25: Harnessing Accountability to Stay on Track

Whether it’s regular check-ins with healthcare professionals or forming supportive connections with like-minded friends, today I’m uncovering the secrets behind why most people who achieve lasting changes in their weight and health have some form of accountability in their lives.

Why is accountability essential for success? 

• Support

When we embark on a weight management journey, it can be hard and challenging. Accountability acts as a pillar of support, providing the motivation and encouragement needed to stay on track when faced with the expected ups and downs. 

It is easier to do little course corrections when you catch things right in the beginning, when those thought errors start, and you think you can't do it. Accountability can offer a fresh perspective and make you feel less isolated in those moments, whether that’s with your healthcare team, or other people that are going through the same.

This is especially important if you are surrounded by friends and family who don’t have a weight challenge and don't understand your path. We want to find a way to give ourselves support and so it’s important to think about what that can look like for you. Are you someone that needs to talk to someone? Are you someone that journals? Are you someone that can get that support just listening to a podcast? Try to find the kind of accountability that works for you. 

• You can get ideas

It is priceless hearing the ideas of other people heading in the same direction as you. This can really move you forward because you get to decide what you could try or how you could adapt certain methods to suit your lifestyle. For example, other people in an accountability group might be food planning in a different way, or journaling, or be able to give you an insight into how they get on with different forms of exercise. 

• Active participation allows you to benefit more.

Some people in accountability groups are happy to sit and observe everything, almost like they're scrolling on social media. But without the participation, you’re not getting the reward of the deep friendships. It’s always helpful to lay out the expectations at the start about when you plan to check in so that people aren’t just waiting for someone else to take the lead.

In these groups, there often needs to be a leader, or someone who ensures that you do a prompt every single week. This usually ignites participation, which is crucial if you want the benefit of accountability.

Conclusion 

The most important thing to ask yourself is if you have enough support and a loving space where you can get good ideas to help you make progress. This doesn’t have to be in the form of an accountability group, it could be in an app, or through journaling, or from talking to a particular person in your life.

Do you have enough accountability to move you to the next stage of your journey? And if not, how can you get yourself that support? There are plenty of free options, as well as paid options like coaching, but most importantly you need to have enough accountability to keep going, so that you reach your goals, you don't feel isolated, and you feel supported along the way.