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The Benefit of A Weight Loss Group (And How to Find One)

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Joining a weight loss group has the potential to accelerate progress toward a goal through connection, novel information, positive energy, and limitless support. But not all weight loss groups are created equal. It’s important to understand the value a weight loss group provides and what to look for when determining if a prospective weight loss group is a perfect fit for you. 

There’s a cliche that says you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

When it comes to achieving sustainable weight loss and living a healthier lifestyle, this couldn’t be more true. 

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that your chance of becoming (or remaining) overweight or obese increases if someone in your close circle is.

This study examines changes in weight among individuals in social circles over a 32-year period and found the following to be true:

  • A person’s chances of becoming obese increases by 57% if he or she had a friend who became obese.
  • Among pairs of adult siblings, if one sibling became obese, the chance that the other would become obese increases by 40%.
  • If one spouse became obese, the likelihood that the other spouse would become obese increases by 37%.
  • People of the same sex have a relatively greater influence on each other than those of the opposite sex. You and your best girlfriends have a stronger influence on one another than you and your closest guy friends.
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Mindset in a Weight Loss Group

If you spend the majority of your time with those who have a negative attitude, fixed mindset, and slew of unhealthy self-care behaviors, chances are your attitude, mindset, and behaviors look awfully similar.

But when you join a weight loss group comprised of people just like you who are working through similar challenges while striving to achieve a common goal, there’s a positive rub-off effect and suddenly it becomes easier and more enjoyable to start making a series of positive changes.

This support is incalculable!

This article will share the many benefits joining a weight loss group has to offer and what to look for when choosing the right community for you. 

Why You Should Join A Weight Loss Group

When you join a weight loss group, you’re instantly engulfed in an environment in which you’re surrounded by like-minded people aspiring to be a better version of themselves and accomplish a similar goal as you. Even more, these people often share relatable struggles, similar challenges, and possess a closely matched work ethic alongside common values.

Placing yourself in such an environment has the potential to drastically raise your energy, commitment, positive thinking, inspiration, and willingness and readiness to take massive action to feel, look, and be your best! 

Pros of a Weight Loss Group

Lack of support is one of the biggest reasons women make a commitment to improving their self-care and don’t succeed. They try improving their food choices, exercising more often, or consistently practicing another self-care modality. However, they can still come up short or abandon the goal altogether due to a lack of support. 

In fact, according to 2012 research out of Stanford University, 75% of women “never” or “rarely” experience social or familial support during their weight loss endeavors.

And that just sucks.

Because trying to transform your thoughts, habits, and weight is no easy task. You’ll encounter a handful of expected and unexpected challenges that will make it very easy to want to give up.

Can you imagine just how easy it would be to give up without the right support?

I’m guessing yes, as you’ve likely been in this position before…

What Changes in a Weight Loss Group

When you join a weight loss group, your feelings of isolation, loneliness, and hopelessness are instantly replaced by camaraderie, connection, and unmatchable support. You’re finally connecting with like-minded people who get it – you know, those who understand the value a food scale can bring to dialing in portion control or those who actually look forward to moving in some capacity each day.

Ah, what a relief!

Furthermore, when you surround yourself with a weight loss group, you’ll encounter people at various points in their sustainable weight loss journey.

Why is this valuable?

Those who are further along in their journey will be able to offer sage advice and strategies to save you time, headaches, and stress, ultimately accelerating your progress. 

Additionally, when you commit to sharing what you’ve learned and more about your journey with those who aren’t quite where you are, you’ll further ingrain and reinforce all of the wonderful things you’ve done or are doing that have contributed to your success, which will make it easier and easier to keep doing them! 

Character Traits Best Suited for Joining a Weight Loss Group

In our years of experience running weight loss groups, we’ve identified a few common types of people with similar characteristics and I feel it’s important to briefly share more about each and to also share what we’ve found to be most effective. This helps you in your decision-making process when determining if a weight loss group is the right fit for you (hint: it is) and which weight loss group to choose. 

  1. First, there are those who tend to be more shy – whether in person or online – and don’t speak up much. They often lurk, but still participate regularly, just in a more passive manner.
  1. Secondly, there are those at the other end of the spectrum who tend to engage, be very active, and speak up every chance they get. 
  1. And, somewhere in the middle are those who engage and connect with others, but not quite to the extent of the group I described above.

Are You a Good Member?

The truth is, all three types of members can glean tremendous benefit from a weight loss group. However, what we’ve identified as the traits of those most successful in our weight loss groups are the following:

  • Participate and engage to some degree regularly. That might be posting in our private Community at least once per week or attending the live coaching calls. There’s a degree of consistent engagement
  • Arent’ afraid to ask questions and ask for help. It seems funny to say, but a lot of people who pay to join such a group hesitate to ask for help, though, the reason they joined is to get help! Asking for help or clarity is a game-changer

Joining an in-person and an online weight loss group both have been shown to provide the power and value described above. Do not let distance or lack of resources in your immediate vicinity be a reason you’re not connecting with like-minded people. 

What to Look for When Searching for a Weight Loss Group

Every person we accept into our communities is a genuinely nice person. 

It’s no secret that weight loss and health are emotionally-charged topics. It’s important that every single member – no matter how active – always feels safe being vulnerable or asking for help. You should always be met without judgment and with the utmost care and support. Genuinely nice people make this the norm. 

Unfortunately, this isn’t the norm, especially in large weight loss groups. They grow by the tens of thousands and let just anyone in. If the weight loss group you’re considering joining has some type of application or interview process, that’s a great sign. Usually, it means that the culture and community are just what you need and are looking for.

You’ll benefit more from a paid weight loss group (or gain access to by paying for the service). This is way more effective than one you join for free. 

Why is this?

Because when you pay, you pay attention. And if you surround yourself with other peope paying attention and who are as committed as you are, everybody benefits! Each member is all-in, thus, giving their full energy to making themselves and everyone around them better!

Choosing The Right Weight Loss Group For You

If you’re reading this article, then you may be an excellent fit in our very-own weight loss group: The 5% Community.

The 5 Percent Community is our 12-month, signature sustainable weight-loss experience and transformational program. It is designed to help you achieve your weight loss goal for good. Furthermore, it will empower you with the confidence, control, and inner calm to feel, look, and be your best.

Sustainable weight loss from the inside out.

It’s designed to provide you with a clear path, proven plan, specific action steps, and unmatchable accountability. It offers the support needed to transform your mindset, belief systems, self-talk, habits, and nutrition behaviors. These are the key elements that need to change – in route to significant, sustainable weight loss.

About the 5% Community

The 5% Community aims to help you become one of The 5 Percent…

  • A woman who is confident, in control, and possesses immense inner calm as she navigates her day.
  • A woman in control of her food choices and comfortable in any food-centric situation. Whether she’s navigating a meal out, social occasion, or eating at home, she is unphased by temptations she encounters.
  • A woman who radiates positivity and joy. This enables her to have a more positive impact on all she interacts with. She’s learned the benefit of putting herself first on the priority list.
  • A woman who is unaffected by the number she sees on the scale. She’s incredibly clear on how she wants to feel and has aligned her actions to make those feelings her reality.

To learn more about joining The 5% Community, click here to apply and book your call with me

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Paul Salter

Paul Salter is a Registered Dietitian and Founder of The 5% Way. Since 2013, Paul has worked one-on-one with nearly 1,500 men and women, helping them to collectively lose tens of thousands of pounds of body fat and keep it off for good. He’s also published nearly 1,000 articles, two books, and 175 podcast episodes (and counting) on all things related to our five core elements of sustainable weight loss.
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