, even start a blog or social media channel where you ask your audience to keep you accountable to your weight loss goals.

Accountability partner services

That's of course where we come in! Boss as a Service, stickK, Noom, and Beeminder are some great accountability apps you can use for your specific goals, and make sure you're committed to doing what you've promised to do!

Ask a family member or friend

I write this at the end because it's not always a good idea to mix accountability and relationships. But if you have a loved one you can trust to compartmentalize, then ask them to track your weight loss progress and hold you responsible for finishing it.

How BaaS helps in your weight loss journey

If you're a person looking for real, live accountability to help you lose weight, Boss as a Service is here for you! Our bosses are trained to help you set specific, proven goals to help you with weight loss, and we check in every day so there's no room for slacking!

Also,  of course, we've partnered up with apps like Beeminder and stickK to up the ante and add a greater nudge when needed! So from all angles, we've got you covered!

Final thoughts

Weight loss is not an easy goal--devise a system to keep yourself in control and accountable to increase your chances of success!