Supporting a friend that’s just beginning a healthy lifestyle can be difficult. Do you acknowledge your friend’s need to lose weight and get healthy? Should you offer advice and tips, tell him what worked for you? It can seem difficult and full of perils to help a friend beginning a healthy lifestyle, but it doesn’t have to be.
- Be in touch with the process, not the progress. You probably already know from your own healthy lifestyle that progress can’t be measured solely in pounds lost. Even losing inches can be slow going when you’re just starting out. Instead of asking your friend whether he or she has lost any weight, check in and see how the process has been. Asking whether your friend is enjoying less stress and better sleep is likely more welcome than asking whether there’s been a change on the scale.
- Listen and commiserate. Committing to a healthy lifestyle is difficult, and you probably want to avoid making it more difficult for your friend. When he or she needs to vent about slipping with junk food or missing a workout, share your own experiences and help your friend understand that it happens to everyone. Maybe you can commit to sharing accountability and helping each other try new recipes or make plans to meet for a FitClub group class to help you both stay on track.
- Be responsible in your own lifestyle. Studies suggest that people generally order a meal similar to their dining partners. If you know your friend is committing to a healthy lifestyle and trying to get in shape, be a good example and make it easier by ordering a healthy option when you dine out together. The same is true for your exercise routine. Share with your friend what works for you, make sure he or she knows about your favorite group exercise class, and try to stay positive when it seems difficult.
- Avoid being the expert. Whether you’ve been working out for years or just getting started, avoid the temptation to provide expert advice to your friend. Letting your friend in on your favorite workouts or classes is helpful. Telling your friend the only way to lose weight is to eat a particular food (or not eat a particular food) is not helpful. Even if you really do think you’re an expert on a particular matter, being a supportive listener will work much better than coming across as judgmental.
- Get creative. If your nights out with your friend tend to revolve around junk food and alcohol, allow room for creativity and think of healthier options to enjoy together. Chose an activity like a walk, bowling, or even cooking together one night a week. Even if you’ve been enjoying a healthy lifestyle longer than your friend, you might find that the added healthy night out together is great for achieving your own goals.
In the same way that FitClub provides a healthy community for you to share goals and support, you can be that community for your friend. Has someone positively impacted your own healthy lifestyle? Share in the comments so we can all learn new and better ways to help loved ones reach their goals!
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