When it comes to building your support network, the quality of the relationships that you have counts much more than the number of relationships that you have. While it is great to have a lot of acquaintances or people with whom you may enjoy spending time but who you are not emotionally close, true friendships are something that need to be cherished and developed over time.

Weight loss surgery is a time-consuming process. The actual procedure may not take long, and sure recovery following the procedure can happen quickly, but there are other time requirements that you need to consider. Namely: you have to start putting yourself first!

Finding time to exercise regularly, declining lunch invitations that would cause you to stray from your dieting plan, and spending more time at home engaging in the healthy habits that will help you be successful with your weight loss program may cause you to spend less time with some of your friends. The time that you do decide to share should be with the people who matter most, and the people who support you the most. When it comes to engaging with others, the quality of the time you spend with them needs to come first.

Building Strong Relationships during Weight Loss

Having strong relationships can be helpful during your weight loss program. When you are lonely or you have no one to turn to for support, it becomes easy to grow discouraged, stressed, or even depressed. Research shows that it doesn’t really matter how many friends you have, the important thing is that you have at least one or two people who you feel close to, and with whom you feel comfortable opening up about the things that matter to you.

During your weight loss program, this may mean having a small handful of friends who you can talk to about your dietary choices, your workout goals, and your overall desire to be healthy.

Surrounding yourself with a small number of people who you know well, and who care about you and your weight loss success is the best strategy for finding support. If you don’t have a few of those close relationships in your life, then now is a great time to start looking for friends who may have similar interests and goals. A local support group is a great resource for doing just that.