Are Your Friends Good For Your Weight Loss

Hey there!

If your friends are the type of people who always insist on 'all you can eat buffets' then trying to lose weight can be a real challenge! You see, we as human beings carry over a lot 'hangovers' from our caveman days, and one of those hangovers is ability to adapt to our environment. Which is why hanging around 'all you can eat' friends can be a real challenge to our dieting and weight loss efforts.

Let me share a story with you:

You see, I have a friend who I have known for many years, let’s call her Sara (obviously I have changed her name out of respect) Sara has her whole life been as thin as a stick, really, I mean people have even been worried about how thin she is! But recently she has found herself in a new relationship with a guy who is obviously has some weight issues of his own and ever since, Sara has been slowly but surely gaining more and more weight!

OK, so very clearly hanging out with overweight people is bad for your own weight! Not trying to say that they themselves are bad people, just their eating habits probably need some work. In fact a study came out recently that showed you had a 57% chance of becoming obese if one of your friends were obese! So with that being said, take a look at the weight of your five closest friends or people you are most often around. Chances are that if your 5 closest friends are overweight then you'll also be overweight!

Let’s take a closer look at your friends:

- Do your friends often eat out at unhealthy take away joints?
- Do they spend long stretches of time in front if the TV Snacking on unhealthy items, I would’ve fell into this category ;)
- When you eat meals with them, do they often over eat on unhealthy meals?

Then let’s also look at their activities, do they like to get out of the house and go for long walks, hiking or even play sport? Or do you friends prefer sedentary events like sitting in front of the TV? Do any of your friends share these qualities? If so, they might be overweight and a negative influence on your weight!

So what are the solutions?

Speak up! - Let your friends know that you want to make some healthier choices in your life, and ask for their support, maybe a few of them will even join you on your quest for a healthier lifestyle.

Stay Focused - It isn’t always possible to get people to change their old habits, so dont worry about them and stay focused on your own health!

A healthy option - At the next party or social get together, bring a few healthy snacks with so that there is a healthier option.

If you really want to lose weight them it is important to have a strong support system around you. You don’t necessarily have to give up your circle of friends if they aren’t helping, but you can always find new people to hang out with who already have a healthier lifestyle. Remember this - you become who you spend time with!

Till next time.