Buddy up to lose weight

Forget the latest celebrity diet, take a look at your friends instead and buddy up to lose weight. A new piece of research from The University of Buffalo in the US shows that people are more motivated to eat healthily and lose weight if they see a friend succeed on a diet. And, the more ‘popular’ that slim friend is, measured by the complexity of their social networks (Facebook/Instagram friends and Twitter followers) the more powerful their effect.

Another study from the University of London looked at those trying to take up healthy new habits such as losing weight or giving up smoking: only 17 per cent of those trying to do it alone succeeded, while a whopping 50 per cent of those whose partners also joined in the health campagin were successful.

The message is clear, then: if you want to lose weight, get fit or generally be more healthy, it pays to enlist the support of others. The question is, why? If someone is trying to get healthy with you, you can pull each other through low moments and egg each other on to greater efforts. But, even if someone is not actually dieting or trying to get fit with you, having a supporter who has already been successful in a similar campaign can be a powerful motivator.

Model behaviour

In psychology, this is known as ‘modelling’. This means they act as a model that you can copy. While we may be in awe of Gwynneth Paltrow’s self denial , there is also a natural scepticism. ‘Well, she’s probably got an army of trainers and cooks,’ we think. If, on the other hand, your model is a normal person you actually know, you are more likely to believe that you too can copy their success. If your model is willing to pass on hints and tips that are relevant to your life, even better.

Of course, not all ‘friends’ are a positive influence. Most dieters could tell tales of sabotage and ‘refeeding’ engaged in by family and friends who surreptitiously or even vocally disapprove of their goals. Husbands and boyfriends can be especially anxious about your desire to slim down. Even if they don’t say it, they may fear you are going to trade them in. As a nutritionist/hypnotherapist specialising in weight loss, I often see clients whose partners react to their diet by bringing chocolate and cakes home ‘as a treat’.

So, how do you choose the right diet and fitness buddy? Here are my top tips.

1. Choose a positive person.

There will be low moments, but you don’t want to have to listen to someone else moaning every step of the way. Choose a glass half full not a glass half empty health buddy.

2. Choose someone who is competitive.

…but not too competitive. You want a bit of gentle competition to add some fun to the process, but if you step on the scales having not lost anything and they say, ‘Yesss!’ that’s not very motivating. Choose someone who is a team player.

3. Choose someone who you think will succeed.

Hard, I know, but you don’t want to pick a friend who is liable to fall off the healthy eating regime on day two, as this may weaken your resolve too. Look for a person who has successfully lost weight or got fit before, and who is successful in other areas of their life.

Make your relationship work

Once you’ve found your diet and fitness buddy, here are a few ideas as to how to make the most of them.

Agree a goal and discuss it. They don’t have to be the same. But telling someone your goal commits you to it. You can even write down your goals and each sign them, with the other as witness, for added seriousness.

Meet regularly to check progress. This could be a weekly weigh-in or, if your goal is fitness, a bleep test or a run or cycle ride. The idea is you need some way to measure how you’re doing. Knowing you have to do this makes you accountable for your actions.

Stay in touch in between progress checks. If your buddy is your partner, that’s easy, but if it’s a colleague or friend, you may need to make more of an effort to support each other. Phone, Skype or email each other regularly to catch up, share woes and buoy each other.

Celebrate your friend’s successes. Being invested in someone else’s efforts gets you out of your own head and stops you becoming self-obsessed. Just remember to celebrate healthily – a trip to the cinema rather than a takeaway pizza!

Lowri Turner is a nutritionist and hypnotherapist who specialises in weight-loss. She sees clients at three London clinics. To make an appointment, visit lowriturner.com.