Your Support System
by Rachel Lukasavige

Imagine this: you are attending an all day meeting at work where lunch is served and the only options are healthy; whole grain breads, vegetables with low-fat dip, healthy lunch meats, and fruit for dessert. As soon as you arrive home from work your spouse is waiting for you to join them at the gym. Of course, this scenario exists only in a perfect world. We all wish that making healthy choices were this easy; and if they were, maybe we would not have excuses for being overweight or unhealthy.

The truth is being healthy takes a real commitment. If you find that support is hard to come by you're not alone. A good support system is vital to reaching your goals. If you do not have one in place take a few minutes to read through this so you can begin to get on track.

It starts at home

Talk to your partner and share your goals with them. If you can communicate to them what changes you want to make and why those are important to you, more likely than not, they will be on board and will want to help in any way they can. In the case that they're not as supportive as you would have hoped do not get discouraged. Stick to your plan and look elsewhere for support. If anything, your healthy examples will start to rub off on them and they will begin to be a support for you.

Lean on friends

Friends can be an excellent support system, especially if you spend a lot of time with them. They may be willing to be your gym buddy and hold you accountable for going, or they will forego dessert with you when you're out to dinner. Having that extra support can make all the difference and can help you stay on track. Be sure to share your goals with them and ask them to help you reach those. Tell them what steps you think they can take to help you along the way. Find activities to do together that contribute to a healthy lifestyle; meet up for walks after work to catch up or host a healthy potluck dinner.

When all else fails

If you cannot find anyone who will support the changes that you are making, consider joining an online support group or become part of a message board. It can be very encouraging to talk with other people who are going through the same things. Or try keeping a journal; that way you can look back and see how much progress you have made. Record everything from changes in eating habits to weight lost in pounds and inches to how you feel after a great workout. Reading through these things can give you all the motivation you need to succeed!

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