I was a season pass holder to the weight loss roller coaster park for many years. A lot of my weight fluctuations were based around the seasons of the Midwest. When it was warm out I was active hiking, running, walking, doing yard work, anything to be outside in the warm sunshine. When it cooled off or dropped to sub-zero, like it does here in the lovely state of Indiana, I became a recluse hiding from every snowflake that fell. I didn’t want to set foot out in the cold weather that included trips to the gym. So, I made monthly donations to my favorite gym establishment and rarely visited.

I used the cold weather as my excuse not to workout all while I ate Thanksgiving treats, Christmas cookies, pies, cake, and candy and became more and more insulated. Spring would roll around and I would start working out again. It was a horrible cycle that really abused my body.

I’m sure the world noticed my ups and downs, but no one really said much about it.

Until, I met one of the best friends a girl could ask for – Melanie aka Mellie Bean. We worked together and became instant friends.

Mel was also unsatisfied with her weight when we became friends. We started working out together and more importantly holding each other accountable for our actions. It’s much harder to skip workouts when someone else is counting on you to show up for them. Our friendship was exactly what I needed to push me in the right direction YEAR ROUND!

Melanie and I have both accomplished great goals together and nearly 10 years later we are still holding each other accountable and pushing each other to always meet our goals. We don’t get to workout together anymore thanks to life getting in the way and changes in our schedules, but we do talk nearly everyday and keep each other motivated. When I am eating a brownie and I see Mel eating a bag of peppers I tend to make better choices, even if I do finish my brownie first.
I know not everyone will be fortunate enough to have a best friend/workout buddy walk into their life like I did, but there are tons of places to find people who have similar goals. Melanie might be my closest friend, but I have lots of other people I chat with out fitness and healthy choices. I found some of my other accountability partners on-line. Here are some of the places online you can find other like minded friends.

Facebook– Weight Loss Motivation Tips
Facebook Group – Weight Loss Buddies
Facebook Group – Weight Loss Accountability
Meetup.com is a great site to find groups in your area and actually meet up. I was part of a running group for many years that I found here.

Need an accountability buddy? Haven’t found one yet? Feel Free to email me!