One important motivator for me when I started my diet back in September was that I publicized what I was doing to all my family and friends. ALL of them. 
I posted it on Facebook and everything. I basically said, “I’m fat and I’m going to do something about it.” (Friends can view that Facebook post here.) The response I received was huge, the support was way bigger than I thought it would be, and that definitely got me on the right track and feeling good about my resolve right away. Everyone was behind me, and now that I’d said it out loud, I couldn’t turn back. Previous diets, I always did in secret. They were easy to abandon. This one would require explanation if I were to quit. I keep everyone updated once a week or so, nothing big, just a sentence or two about my progress and my current weight. Everyone loves my updates, and the support I receive with every post is touching and profound. I’ve already had several overweight friends tell me it’s inspiring to them as well, and so I find myself feeling obligated to them to keep it up, to show them it can be done.
The problem with doing something like this in private is that it’s too easy to quit. If you start to diet alone, and then you abandon your diet, you’re the only one that knows you even started it. It’s too easy to rationalize it away. “Oh well, I can try again next week.” I have done exactly that sort of rationalization before, and the problem is that next week turns into next year and more years after that. You can procrastinate forever if you’re the only one that knows you’re procrastinating. Publicizing your intention puts you on the hot seat. It creates accountability. Only the most disciplined people can truly be accountable only to themselves; most of the rest of us perform best when we’re accountable to others. Sure, I could still abandon my diet and simply take the heat from my friends and family. But I’m far less likely to, because any time I think about abandoning the diet, I think of all the comments and flack I’m going to take from the people that care about me. I would feel like I was letting people down, including myself.
It’s a huge emotional boost, and it’s something I think about if I get an eating urge, so it’s a great motivator. But honestly, I find I don’t have many urges, because now I’m just into it almost like it’s a fascinating hobby, and all the support I receive helps so much to keep me focused. If you’re thinking about dieting and losing weight, when you finally decide to take the plunge, publicize it! If your friends are anything like mine, I think you will find yourself amazed at the support you’ll receive.
