Weight loss is a journey, one that needs continual motivation. It seems that too many people begin the process of losing weight, only to land up feeling that this is an impossible task and that giving up is the only option. But it doesn’t have to be that way for you. While losing weight is a challenging endeavor, with the correct tools in place, you can and will succeed.

Making sure that you select the correct diet plan and method for your body is the first and vital step. Taking a popular or fad diet is often the root cause of someone’s failure to lose sustained weight over time. In many situations, people have underlying health issues that are either preventing weight loss or promoting weight gain. This means that unless these underlying issues are addressed, weight loss will be difficult or even impossible. However, by consulting with a provider or professional who is trained in identifying and addressing these underlying issues, great success in weight loss can be seen.

Once the underlying issues have been discovered and are being treated, the weight loss program you select will have a far higher probability of achieving the results you want.  But, as with any diet plan, the going can get tough. There will be times when you may feel discouraged, unmotivated, and want to throw in the towel. Motivation is most likely what got you started on your weight loss journey, but motivation alone will not keep you going. We all need motivation in order to accomplish what we set out to do in life. Motivation is, however, fleeting. Anyone who relies solely on motivation would be hard-pressed to meet their weight loss goals. We need something else to keep us on track when motivation gets low. One of the best ways to overcome fleeting motivation is by using accountability. Accountability helps you to keep consistent – even when you do not have the internal motivation to maintain your consistency.

Accountability is defined as “an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions”¹. Accepting responsibility for our actions and our goals is the first step when addressing accountability. Once we have recognized that we need to take responsibility, we can put an action plan in place.

There are various ways that we can be accountable with regard to weight loss. One way is being accountable to yourself, and holding yourself to the goals you have set. The other ways are related to being accountable to others, as they can assist and motivate you in sticking to the steps that are required to meet your goals.

• Accountable to yourself

Keeping accountable to yourself is KEY in your weight loss journey. It works. A study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that people who kept food diaries were twice as successful as people who did not keep them. Being accountable to yourself also allows setting your goals. Setting your own personal goals, and being able to achieve them is incredibly rewarding.

• Some ways to be accountable to yourself:
  • Keep a food journal
  • Use a diary to reflect on your progress and study your food journal
  • Take regular progress pictures
  • Weigh yourself regularly

• Accountable to others

Being accountable to others often provides us with the motivation we need to stick to our goals and plans. It works in two ways; knowing you will have to tell the person you didn’t do what you set out to do, or having them as motivational support to encourage you to do what you’ve set out to do is equally important.

When it comes to weight loss, some ways to use accountability to others:

• Working with a provider, professional, or nutritionist regularly and keeping the appointments
• Having a “buddy” – for both an eating plan and exercise
• Keeping your loved ones informed of your plans and up to date with your progress
• Joining a class, club, or challenge (such as signing up to run a 5K race)

Using accountability as your consistency and motivation maintainer is key to your weight loss journey successful. At Natural Bio Health, we believe that support and accountability are vital to your success.

If you are concerned about your weight and are looking to explore any underlying health issues as well as begin a weight loss program, NBH can help you achieve a healthy weight and maintain weight loss for life. Our unique approach identifies the underlying issues of weight gain to help you lose weight. Our weight loss programs are customized and designed for your specific needs. Through our program, you will receive both the mechanisms needed for weight loss, as well as ongoing motivational support – your weight loss accountability team.

Contact Natural Bio Health Today

Learn more about taking control of your well-being with Natural Bio Health. Join the wellness journey to achieve optimal health, fight disease and boost immune health to combat viruses.

Our team of specialists understands our patients’ concerns about office safety during the time of COVID-19. We are proud to offer telemedicine services through video and phone calls. We are also seeing patients in person at our offices, but are abiding by new, strict safety precautions. To schedule your appointment, contact us here. We serve patients in Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Round Rock, and College Station.

References:

1. Merriam-Webster dictionary
2. Carter Good blog – 3 weight loss accountability strategies for success
3. Mather Hospital.org