My Weight Loss Journey Begins: Finding an Accountability Partner

One of the things I learned in my 12 step program is that it is very important to have an accountability partner.  This person should be someone you trust and know that they will at times say things to you that will be difficult to hear.   This person’s job is to help you stay on the path to recovery and in my case help me stay focused on returning to better health and weight loss.  I have had a few folks in my life who have helped me in my journey but for one reason or another it has never worked out the way the “book” says it should.  So, I would muddle through the best way I could until I fell completely off the weight loss wagon, gave up and dug into a plate of nachos.  This has been the vicious cycle of my life for a long time; until now that is. 

Somehow I have a strong feeling that this time will be different.  Why do I feel so confident as I re-start my journey when I have had so many failures in the past?  Some might call it blind stupidity but I call it fate.  You see, I chose to write about my recent diagnosis of osteoarthritis in my knee. And how important it is now more than ever for me to drop the pounds and get healthier to avoid knee replacement surgery and other weight related issues.  As I wrote about my experience I found myself realizing that this was way more about feeling old or trying to fix a “broken” knee.  All of the signs pointed to losing weight and living healthier; I was just trying not to make that the focal point of the article; especially since I have failed so many times before. 

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• I’m 44 and I Have Arthritis (My Weight Loss Journey)
• 5 Tricks That Have Helped Me Stay In Shape

Thinking I had tucked the obvious deep enough into the article, I gave it a catchy title and sent it on its way to be published.  A few days later I received an email from my editor at Lifetime asking if she could “tweak” the title a bit.  She’s so much better with titles than I am so I agreed and waited for the post to go live.  Much to my surprise, she pulled out the weight loss aspect of my article and set me on a journey.  After staring at the screen for what seemed like a very long time I began to come to grips with the fact that I now have thousands of accountability partners.  No, I am not upset with the title change.   As a matter of fact, I am thankful that she had the insight to focus on that because now, I really have no other choice than to get myself in gear and drop the weight.

Accountability partners are important pieces to our life puzzle.  Choosing one (or thousands) can often be difficult.  In the world of recovery programs, an accountability partner is someone who has struggled with the same issues and can help keep you focused.  For example, my accountability partner would have to be someone who could talk me out of eating an entire bag of chips even if it meant being a little tough on me and I would have to be able to take their strong discouragement without getting angry.   Staying connected and being able to recognize the need for help is key to overcoming any addiction you may have. 


So as I begin this journey I know that I will find myself making better selections at the grocery store, cooking healthier and yes, even exercising on a more regular basis because now I feel as if someone will always be watching me and holding me accountable for what I am doing; which is a good thing.

My goal this month is to drop at least 4 pounds which means hitting the treadmill or pavement at least 4 days a week.  With the start of school, I am committed to pack a healthier lunch to include a raw vegetable and fresh fruit every day.  Farewell to chips, pudding cups and pop tarts; it’s been fun but you can no longer be my friend. 

Welcome to my weight loss journey, I’m so glad you are here.