The Importance of Finding a Weight-Loss Partner

Whether you’re just beginning your weight-loss journey or you’re looking to change it up, support is something that will always steer you in the right direction. Your support can be emotional when you need a shoulder to cry on, practical when you need a workout partner with the same schedule, and inspiring when your support system pushes you to do better. Having a weight-loss partner could mean the difference between success and failure. Here are some other important reasons to find a weight-loss partner if you haven’t already.

Reasons to Have a Weight-Loss Partner

• 1. Accountability
  It’s easy to roll over in bed when your alarm goes off, and decide to skip the gym. But if you have someone waiting for you to work out or take a class together, it’s a lot more difficult to back out. Chances are always better that you’ll go so you don’t let your partner down.
• 2. Motivation to Do better
  If you’re choosing a weight-loss partner to hit the gym with, pick someone who you look up to and who you know works hard. If cardio is your forte, choose a partner who excels in strength training, or vice versa. “When it comes to fitness, a lot of people tend to gravitate toward their comfort zones,” says Noam Tamir, C.S.C.S., certified personal trainer and owner of TS Fitness in New York City. “A workout partner who excels in a different area of fitness will help you get out of that comfort zone and become more well-rounded in fitness.”
• 3. A bit of competitiveness
  While the point of having a weight-loss partner is to support you, a bit of competitiveness between two friends can sometimes be a good thing. “When you work out with someone, there is always a little internal competitiveness to make you push a little harder and enjoy it more,” says Tamir. “Keeping it enjoyable is the name of the game.”
• 4. Share your recipes
  When you’re working on weight loss, you tend to turn to the same meals time and time again, because you’re familiar with their nutrition and how to make them. But if you have a weight-loss partner, they might have some healthy recipes you’ve never tried. Not only can you swap, but you can also let each other know what to expect from a certain dish!
• 5. Build a stronger friendship
  When you’re supporting one another through a weight-loss journey, you’re going to see the good, the bad, and the ugly. But letting down your guard with someone else can be a great thing and may lead to an even better, stronger relationship. “Working out is a great environment to just be who you are,” says Tamir. “A gym is a place where people can let that guard down and just be themselves.”