Download my FREE Weight Loss Tracker Spreadsheet Here
Perfect for tracking Weight Loss in a Group (or on your own)
Weight Loss Challenge - Friends, Accountability, Tracking
I know that when you’re trying to lose or maintain your weight, it’s not just as easy as just having willpower. It is way too easy to slip up and lose complete track and, before you know it, the pounds have crept back on.
Don’t worry, you are not alone; how is anybody on this earth supposed to recognize the small weight gains whilst focusing on the specific rules of a Diet or Exercise plan.
If you’ve been struggling to lose weight, for whatever reason, maybe lack of motivation, willpower or discipline? I am here to help because, well, I can totally relate to your struggle!
I am a BUSY (Very!) Mum of two beautiful children. I am using Fatsense to document my journey and Post Pregnancy Battle with Weight Loss and Fitness.
If I can help just ONE person with my advice, personal recommendations or just reassuring words that you are NOT alone, then this whole blog will be worth it.
What is weight loss accountability?
As you probably guessed, weight loss accountability is, basically, holding yourself accountable for your weight loss.
But it’s really more complex than that. So many factors in our life like our schedules, temptation, fatigue, birth and lifestyle changes can make losing track so easy.
Weight loss accountability is all about implementing self-control, understanding that you are your biggest enemy with weight loss.
Figuring out how you can best adapt to maintain your hard worked results.
Don’t get it twisted, it’s not about beating yourself up, we all slip up every now and then, we’re human. It’s about recognizing where you can improve and keep on track to a healthier you, with the added bonuses of gaining more energy and self-confidence – perhaps the biggest benefits of weight loss.
Don’t do it alone
This is my biggest tip to give you.
Do not keep your weight loss progress under the radar, this isn’t helpful. At the end of the day, that dramatic transformation moment, you know, where you walk down the stairs and jaws drop, followed by thousands of people applauding? Yeah….. that isn’t a real thing (except on TV).
There is no reason to keep it secret.
When you’re the only one that knows about your weight loss or fitness goal, it can be super easy to just let yourself off, give yourself a break, just this one little exception…
Making your journey public will absolutely help you get on track. If you feel confident doing so, post your successes on social media, be proud of what you’re doing. You will be amazed how friends and family support you in your weight loss journey. After all, they love you and want you to be the happiest version of you!
You will find that your friends and family also want to join you.
When I told my friends about my weight loss goals, I was flooded with “I want that too” type responses. We set up events, like exercise classes, cooking meetups, weigh-ins, and it was so much fun.
We supported eachother and celebrated, as a team, when we did well. It’s not a competition, we were all supporting each other, but seeing other people succeed will motivate you to do the same.
By all means, if your likeminded, create a weight loss competition with friends if you want to make it more competitive, but the most important thing is motivating each other, in a helpful manner. A weight loss accountability group, can be an excellent way of driving each other onwards as a pack.
There are tonnes of weight loss competition and weight loss challenge ideas. These can be just as simple as “lose x number of pounds” or “fit in your skinny jeans in x amount of time”.
I have a friend who decided to cut out alcohol added sugar and most dairy products from her diet, to treat herself she got a massage, a facial, went to see a movie or took a spa trip every few weeks.
It is basic reward behavior. Set a target, achieve it, reward with something positive, repeat – just one weight loss accountability idea that works.
There are other ways to get support – online groups, personal trainers, coaches, group weight loss websites, weight loss challenge ideas online and weight loss accountability coaches.
Pick which is best for you – I do urge you not to slim away in silence though – you will need support when its tough (after a bad day at work, feeling lonely or overwhelmed). Personally I find it hard to speak to people about my worries, even though I know when I do, I get all the love and support I could ask for. Push through this.
Tracking Weight Loss (Link to my FREE Weight Loss Spreadsheet)
Weight loss accountability, amongst other things, heavily falls with tracking yourself, your goals and your achievements.
For me, this was made a world easier by using a weight loss spreadsheet. This free weight loss spreadsheet allowed me to actively see where I was progressing well and where I, well, wasn’t doing so well.
A weight loss spreadsheet is a brilliant way to begin on your weight loss accountability journey. I adapted my own, if you would like a copy please feel free to download my Weight Loss Accountability Spreadsheet.
The sheet uses a row per person in case you need a group weight loss spreadsheet, to hold yourself and friends accountable collectively.
