After understanding what drives motivation and establishing SMART Goals, the next step is creating a support system to keep your weight loss motivation alive.  Even with the best preparation, like having your motivation statement and clearly stated SMART Goals, motivation can still drop.  Finding ourselves in the wrong situation or having a bad experience can make us lose motivation.  Setting up the right support system can help keep a person driven and motivated to lose weight.

Continuing our discussion on weight loss motivation, we’ll focus on creating a support system by:

• Identifying Support Needs
• Building Your Motivation Team
• Creating support Protocols

Creating a Support System

Identifying Support Needs

Similar to our lives, there are several areas where we might need support in our weight loss journey. Establishing an understanding where we might need support at the beginning helps set a foundation for creating a support system. Understand, these will probably change as you progress.

Emotional Support

There will be successes and setbacks as we go through our weight loss journey.  This can make us experience a roller coaster of emotions as we reach highs and lows.  Reaching a certain goal is exhilarating and should be celebrated. Gaining some weight back or hitting a plateau can be frustrating and test our desire to continue.

This is where a good support system is essential. Having people who genuinely celebrate your highs and listen during your lows or plateaus is extremely important. Receiving genuine emotional support was essential during my weight loss journey and still is as I transition into long distance running and hiking.

Accountability

While you might be motivated at the beginning, motivation can wane. Having people who hold you accountable, in a supportive way, is important. Supportive means someone who will not put you down for missing a workout or eating a piece of cake. These are people who work out with you or let you know that it’s not a make or break. 

To those who are part of a support system, let me be clear, putting someone down becomes another obstacle. This is not accountability, this often causes a person to become depressed or feel bad about themselves.  Be supportive when you are holding someone accountable.  Go through the process with them, at least when you’re together.

Education

Everyone may need different levels of educational support. There are several outlets you may be able to reach out to. You might join a weight loss program. I joined Noom and used the app to learn about healthy eating habits and mindfulness.

Working with a personal trainer is an option for some people. If you have gym membership, they might offer special programs. Reach out to friends who might have a health and wellness background. They might provide information.  I was lucky to have a few friends who could give me extra advice in this regard. 

There are other outlets for education. I couldn’t afford a lot, so I found sources online and at my local county health center. When you seek out online and social media sources, do your research before listening to everything they are saying.  Finding the right educational support can take some work.  Figure out what works for you.

Professional Guidance

Relying solely on friends and family is not always the most practical or healthy.  Reach out to professionals for guidance. Determine what you can afford. If you aren’t sure what is safe, appropriate to eat or how quickly you should lose weight, talk to your doctor or medical expert. Again, if it’s within your budge, hire a personal trainer or a nutritionist.  If it is necessary for you, consider weight loss programs or surgery, talk to your doctor.

Building Your Motivation Team

When creating a support system, the most intricate part is your motivation team. Since there are multiple areas where you may need support, you may need multiple teams to support your weight loss journey. This may depend on affordability, how much weight you want to lose and quickly you want to lose it.

There are three categories to consider, so let’s break them down:

Inner Circle

This was the motivation team I found to be most important for me in my weight loss journey.  A good inner circle helps set the tone when you need to celebrate or a shoulder to cry on.  They can also be part of the other support groups. There may be other people who you share information with, but these are your most reliable, core supporters.

Here’s how I set this group up. When I started, I had an idea of who some of them would be, but I kind of felt them out. As I moved through process, my core inner circle emerged.  I eventually had a core group of 3 -4 people I relied on as my core support.  This allowed me to reach out to different individuals depending on the situation or availability.

Once I established my group, there were clear expectations set as to what I needed from them if I called or texted. My support group was not close physically, so much of my support was through texts. A call was always an option and when I needed more, I could physically visit.  Clear communication methods helped determine what was needed in different situations.  Lastly, we set specific ways to communicate. As I said, we communicated via text and phone, but sometimes I received information I needed, memes of support or an email with more help.  A long-distance support group may not work for everyone, but it did in my situation.

Extended Support Network

Some of my inner circle were part of my extended support network.  I am naturally an introvert, so engaging with a lot of people is not something I feel comfortable with. There are multiple networks/groups you can join or create to help yourself like – weight loss communities, find workout buddies, setup meal prep partners or engage with social media groups.

Due to my location, joining weight loss communities or fitness communities at a gym was not a possibility. I had a few friends that setup an accountability group for exercise and meal preparation. We did regular checks to ensure workouts were being done and shared recipes each week based on what we were meal prepping. Although not in-person, this worked and included a few FaceTime conversations when things got rough.

Social media was a space where I found some support. I didn’t feel comfortable sharing my story when I started, mainly because I was embarrassed by my body and never followed through with a weight loss journey. I joined a small group where I could privately share my story.  As I started seeing progress, I shared my progress with friends on social media. I also followed a few influencers to get recipe ideas, learn new exercises or support myself getting through a plateau.

