Why buddies are best!

No-one said losing weight and getting fit was easy. But, the whole experience can be easier and masses more fun with a little support. A friend or ‘buddy’ can really help you get to your goals. And, whether your buddy is there right from the start or comes along at any stage of your weight-loss journey, your diet buddy really can do wonders. Not just anyone will do, though...

The best diet buddy:

• Is someone you know and like (although some research suggests that hooking up with someone that you actually don’t know very well means you’re more likely to keep to scheduled meetings and less likely to bail out of exercise sessions).
• Is someone who has similar goals to your own i.e. he or she might want to lose a similar amount to you.
• Is someone who, generally, likes the same kind of activities as you do.
• Is prepared to give you the kind of support that mirrors your needs i.e. as much or as little as you want or need.
• Can help you get over those inevitable setbacks.
• Motivates, encourages and supports you.
• Offers and exchanges ideas with you.
• Makes you accountable – once you’ve agreed to an exercise session with someone else, it’s much harder to break it, even if you’re not in the mood!
• Helps you make better choices.
• Makes your journey more fun through shared experiences.
• Is someone you feel comfortable with and can really trust.

Got a buddy in mind?

You might love your partner dearly, but he or she might not make the best diet buddy. After all, would you (and could you) put up with your partner holding you accountable for every bite you take and every move you make?  Perhaps a little more ‘distance’ is required!

Choose someone you can:

• Workout with
• Swap recipes with
• Will listen to you and vice versa
• Swap babysitting duties with sometimes so each of you can get to the gym
• Will be available for you by whichever mode of contact you both decide upon – whether this is phone, SMS, e-mail and, of course, face-to-face
• Will be encouraging without being overly competitive.

And, of course, you need to offer all these qualities back! But, not everyone wants a full-on buddy relationship, so you might find that the anonymity of a virtual, internet buddy is right for you – seek out a buddy on the The Biggest Loser Club forums and decide for yourself!

The buddy ‘contract’

To help ensure that each of you gets what you want from your buddy relationship and that each of you knows what is expected of you, a buddy ‘contract’ might really help you to spell out your mutual goals. Try to jot down both short-term and long-terms goals; for example, the kilos you want to lose in one week/month/three months; the kilometers you want to walk in one week; the number of hours you want to spend in the gym, etc.The goals need to be firm, but you might need to build in a bit of flexibility where it comes to how you will actually accomplish your them. Do read your agreement often so that what you want to achieve is kept high on your list of priorities.