by Carol Gioia

Created on: May 24, 2009

It takes courage to commit to a weight loss regimen. When a friend, coworker or loved one announces he/she is going on a diet, you want to be as helpful as possible. At the same time, you want to ensure that your efforts to be supportive do not come on too strong, and inadvertently undermine the efforts of the dieter.

With all good intentions, in your enthusiasm to encourage, you might potentially say or do something to erode the dieters confidence and resolve; especially if you have experienced success with your own weight loss and maintenance goals. There is a fine line between being helpful and being overbearing in regard to the sensitive subject of weight.

There are some positive ways to, unobtrusively, help others stay motivated and succeed in adopting a new healthier food plan, in order to lose weight and keep it off.

Practical tips for helping others with weight loss:

* Constructively share knowledge

Unless directly asked for help and advice, do not be the initiator of conversations about the individual's diet. When he/she does bring it up, offer constructive comments about what has worked for you in the past. Provide recipes, strategies and tips that were useful and proved successful to you. It is important to be passively supportive and allow the person to own his diet. Curb eagerness to impose your will on the dieter. Present the useful information and let the individual make the decision about how to make best use of it.

* Be available

If the person dieting wants a buddy to exercise with, offer to participate. Suggest companionable walks, or initiate telephone conversations and take the role of listener. Dieting is hard work and the best way to be supportive is to allow the dieter to vent his frustrations, relieve his stress and talk out his discouragement. Be generous with the gift of your time.

* Modify behavior in regard to food

If the dieter is a loved one who is living with you, be mindful to eliminate high-calorie, low-nutrition food items from your home. Take inventory of your pantry and refrigerator and ensure that they are well-stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat meats and fish and low calorie, readily available snacks. If you do the cooking, pay attention to portion control and eliminate excess salt, sugar and fats from your recipes.

If you dine out with the dieter, order from the heart healthy side of the menu yourself, in order to mitigate temptation and feelings of deprivation on the part of the dieter. Model

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