We’ve all heard it before, on television, in the news and around the lunch room.By now most of you know the rules of healthy weight loss or at least you’ve heard them, Eat Healthy. Be Active. Avoid Junk Food. But sometimes these simple rules are much harder to follow than innocent phrases can explain, and as well as healing your body physically it is more important than ever to keep it in shape mentally and emotionally to manage the extra strain.

So what can you do when you’re having a bad day, when you have a set back or just when you need a little support?

What you need is support.

We all do, but often we don’t want to admit it! Weight gain, and the rocky road to weight loss can leave you feeling vulnerable, unattractive, and negative about yourself so the last thing you may want to do is take the huge step to expose all your inner fears to your friends and family no matter how close they are.

The truth though, is that we all need is help with and particularly in the weight loss journey we all need some support; someone who will hold us accountable for our weight-loss deviations, and encourage us through the tough times, and although you might think that your gorgeous size 10 girlfriend will never understand, chances are that she has her own vulnerabilities, and even if they’re not the same as yours sharing with each other is guaranteed to make you both feel better.

Psychologist John Sklare explains, “As part of our human nature, most people have a desire to be a part of a larger group working toward a common goal. We have always gathered in groups for support, safety and strength. Most find comfort and encouragement in interacting with others of like minds that have an intimate understanding of their struggle and share a similar perspective.”

While many people may feel that needing others is a sign of weakness, being able to lean on your friends for support is actually a sign of strength. It takes a lot of guts to ask for help!

So if you need the extra weight loss support, why not call a friend?