Many people have tried, with varying levels of success, to lose weight. A quick search online will bring up many thousands of suggested diets, techniques, lifestyle choices and so on. All claim to help you lose weight better than any other way.
One way that seems to work for a large number of people is getting together with other people and using the group for support. Many people find they struggle on their own but can achieve their weight loss goals when they are part of a weight loss group.
There are many commercial groups out there that have a range of products, online resources and discussion boards, face-to-face meetings and many other types of support. Although there is inevitably a commercial element to these approaches, many individuals find they can make a huge difference.
For example, recent research has found scientific evidence for the effectiveness of the Weight Watchers program. So what is it about losing weight in a group setting that makes such a difference?
The Group Setting
One of the key components to a group weight loss setting is the social support and encouragement you get from the fellow members. Whether it is in a formal setting such as a weight loss product or commercial element such as Weight Watchers, or more informally with a group of friends, the social aspect makes a huge difference.
Research has shown that individuals who have fellow members to reassure, encourage, and remind them are much more likely to complete a weight loss plan. When you are losing, weight on your own it is much easier to fall behind or not achieve as much as you have no one to motivate you.
Equally, regular sessions with friends or a formal group often include personal weighing sessions. Weighing yourself in a setting such as this can be a huge motivating factor; everyone wants to be the person that reaches his or her target or loses the most weight that week.
When losing weight on your own you miss out on these aspects, which can have a huge effect on your weight loss achievements.
Unity In Numbers
When thinking of joining a group it can seem quite daunting and this is often enough to put many people off to the idea. Some people fail at this stage and will struggle with weight loss; having a friend go with you can make all the difference.
Any new situation can seem daunting, so having someone to go with you means you don’t go alone. It is easy to talk yourself out of going to a group whether it is the first time or not. There are always more important or urgent things that need doing so many people often put the group off for often quite a while.
However, when you have someone else relying on you to attend and to provide moral support to him or her, it is much harder to not go. Letting yourself off the hook is one thing, but when someone else is relying on you, it is that much harder.
Weight loss can be hard enough as it is, but having other people around you can make all the difference. Whether it is as simple and informal as someone relying on you for a lift, this can be enough to encourage you to keep going with weight loss.
Alongside plenty of anecdotal evidence, research has consistently shown that trying to lose weight in a group setting is significantly more effective than trying to do it on your own.