You may not have thought of the buddy system since your grade school days. But, your teachers and parents were on to something. The buddy system tends to make things easier. The same holds true for weight loss. Having the support and interest of your friends can make weight loss considerably easier. Taking this idea a step further, developing a weight loss challenge can keep you engaged and motivated throughout your weight loss.
There are a number of weight loss challenge ideas floating around the Internet and in magazines. The best weight loss challenge ideas are often inspiring and help increase commitment. There is the tried and true idea of contributing a few dollars to a weight loss pot. Like most ideas, this one is not meant to discourage your success by creating frustration. Instead, it helps promote healthy competition by giving everyone something to work towards. If you are interested in starting a challenge, consider developing your own weight loss challenge ideas.
One of the best ways to develop your own weight loss challenge ideas is to review what other groups have done. Generally, a good mantra is to avoid reinventing the wheel. This does not mean limiting your creativity. It does mean, though, that if something has worked for others, it will likely work for your group. When you see what works and what does not worked, you can begin adjusting the ideas for your group.
This is where fun and creativity can enter your challenge. There are many ways to implement weight loss challenge ideas. Perhaps your challenge group is focused on exercise. Some good weight loss challenge ideas might include an activity checklist. For example, how many people can try different activities in one month? Remember, exercise does not have to be boring and everything from martial arts to tennis would count. Or, maybe your group is more focused on diet. Your weight loss challenge ideas might involve developing tasty but healthy recipes and having a food tasting.
Whatever your weight loss challenge ideas, keep them fresh. Doing the same thing every week can become tedious. The purpose of your challenge is to inspire each other. Remember, this is a healthy competition in more ways than one. Everyone who participates is truly a winner. Your ideas will be most successful and well received if they engage all participants and keep everyone motivated. This is the best kind of challenge!