Accountability can be leveraged as a powerful tool to achieve your goals. It provides responsibility for your actions and keeps you committed to your milestones and long-term visions. In relation to weight loss, this is crucial. This article explores the powerful role of accountability in weight loss and shares three effective strategies for staying accountable on your journey to a healthier lifestyle.
Are you struggling to stick to your weight loss goals? Then, you might need a method to hold yourself accountable. No matter how motivated you feel at the start of a diet or a new workout regime, it is likely that there will be moments of fading motivation.
This is where accountability comes in. The American Psychological Association Dictionary of Psychology defines accountability as “The extent to which an individual is answerable to another for his or her behaviour, decisions, judgements.”
In short, accountability ensures responsibility. Responsibility ensures commitment. 
The Hawthorne Effect and its relevance to weight loss
Do you find it easier to complete a task or follow a promise when someone is relying on you? Or someone is expecting to hear about it? Social psychology provides a reason for this. Understanding the influence of social factors on your actions and choices is a great step towards a healthier life.
The Hawthorne Effect refers to a human reaction where people alter their behaviour as a response to being observed. As these individuals know they are being watched, they change their behaviour. The positive effect of accountability can be explained using this model. When held accountable, we have someone to answer to regarding our behaviour. Thanks to the Hawthorne effect, our awareness that someone is keeping us accountable will make us more likely to complete a task or follow through with a plan.
So, how can this be applied to weight loss?
If you’ve battled in the past to maintain your weight loss, remain motivated and consistently step closer to your goal – a lack of accountability could be the reason why. A study by Drexel University in Philadelphia observed 87 adults on a 12-month weight loss program. Researchers recorded a correlation between coaches having access to weight loss data and participants sustaining their weight loss. In other words, participants were more likely to achieve their goals when they knew that someone else was tracking them.
Do you want to know how to use accountability to your advantage while slimming down?
5 strategies to keep you accountable during your weight loss journey:
Now that you understand accountability and its role in weight loss, here are five tools to get you closer to feeling and looking your best.
1. Get a weight loss coach
A weight loss coach is a certified professional who works with you to reach your goals. In a perfect world, they’re using a holistic approach to address all obstacles in your life that are stopping you from feeling and looking confident in your body. It can significantly affect your success when a coach is holding you accountable.
Here’s how they can transform your body and health:
– They regularly check in on you
– They review your food and fitness journal
– They make sure you follow through with your plans
– They get to the root cause of what’s holding you back
– They help with challenges and offer invaluable outsider perspective
In addition to accountability, working with a specialised weight loss coach has other benefits. For example, learning the proper approach to healthy fat reduction. Because in an industry polluted with false information and straight-up lies, following fad diets and excessive workouts can have dramatic consequences on your health.
Working with a qualified coach trained to support you adequately will ensure you tackle weight loss without harming your body and mind.
Why don’t you take the first step toward achieving your goals by booking a FREE strategy session with Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach Kristina? During the call, Kristina will work with you 1-2-1 to create a personalised plan that fits your unique needs and lifestyle. You’ll walk away with a clear understanding of the best approach for your weight loss journey and the confidence to succeed.
Don’t let life pass you by – schedule your call now! You deserve to feel your best. Click here, to book your FREE makeover session.
2. Enrol in a weight loss program
If you prefer a little more independence and 1-2-1 coaching isn’t your thing, enrolling in a weight loss course can be equally as effective for remaining accountable.
As mentioned earlier, a big issue with weight loss is that it’s an oversaturated industry. It is filled with programs and plans that neglect your health as a quick way to shed a few kilos. In a world where every fad diet promises to be the next ground-breaking solution, it is easy to get sucked in. A better option is a health-first and well-structured plan from a reliable source that prioritises lasting improvements.
A good program should educate you on the science behind weight loss, address common misconceptions, and how to tailor it to your life. There’s a big difference between knowing something and applying knowledge to everyday actions. A course where you learn to do both can be the perfect first step to taking charge of your health.
Sounds interesting? Then have a look at Bloom Lab’s weight loss programmes. We offer a range of options to fit every budget. Visit coaching.bloomlab.health/packages to learn more.
We take accountability seriously at Bloom Lab, and here is why. First, you have committed yourself by financially investing in a weight loss course. The monetary promise to lose weight makes it more likely you follow through. Additionally, programs like Bloom Lab’s 8 Weeks To Successful Weight Loss provide access to an incredible community of women with similar goals and challenges. Connecting with others in a similar situation is the best way to hold each other accountable and helps you follow your mission.
Set specific and measurable goals, and track them.
As well as weight loss coaching and courses, setting specific and measurable goals and tracking them is a fantastic way to ensure accountability. Life can get pretty hectic. We usually have a million things on our minds, and getting rid of that stubborn belly will not happen if you add it to the end of your to-do list. However, by setting specific goals and monitoring your progress, you keep yourself accountable and on track. Keeping tabs on your goals can be done in many ways, but not every method will work for everyone. Here are a few options to explore:
3. Hand-written journal, updated daily
A written journal or log you fill in daily can be a great way to track your progress and remind yourself of your long-term vision. A study published in the Journal of Social Psychology found that people who wrote down their goals were more likely to achieve them than those who didn’t write them down. It can also be an effective way to log your behaviour and make necessary changes.
4. Confiding in a friend
Keeping a friend in the loop on your weight loss journey can help you stay accountable and make the journey more enjoyable. Having someone to share your successes and challenges with can make the process feel less daunting and more fulfilling. Furthermore, your friend may even want to join you on your journey, creating an opportunity to support each other and get in shape together.
5. Goal-tracking apps on your phone
Should you prefer tracking your goals digitally, there are plenty of apps that can facilitate this. Some of my favourites include:
– Strides
– ClickUp
These tracking methods can also be a fantastic resource on days when you feel your motivation is fleeting. They can be a good reminder of how far you’ve come on your journey and the progress you made!
Conclusion
Accountability can truly make a world of difference in your life. Most of the success in weight loss is mindset. By incorporating commitment into your life, you are making an invaluable mindset shift that will get you closer to your goals than ever before.
