Saturday, September 25, 2010

Asking for Help


Here is a summary of my Weight Watchers meeting September 21, 2010.

This week in the meeting room we talked about being able to ask for help with our weight loss from the people around us.

Asking for help means:
• Involving the people close to you in your efforts to lose weight.
• Deciding what your friends and family can do to help you achieve your goals, and asking for their assistance. Maybe you want them to fill your wine glass with a diet soft drink or put food in serving dishes rather than piling up your plate.
• Anticipating how your loved ones will feel about you trying to lose weight, and negotiating with people who are unable or unwilling to help.
• Being flexible, and if you're not getting what you need, being proactive enough to look for motivation elsewhere.
•Posting and reading topics on the Message Boards at Weight Watchers.com.

Successful people do what it takes to get the help they need.
Some simply ask—people with great motivation systems are often in the habit of asking for the help they need, and the people around them are used to being asked.
Others, whose immediate family and friends aren’t as helpful, expand their networks to include more of the kinds of people who understand.

Those of us who aren’t used to asking the people in our lives for help with anything (much less something as big as weight loss), may feel tempted to just go it alone. But it doesn’t have to happen that way.

The encouragement that comes just by asking for help can be a big boost.

Asking for Help is useful because…
• Research shows that ongoing social motivation from family and friends, as well as other sources, may help to sustain weight-loss efforts.
• When you make an effort to ask for what you need, you’re more actively thinking about what you need.
• When you involve people who are willing to help you, and negotiate with people who aren’t, you’re nurturing healthy relationships.
• When you recognize the gaps in your network, and seek help because of it, you’re taking a great step toward success (not to mention your self confidence).


Remember if you ask for help, the answer is sometimes “No”, but if you don’t ask, the answer is always “No”!


1. Decide what kind of help you need and from whom.
2. Ask for the help you need in a stern, assertive way and be sure that the other person understands.
3. Explain why you need the help and what kind of a difference it will make in your weight loss efforts.
4. Accept that not everyone is willing to help you.
5. Be flexible and willing to compromise.
6. Always say “Thank You!”

Maybe you need to tell your coworkers that leaving a doughnut on your desk isn’t helping. Maybe you need to speak to your grocery store manager and ask that certain food items are kept in stock. Maybe you need to ask your grandmother to stop making you homemade pies each week. Maybe you need to ask your friends to go to a restaurant where you can make healthier choices.

Essentially, we are the only ones that will make this weight finally come off…but it sure would be nice to have some help along the way!

6 comments:

Losing Brownies said...

I have the hardest time when it comes to family. Both my family and my in laws are all about food. It's always going out to eat, or coming over for dinner. I wish it was more activities or even healthier choices.

Losing Brownies said...

Its me again!

I just wanted to let you know that I awarded you with the versitile blogger award. :)

You can see it at www.onebrownie.com

Mommy Mayonnaise said...

I love advices which come from a real experience like yours here. I love to eat, especially dairy food and meat. I know its not healthy. But as you said, we need all support to be able to conquer that appetite. And that's what I'm seeking right now. Thank you for sharing :)

Anyway, I found your site from Blogfrog and I want to thank you for following me. And I'm following you too right now.
God Bless
Risma

momyshaver said...

I found last week's meeting helpful and your blog was a nice review of it...sort of helps it sink in to go over it a few times for me =)

Anonymous said...

I don't get to attend the meetings anymore, so I really love your recap of them, and it helps me SO much. Keep them coming! :)

Jen Newsham said...

Losing Brownies - Thanks for the blog award!! Family can be the hardest people to get support from because they know what your habits used to be like.

Risma - You're welcome. I'm so glad to have you following me!!

Momyshaver - It helps me to remember what we talked about in our meeting to recap it. Most of the time, the information is too good, not to share.

Stephanie - You're welcome!! I'm so glad they are helpful to someone other then myself.

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