Accountability Partner

This weekend was really hard for me. I went to a birthday party and ate pretty healthy. However, when I saw the cake, I knew defeat was coming…

I think I told you in another blog…I love cupcakes. But truthfully, I love anything with the word “cake” in it. I have rarely ever been able to practice self-control when it comes to cake, because not only would I eat one huge piece, I would eat several huge pieces. It was like I was an addict (science says there is a lot of truth to this as our bodies become dependent upon sugar); and even though I would be full, I would continue to eat the sweet…

So back to my story…so here I am at my friend’s birthday party, eyeing the cake. I was trying my hardest to stay away from it. I was in a room with several people who were having interesting conversations, but all I could think about was, I WANT SOME CAKE!!! Finally, I decided that I was going to go ahead and give into my craving (not that eating cake is bad, it’s just that it does not fall in line with the “Insanity” diet I am doing). I was about to get up, and go get some cake, when I looked at my phone, which displayed a text message from one of my friends…

Interjection: So, this particular friend had called me a few days later and told me she wanted to do the detox that I normally do. That detox involves no meats and sweets. She had been having a hard time with sweets for a long time and wanted to overcome this. So she started the detox and tried to call or text me with her progress daily….okay, back to the story…

So my friend (the one mentioned above on the detox) texted me. So as I am about to get up to get some cake, I read her text which says: “HELP! I am at a wedding and they don’t have any vegetables! I want some cake so bad!(paraphrasing).” Well, I then sat there feeling bad. Because I had told her she could overcome this obsession with sweets, and here I was about to give in. So I “manned-up,” if you will, and told her not to give in, and that she was strong enough to do it. Knowing that I had to tell her that, and that I was in a sense accountable to her, just as she was being accountable to me, helped me to not go and get that cake. This experience, like others has shown me the value of social support. Research shows that individuals who have social support, especially when dealing with trying to lose weight or incorporating healthier eating practices, usually have better health outcomes.

So, if you are considering making health changes in your life, let me give you 3 reasons to get an accountability partner:

1. You can’t do it alone. Most people usually don’t have enough strength to make the necessary changes in their life without talking to someone else about it, and being held accountable to what they have chosen to do.

2. The fact that you have to tell someone about whether or not you have complied with your plan is often just enough reason for you to stick with your plan. Many don’t like to disappoint others, or to deal with the guilt of not meeting a goal, and others knowing about it.

3. It won’t hurt anything. Having someone to talk to who keeps you accountable in relation to your goals is not a bad thing. But you need to make sure your accountability partner is the right partner, as, just anybody will not do…

Here are 8 characteristics your accountability partner should have:

1. Desire to help you

2. Have some experience in the area you are struggling in

3. Be a motivator

4. Not condemn you when you fall short of your goals, but push you to not give up, and to continue to try to reach the goal

5. Someone you can trust

6. Someone who will “sincerely” celebrate with you when you reach your goal/s

7. Someone who attempts to hold themselves to the same standard that may be your goal (i.e., her goal was no sweets, and I was “attempting” to hold myself to that same standard)

8. Someone who will be more like a partner (we are in this together) and less like a boss (you need to do what I think is best)

I hope these tips have helped you. I believe they can be applied to not only eating healthy, but life issues in general. I love comments, so please give them to me ;-) Until tomorrow….ta-ta.

-Jenelle