"Accountability Buddies" - Do they work?

dlm4mom

I think they work. None of my friends want to hear about my struggles with food. There are so many things more important than weight. It helps me to be on the forums, everyone here is in the same boat and we are all trying to find a way to be better

adele012

True. I’ve heard plenty of people talk about them. I think it’s best to be your own “accountability buddy” and let other people just be a perk.

tirowow12385

I heard this before MFP. I think from Beachbody. Self reliance is key, if you rely on someone and they fail, you'll fail with them.

Orphia

I'm pretty cynical when I see people ask for friends the same height/weight they are with the same amount to lose.

I think you'd be far better off asking for friends who have lost weight and know how to help, rather than newbies.

WeightlossTraveler653

When it comes “accountability buddies” one size or approach doesn’t fit all. You can have an on-line buddy or an in-person buddy or buddies.
Any way you choose it, emotional support and regular accountability is the number one predictor for successful weight control.
I had weight loss surgery (WLS) through Kaiser Permanente. The importance of emotional support and weekly or monthly accountability was stressed in the classes I had to take before surgery AND follow-ups after surgery.

abslikebuddha

Personally, this is the 1000th time I have had to lose weight and the I feel the only reason i am have sustained success this time is because I have to face someone every Monday morning. When I don't make progress I feel like I have let that person down. But that is just my personality as a people pleaser. May not work for everyone.

for_ever_young66

I've been working out as a lone wolf for nearly 10 years now. Every time I had a "buddy," it seemed like this person was anchoring me down and of course, I'm not going to scold a grown man or woman for not making it to the gym on time. I feel like no one is going to be harder on me than myself.

mewickla

I've never found a workout buddy to be helpful - we usually just ended up ditching together, tbh. I do however like MFP because I'm vain and I like when people like my posts on how much weight I've lost. It's not noticeable irl, and I know this is something I need to do for myself, but the online recognition is nice.

Cbkkata

Accountability buddies only work if they actually hold you accountable. I prefer motivational buddies who lift each other up

Ninkasi

tirowow12385 wrote: »

Self reliance is key, if you rely on someone and they fail, you'll fail with them.

I agree with this 110%. I am by nature not a joiner and while I sometimes have questions about macros or logging or other things, I can search for those answers or ask the question if I can't find an answer. I don't like the idea of pointless complaining to a "buddy" and I don't want to listen to someone else complain. I think a buddy, or the search for one, can be an excuse for lacking commitment - "I couldn't find a buddy so I couldn't stick with it." Insisting on a buddy lets people give away their sense of agency, gives them an excuse if they fail. Own your successes, own your failures.

Of course I am just one random person on the internet with my own experiences and thoughts. YMMV.