I have only ever been a member of two weight loss accountability groups, all friends, but on different journeys. We set some rule and had an admin. Each Sunday we would all weigh in at home and send a message to the admin via a group chat, who updated the spreadsheet.
Every month (or sooner) we would meet up and if we were collectively achieving our weight loss goals we would treat ourselves.
It was a good excuse to stay in touch and make an effort with each other, especially when our lives take over and other things get in the way.
A weight challenge spreadsheet also commits those numbers so they are visible to all. There is no hiding and it gives that extra motivation of peer pressure – which is exactly why I would only recommend with a group of people you know who are supportive. Get healthy and fitter for the right reasons.
Alternatively, you can check out OurWeigh.In, which allows you to track your own journey, but also compete with friends, win awards and share your achievements.
Download my FREE Weight Loss Tracker Spreadsheet Here
Perfect for tracking Weight Loss in a Group (or on your own)
Using technology to help you
Sometimes you can’t get a personal trainer, for whatever reason, but it’s not the end of the world.
To be honest, especially when starting, we could all benefit from somebody pushing us to complete certain exercises, eat certain things and set us goals. Not to worry, you can have a virtual version of this.
I highly recommend MyFitnessPal.
Not only did this nifty little app really help me lose the extra weight I had unknowingly piled on, it helped me keep it off.
I was recommended MyFitnessPal, I thought it would be a bit time-consuming, but that wasn’t the case at all – it was so quick and simple to do.
MyFitnessPal allows me to track all the food I had been eating, log in my exercises and it also, thankfully, created goals for me.
I think, seeing everything I ate and the exercise I participated in, quite literally right there in front of me, was the additional layer of accountability that pushed me towards hitting my goals.
It also let me connect with my friends, which was an extra push, which I really needed. I also share my weight loss achievements, through the app. After all, I am proud of what I am doing and hopefully can inspire other people too.
Remember to start small
I’ve tried just about everything to lose my post-baby weight, some things with success and some not so much. I think the main factors hindering my progress were, of course, a lack of accountability, but also, I just dived in too hard.
By starting small, the changes I made to my lifestyle and diet seemed so easy that they were actually doable.
At Fatsense I will review and recommend any programs or gadgets that help me. But, on top of that you need the mindset, the drive and motivation – Weight loss accountability!
So regardless of whether your using a Fitbit, or following the Fat Decimator System, or just walking 30 minutes a day, hold yourself accountable and understand your own objectives and goals.
If you need some guidance on where to start first, take a look at my article on Eating Clean, Whole Food Diet.
This was a stepping-stone for me. I started eating clean, and then mixed in various fitness programs, and different sports / exercises. Ensuring I gave everything long enough to measure and make myself accountable.
Losing weight, getting fit and healthy, is like a rolling stone. It needs that initial push up the hill, but once you push that stone over the brow, and it starts rolling down again it goes faster and faster.
Being able to look at your spreadsheet and monitor the results will give you that momentum of the rolling stone.
Eventually you won’t need it as much, as you will know and feel more energetic, happier, like a new lease of life.
Additionally, instead of setting myself an unrealistic “workout for one hour every single day”, I would follow a ten-minute workout every other day and go on a nice, brisk 60-minute hike once a week.
Treat yourself – Weight Loss Rewards
You really don’t have to be so hard on yourself. Weight loss challenge prize ideas are a great way to tell yourself how proud you are…of yourself.
These are some of my favorite ideas for you, and your friends to treat yourselves with:
- Buy a new Outfit
- Go see a Movie
- Spa Trip
- Get a Massage
- Buy yourself Flowers
- Have a mini Vacation
- Buy new Fitness Equipment or Clothes
Accountability is, I would say, one of the main reasons that I lost weight. I know all too well that, even with the best exercise and diet plan, if you do not feel motivated, it just won’t work. So, set up your fitness accountability group today and start your journey.
It does not matter how you get started, just that you have started.
Please remember how important it is to motivate and reward yourself. Weight loss accountability starts with YOU, but don’t be afraid to share your journey and see how friends and family will help you (and maybe join you).
I have attached my Excel Weight Loss Tracker. I’m not an Excel whizz but it does the job for me. Just add your weight each week and use the results to MOTIVATE you.
Looking for a tracker that can cover Group Weight Loss Challenges between friends or colleagues? Just add new lines for each person and collectively monitor your progress. Good luck on your journey.
If you are looking for ideas on Diet & Exercise then take a look at my other posts where I discuss what helped me lose that baby weight and restore Postpartum fitness.