While weight loss may seem like a lonely journey, it is important to have the right guidance, accountability and motivation to get the job done. Here are 5 people you need to achieve your goals.

1. Dietician

The first step is to get your calorie intake right, ensuring you get the correct nutrients and the right amount of fuel for energy to burn.

A dietician can assist you with getting the correct macros, vitamins and nutrients you require as well as create meal plans to ensure you lose weight more efficiently.

Changing what we eat to lose weight can be a difficult journey, especially if we are reducing our calories, having a professional guide us can ensure we don’t feel hungry or over-do it with food.

2. Exercise Physiologist

It is highly recommended that you ensure your body is ready for exercise. If we have specific concerns it is best to speak to an exercise physiologist to guide us and help us strengthen our bodies prior to getting in the gym.

An exercise physiologist can help us get to know our bodies and how they work, as well as fix little details such as posture to ensure we don’t injure ourselves when we exercise alone.

Having this professional involved is ideal for those with different abilities or post-injury, as they will allow us to navigate around hurdles and continue to work to keep the weight off.

3. Trainer

Once we are ready to hit the gym, it’s good to have a personal trainer that can teach us about equipment use.

Sometimes gyms can seem a bit daunting, especially if we are new to it, by having an expert guide us, we can learn more about how to use the equipment properly and safely. Safety is important, by learning from a pro, we can avoid hurting ourselves or others.

A trainer can also provide us with a workout plan and keep us motivated and accountable.

4. A friend or partner

The best way to stay motivated, have accountability and a challenge is by having a friend or a partner involved in the journey. Not doing it alone can allow us to have a more fun experience in the weight loss journey, as well as make it competitive between us.

If you can’t find a friend or partner to join you, many gyms have fitness programs with groups, classes and challenges with rewards.

5. The influencer

If you’re still lacking motivation, it can be as simple as going on social media and finding the right person that will trigger the motivation.

Finding the right influence to lose weight can be as simple as seeing a body you admire (note: some people do alter their photos and don’t look like that in real life), or a fitness influencer that makes it feel easy. It can even be a celebrity or an athlete that promote healthy lifestyles, or simply another “real” person who shared their weight loss journey that inspired you.

Whatever your reason to lose weight, having a team around you can help make the process easier and help you achieve your goals faster. Having support can prevent quitting through accountability and motivate you to achieve each goal along the way.