Dictionary definition of accountability: the fact of being responsible for your decisions or actions and
expected to explain them when you are asked.
I stepped outside of my comfort zone recently and got myself a business coach. She specialises in goal setting and accountability which are two of things I know have been major factors for me in my weight loss journey as well as my continued weight maintenance and healthy living lifestyle. I’m embarking on an exciting new project for my business this year and its going to require a lot of learning, sticking to some tight deadlines as well as pushing me outside of my comfort zone and knowing that accountability works so well for me in one area of my life, I’ve decided to apply it to my work life too – and already in just two sessions with my new business coach, I’ve achieved far more in 4 weeks than the previous 8. (Watch this space for more info on what I’m working on over the next few months!)
It got me thinking a lot about how much of a difference accountability actually makes and all the ways I’ve incorporated it into my life to help me meet my weight loss and healthy living goal and how much I rely on it to keep me on track.
Interesting Fact
While research varies on how much accountability impacts weight loss success, one study found people who had someone or something keeping them accountable lost more than twice as much weight as those who didn’t.
it got me thinking about all of the times I’d tried to lose weight in the past and how I’d keep it secret: I’d been embarrassed to share with friend and colleagues that I was trying to lose weight and I’d make up various excuses about why I wasn’t going out for dinner or joining in at events where food or drink was involved. This always led to me feeling deprived, missing out or simply ending up starving as I’d chose to say ‘I’m not feeling hungry’ rather than eating something that broke the rules of whatever diet I was trying to follow at the time and that just made me miserable!
When I joined Slimming World in 2010, I didn’t even realise at the time but I told everyone what I was doing and made it very public that I was trying to lose weight: from my friends, family and colleagues, to posting my weight loss successes on social media to waiters in restaurants to dropping it into random conversations with strangers in shops. on public transport and so on! I literally told everyone
What were the benefits of this?
Everyone was simply so supportive! I’d been afraid of being judged or embarrassed but it was the complete opposite – I suddenly had a whole army of cheerleaders who were behind me all the way and encouraged me to keep going. In a way, I was suddenly accountable to all these fabulous supporters who really wanted me to succeed.
- Friends checked in to see what sort of restaurants were good for me if we were planning meals out
- Colleagues didn’t push the biscuits / cakes etc onto me or try to guilt me into eating them
- If I was struggling, I was open about it and asked for help and more support.
Other ways I use accountability to help me with my goals
Social Media – love it or hate it, it can be a really useful tool to help you keep on track. I made a decision to post every meal I ate on my Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/georgina_wallace_/) and this helped me more than I ever realised. It helped me make better choices, it helped me to really think about decisions I made plus it helped others too and helping others is a really nice thing to do!
Challenges – I’ve joined many challenges – both food and fitness related – to help me meet my goals. From doing 21 press ups a day for 21 days to virtual running challenges to eating a certain number of vegetables a day to giving up chocolate for a month to raise money for charity and many more. They create a sense of being in a team, to wanting to succeed and again, a level of accountability.
Accountability Partners – this is basically a fancy term for finding a friend in the same boat and making a commitment to help each other out. I’ve had lots of these along my journey and the support you provide to each other, the understanding and also the fact you don’t want to let someone else down, can really make a big difference. One of my first Accountability Partners was someone I met at my Slimming World group back in 2010, we had a similar amount of weight to lose and we both had the same confidence issues. We wanted to start exercising but were afraid of joining any gym or classes for fear of judgement. We made a pact to join a local zumba class together and having someone to walk in with and to talk to made it so much easier plus then neither of us wanted to let the other one down so we kept that commitment going and it soon became a weekly habit which we both loved. I know if I’d have gone on my own that first time (if I’d actually made it through the door), I’d have very quickly found excuses not to return.
Setting Goals – it’s important that you also learn to be accountable to yourself and one of the ways in which I do this is to set myself goals. I set yearly goals, monthly goals and weekly goals. I write them down in my journal, I make plans on how I’m going to achieve them, I read them often, I review my progress and I make any necessary changes in order to meet them. I may share them with a friend or my husband to add another layer of accountability or if I’m struggling to achieve them, to ask for their support but the main thing is I’m being accountable to myself and the feeling of pride and achievement when I meet the goal is amazing.
Tracking Progress – this is essential to keep momentum going and to be really honest about where you are at. I’m quite a visual person so I have used charts, weight loss jars (where you move pebbles from one jar to another as you lose weight), colouring in charts etc. Having something to actually see your progress is important. I also shared my progress on social media as a way of keeping myself motivated and accountable.
I\To summarise – losing weight is not easy, and it’s much hard to do on your own. Accountability is a great motivator – When you start making changes to your daily habits and routines, it can be helpful to have someone else keeping an eye on your progress. Having someone to hold you accountable means that you won’t be as likely to make excuses or slack off when things get tough. It helps us stay motivated when our willpower may vanish because having someone else expecting us (or even just being aware) helps us to focus on what matters the most – our goals.
So my advice, have a think about how you can add accountability into your life – what would work best for you? These are just a few of my tips (I have lots more!) and make this journey a lot easier on yourself!
As a weight loss coach, one of my roles is to keep my clients accountable – it’s never to judge but having someone who understands to check in with, review progress, offer tips and advice and to report in to makes a huge difference. If you want to know more, just get in touch: georgina@mealplansmadeeasy.co.uk – I’d love to hear from you.
Many wise words spoken here Georgina. Thanks to you I have incorporated many them into my own life. You have certainly been a lifesaver for me and I thank you daily!!!! XX
ah that’s so lovely, thank you x