Consider Adding Professional Support

Depending on affordability or the extent to which you want to go with your weight loss journey, professional support might be worth considering. I didn’t do this because my financial situation did not allow it and I wan’t comfortable going to the gym. Options to consider – healthcare providers, registered dietitian, personal trainer, mental health professionals or weight loss coach.

After my situation changed and I reached my goal weight, I went to a doctor for a physical. Currently, we are looking into the possibility of skin surgery, because when you lose a lot of weight you are left with excess skin. This, among other things, may be a reason to consider a mental health professional. I dealt with and still sometimes deal with depression from body image issues.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.

Creating Support Protocols

In the last section we touched on this a little, but it is important to have a system of protocols to follow when creating a support system. These protocols will be followed by your support teams and you.  If you work with a professional, they will setup a system with you.  Your inner circle and other groups will create their own set of protocols.  These will vary depending on the group.

Regular Check-ins

Schedule weekly progress reviews with your inner circle or other groups, such as online. The ultimate goal is to hold yourself accountable and get feedback on your progress. This also helps if you get off track or are dealing with a plateau. Getting constructive feedback can help get you back on track.

Set up accountability calls with your inner circle. As previously stated, I texted or called members of my inner circle after a workout or to share meal plans/recipes.  Often my workout check-ins involved sending a picture of sunrise/sunset while I was on my walks.  I would get responses back supporting my photography and my initiative. Other times we connected when I was struggling, and I got feedback as to how I could adapt what I was doing.

Plan group activities with people who can hold you accountable, are supportive or working through their own journey. I didn’t do this much because I was in a very rural area. However, I planned trips or weekend activities with friends or family where we got out and were active. Sometimes, the activities were just to have fun and mentally reset, which is extremely important.

Emergency Support Plan

Make a list of go-to supporters for tough days. There will be times of frustration and you will get down. Consider who you can talk to that will lift you up while also providing constructive feedback. I had one main person who I knew would be supportive but provide tough love.  This person was critical in my journey and still is in my run training journey.

Create a motivation emergency kit, this doesn’t have to be a literal kit. Mine was a book of motivational quotes and another book I relied on to help overcome depression and self-doubt. I’m a quote person, so I had quotes in strategic places to lift me up throughout the day.

Develop crisis management strategies to carry you through the tough times.  At first, I did not have this, but later realized the importance of a crisis strategy. I had different strategies for different situations. This involved calling someone when I was struggling. I also had strategies to handle situations on my own.  If I needed to reset, I went for a walk or short hike to enjoy nature. I found time to meditate at home or in nature. I watched birds in the backyard and listened to the world go by. Sometimes I went clothes shopping, watched a movie or took a drive to take pictures. Taking a break to mentally reset is extremely important.

Celebration System

Don’t forget to celebrate the victories, no matter how large or small.  This keeps you motivated throughout the process and allows you to track progress.  

Plan non-food rewards such as a trip to celebrate a weight loss milestone or buying new clothes after dropping sizes. For smaller rewards you might purchase a book, go to a movie or spend an afternoon antiquing. 

Similarly, schedule milestone celebrations for big wins. When I was close to dropping under 200 pounds, my original goal, I booked a trip to hike in the Adirondack Mountains as a challenge for myself. I also used this trip to spend time with a friend, which leads to the last celebration.

Share victories with supporters because they are the ones who are there and care for you. They’re with you on the whole journey. This celebration can be like the trip my inner circle supporter took with me. It can include posting your success on social media.  It’s good to celebrate, you’ve put in a lot of work.

Develop Tracking Methods

The last part of creating a support system is to develop ways to keep track of your success and progress.  Some people take baseline measurements of their waistline. I did not officially do this, but I watched my pant size shrink from a size 32 to currently between 8 and 10. This is where you can also use photo documentation, before and after pictures. Take pictures along the journey to compare how far you’ve come, which is really useful when you’re feeling down. I wish I would have taken more, but I was and still am extremely self-conscious. I’m working on this.

Record non-scale victories beyond baseline measurements. If you wear a fitness tracker, as your resting heart rate drops you will probably notice other changes. You will probably find you walk further and longer without feeling out of breath. As you get healthier, your blood pressure might become more stable too but check with your doctor.

Keeping a habit journal can help you track your calorie intake and exercise progress. This allows you to keep track of your progress and understand how your body works. Lastly, it helps you determine what is working for you and what doesn’t. I still do this as I work to maintain my weight and go through my run training program. Track other habits, like how you feel after meditation, walking or yoga. Use it to keep track of healthy recipes.

Various Support Systems Help Drive You to Success

Remember: Your motivation foundation isn’t set in stone – it’s a living framework that grows and evolves with you.  As you go through your journey, revisit and adjust elements regularly to support your progress on your journey.  As you progress, your needs may change, or your support system may need adjustments.  That is fine.  When creating a support system, you should pivot to support your needs and goals. 

Your weight loss journey isn’t about pleasing anyone. It’s about your health and wellbeing. Do what is best for you.

Next, we will discuss developing long-term motivation strategies to succeed beyond after you reach your initial goals.