Achieve Your Health Goals through Weight Loss Accountability
Keep yourself accountable to your diet and exercise regimen to reach your ideal weight
What's that one goal that's the most challenging? Yup, you got it— a weight loss goal. It is truly a difficult health goal to set and maintain: going to the gym starts to feel more and more tedious after the first few weeks; the delicious chocolate, pastries, and other food you painstakingly removed from your diet seem to be making it their mission to pop up in your dreams.
If you're fervently nodding your head in agreement and are still struggling to stay committed on your weight loss journey and make healthier choices, how about doing 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
Decide your approach
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 up 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 work out, 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 it a habit to record your daily progress. Crack open a brand new diary dedicated to your weight loss goals and document your efforts. We've seen that simply writing it down can be inherently motivating, it helps you stay accountable, and track progress better!
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 make you aware of how effective your strategies are or whether a shift in approach is required. But be patient, the changes aren't going to happen overnight!
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 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
The importance of willpower for a weight loss goal cannot be overstated. That's where an accountability partner comes in—they don't just help you set goals but also remind you about why you started the journey when things get too challenging. This is super helpful when the urge to give up looms over your head and you need a hard nudge to stay on track.
Support and encouragement
When you start the process of losing weight, you may find a lot of challenges--some you may overcome, some you may not be able to. Having someone in your corner—that one person who understands exactly what you're facing will help you stay focused. 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 simply by making an effort.
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 each other accountable. Having people who can relate to you and what it takes to put in consistent effort is a total morale booster!
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 help you stay on track. They can tell you what you should be eating and what you shouldn't, or what kind of workout you should do for your body type.
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 or achieve their fitness goals. There are groups of all sizes and types out there, so you can pick the one that fits best!
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 looking for accountability and support from a real person to help you lose weight, Boss as a Service is here for you! Our bosses help you set and track specific, proven goals to help you with weight loss, and we check in every day so there's no room for slacking! We're also really good with keeping your motivation up!
Also, of course, we've partnered up with apps like Beeminder and stickK to up the ante and add a harder 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 and improve overall health!