Something that can make the difference for you when youre trying to shed pounds is finding good weight loss support. This isnt always easy. Often the people closest to us are the least supportive; sometimes they can be downright discouraging. If losing weight is something youve tried to do many times in the past but never managed to succeed, or if you lost weight only to gain it back as so many of us have, then maybe theyve heard you say you were going to do it before. While its not fair that they wouldnt be supportive now, often thats the reason the people closest to us dont get excited about our new efforts.

If you feel the people closest to you might have that discouraging attitude, then consider not even mentioning your efforts to them. You wont get any weight loss support from them if they dont know, but if theyre not likely to be supportive anyway its better to keep it a secret than have to deal with someone discouraging.

Sometimes the people we love sabotage our efforts without meaning to. The husband will start bringing home candy bars when the wife announces her new diet, for instance. When people fear change or worry that a new, slimmer you might make you want them to lose weight or change something about themselves, this saboteur-like behavior can start just when you need weight loss support from them the most. Dont take this personallymost people dont even realize theyre doing it.

If you have friends or family who also need to lose weight but arent currently concerned about it (at least, they dont mention it to you) be careful how much you talk about your own efforts. At best, theyll be happy for you at first but then wonder why you keep bringing it up, at worst theyll feel like your success just points out their own failure in that area. Its one thing to need weight loss support from those we love, but we also have to take into account that everyones human and people will react differently to your efforts and your success.

If all this seems discouraging, take heart! There are two great ways to find weight loss support that pretty much guarantee you wont be unintentionally alienating any family or friends, and you also wont be giving them the opportunity to take the wind out of your sails by unintentionally (or intentionally) being hurtful and discouraging. Look in your local paper for weight loss groups that meet once a week for the purpose of supporting each other. Several that cost a certain amount per week like Weight Watchers exist, as well as meetings that only require a donation like OA or TOPS.

Another great way to meet people on the same journey is through online support groups. This also has the benefit of anonymity, and convenience. An Internet search will lead you to dozens of places where you can find great weight loss support online.