How you can help someone lose weight

Motivation and support coming from a close friend (or not so close!) to exercise your way to fitness, not only takes your relationship to another level, but helps your friend achieve a goal he/she never thought he/she would. In addition to the satisfaction that comes from helping a friend, there are other perks to strengthening the bond of friendship for those who are less selfless!

Here is how you can help motivate your friend to be on track with his/her weight loss goals:

1. Don’t be negative in your approach, you are not here to put them down or give them a lecture of some sort.
2. Give them references of personalities or other inspirations with similar body type, but don’t get into negative comparisons.  
3. Take them shopping for gym wear and keep them updated with the latest or trendiest workout clothing that’s available. This gives you some fun time to catch up with them too.
4. If eating habits need to be set right, explain the requirements calmly and get your friend to a dietitian if necessary. 
5. To monitor the diet plan, ask your friend to buzz you after every meal or call him/her up to find out whether he/she is sticking to the plan or not. Also, notify your friend about what he/she can eat or needs to do next.
6. Get daily updates from your friend, so that you can fill in a chart to see the progress made and are aware of all that’s been done or skipped during the schedule. Maintaining a chart or a diary would help for a written record.
7. As regularly as possible, send in a reminder or give your friend a wake-up or reminder call so that he/she doesn’t miss the day’s fitness session.
8. When you are out with your friend, take the initiative to order sensibly. Even if your friend insists on indulging because of the ongoing ‘happy hours,’ make it clear that the meal is going to be followed by a walk.
9. Encourage your friend to add an interesting way to work out or experiment with something new. Book a trial class for an exotic dance session or something as exciting as aqua zumba, for both and see how that goes.  
10. For whenever you can’t accompany your friend, do little things. Make a pro-fitness playlist or compile songs that you both have loved through the years. This way, your friend can feel your presence and do what they are supposed to.
11. You know, you and your friend can’t do without social media, so make use of this weakness for your friend’s weight loss goal too. Post articles, quotes and pictures on fitness, exercises, eating healthy, and motivation. You could share studies and researches on health and fitness with your friend too. This way you are keeping your friend in the loop constantly.
12. Sign up your friend for various fitness events, classes happening in the city to encourage them further, its best if you could join them too.
13. If your friend has been disobedient or tends to give up on the fitness plan often, deal with this well. If they’ve been skipping the fitness sessions consistently talk to them honestly. Have a heartfelt conversation and see what’s not working for them. If this doesn’t work, let them be for a few days till the realisation creeps in or ask them to formulate an altered plan if that helps.
14. Incentives go a long, long way. Try providing for incentives or surprise gifts (if not expensive!) after your friend has ofcourse got through a challenge you gave. This also means you got to keep raising the bar with the grilling fitness regime.

At the end of it, go all out celebrating your friend’s success, which is also yours!

You might just end up losing a few kilos in the course of motivating your friend too.

 You may also like to read:

•  How effective is walking for weight loss?
• The simple weight loss guide: All your queries on losing weight answered
• Fruits and vegetables don’t aid in weight loss — experts

For more articles on weight loss, visit our weight loss section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And for health-related queries, visit our Questions and Answers section. 

1. Prev:How to prevent skin sagging after weight loss
2. Next:8 foods to help you lose belly fat