If you have attempted to lose weight--whether successful or not--you know the stress you face in changing behavior patterns. Information on calories and healthy foods does not address key challenges to successful dieting. The Agricultural Research Service found that people who have the help of a weight-loss support group experience less stress. Popular weight loss programs such as Jenny Craig, Atkins, South Beach and Weight Watchers know the value of a support group and provide online support to help dieters cope.
Sabotage
People who care about you may work against your weight loss. Perhaps because they feel insecure about their role in your changing lifestyle or because they genuinely want to reward your efforts, they offer high-calorie treats that work against achieving your weight-loss goals. To develop skills to identify and combat diet sabotage, ask members of the weight-loss support group to share their strategies for dealing with sabotage. Alternatively, invite a speaker with experience in assertiveness training to present approaches on how to stand for your goals in a firm but non-confrontational way.
Emotional Eating
People eat when they are bored, insecure or afraid. They eat to feel better. The Mayo Clinic lists job loss, fatigue, relationship problems, financial pressure and stress as emotions that can lead to over-eating. Talking about emotional eating during a weight-loss support group meeting helps dieters identify emotional situations that cause them to eat unhealthy comfort foods. A psychologist or clinical social worker can speak to the group about alternative ways to deal with unpleasant emotions and suggest strategies to help overcome the urge to eat.
Portion Control
The increasing portion size of servings in fast-food and sit-down restaurants distorts your concept of the correct amount to eat to lose weight. For example, a recommended serving size for a portion of meat is 3 oz., but the chicken or steak on your serving plate often exceeds twice that amount. Weight-loss support groups can train attendees to recognize correct portion sizes through demonstrations, strategies such as plate marking and teaching people to measure with their eyes against a known size such as a tennis ball or their fist, the online site Eating Well suggests.
References
- USDA: Dieting Study Highlights Benefits of Group Support
- Disabled World: Don't Let Friends and Family Sabotage Your Diet
- MayoClinic.com: Weight-loss help: Gain control of emotional eating
- Eating Well: Think Small - Portion-Control Savvy
- Science Daily: Portion-Control Dishes May Help Obese Diabetics Lose Weight
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