Support

Today is the Light family's 3 year anniversary. Being that today is what it is, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about support.

A key to weight loss and healthier living is the support from the community that you have around you. The more resistance you have from your loved ones, the harder it will be. Guaranteed. So if you're embarking on a journey of your own, make sure that you're discussing your thoughts and expectations with your partner and/or family. Let them know what method you will be choosing, and ask them if they would be willing to help you and support you. Assuming they've said yes, let them know what they could do to support you. If you want to eat at home more, you need to make sure that they do, too. If you want to clear your house of junk food, you need to make sure that they're are on board with that, also.

Us on our anniversary picnic <3

I knew that when I started my journey, I didn't want my choices to make a negative impression on JD. I didn't want to force anything on him. Because we communicated with each other and set clear boundaries, it didn't take long for our eating habits and cravings to parallel. We both started to recognize the dangers of having a lot of junk food around the house, and we both lost interest in eating out. Did we get there at the same time? No, but because we supported each other and communicated what we were thinking/feeling/expecting, it didn't take long for us to meet each other at the same places.

I've read that when it comes to weight loss, women are more likely to sacrifice food, but men are more likely to amp up their fitness. This has definitely been true for us Light's, and has been a great way to "pay it forward" for each other. Not that either of us are superior in those, but it does seem that we take a bit of a leadership role in the categories suited to us. JD challenges me when it comes to fitness (and I love that!), and I challenge JD when it comes to food. Keeping that in mind will make your transition smoother, as well. If you find that isn't true for you and your mate, see if there are other areas in which you might balance each other out. This way, it doesn't feel like one person is taking the lead over the other.
Also key: Never let your appreciation go un-noted! Even if you feel it 10 times a day, let your supporter know that what they're doing for you means the world.

Have you encountered a lot of struggle in finding support, or are you finding that your weight loss efforts have been upheld and encouraged by those around you?