Do you want to lose weight, but the thought of doing it alone is too overwhelming?
With the resources you have now, does weight loss seem like too high of a mountain to climb?
Weight loss does not have to be an isolated journey. Having support from a community can make losing weight significantly easier. People who are on similar journeys are better able to empathize with you and give more meaningful encouragement. They understand what you’re going through and serve as a reminder that you’re not alone—you have help! When you have support from a community of individuals with similar goals as you, embarking on your weight loss journey will not feel so daunting.
Here's what a community has to offer:
Accountability
When your community knows your goals, it increases the chances of staying committed to reaching them. Discussing your goals regularly with other members of the community is extremely motivating. Simply put, a sense of community helps you stay on track.
Knowledge, experience, and strategies
Within a community, you have access to a wider scope of knowledge and experience. You can learn strategies and methods from others that can help you on your journey, too. Small group coaching with H3@Home is a great resource in our community that allows you to learn from other members, with the assistance of a health coach, too! Often, other members will bring up aspects of health and weight loss that also apply to you, but you may have never thought of them.
Positive peer pressure
Your community will peer pressure you, in a good way. Humans generally adapt to their environments. When the people surrounding you are trying to reach goals that are similar to yours, and are making great strides, you tend to follow suit. You’ll feel encouraged and motivated by the group effort and the successes of the other individuals within the group.
Stress reduction
Being surrounded by a community that is friendly and supportive makes weight loss less stressful. You can tap in constantly to a source of encouragement and motivation. Trying to navigate weight loss alone can be overwhelming and chaotic. The ability to express your concerns with other people who are on the same journey as you, and receive encouraging feedback and helpful tips in return, is extremely effective in reducing stress.
Shared successes
Sharing the milestones you’ve accomplished with a community is particularly rewarding because the people who celebrate with you actually understand the true effort and sacrifices you’ve made to achieve them. Additionally, seeing and celebrating others’ accomplishments serves as a great motivator by reminding you that success IS possible and within reach. You’ll continue on with the new habits you’ve created because you’ll see the results they can yield.
No bad influences
A community is a safe place where you won’t be discouraged or tempted to stray away from healthy behaviors. If you’re the only one in your family or social circle who is trying to lose weight, you’ll likely come across a lot of obstacles. Eating healthier and getting more movement in can be difficult when the people around you are doing the opposite. Although it’s often not intentional, your family and social circle can actually encourage you to engage in unhealthy behaviors.
Key Takeaways
Joining a community is probably the EASIEST way to sustain motivation throughout your journey. Motivation comes organically just by the functionality of a community. It’s nearly impossible to overcome feelings of burnout or the discouragement of hitting a plateau by yourself.
I can’t emphasize this enough: the encouragement, motivation, support, and inspiration from other members of your community makes weight loss so much easier. A community is the difference between a stressful weight loss journey and a FUN weight loss journey. Statistically, the chance of weight loss success is DRAMATICALLY higher if you’re a member of a like-minded community. So, roll the dice and join!
