Are the people in your life helping or hurting your progress?

Weekly technique

By Weight Watchers

Last updated 8 May 2024

a group of people sitting at a table laughing and eating

Family, friends, coworkers, the strangers you follow on Insta…everyone in your orbit impacts your journey. Take time to think about who you let in.

Try this!

1. LIST the people you talk to, listen to, read, or see most often. Examples: Friends, family, coworkers, podcasters, news anchors, TV hosts, social media accounts, bloggers, writers 2. EXPLORE your top few; think about their tone, messaging, and how they make you feel, especially about your journey. 3. CATEGORISE them based on whether they help you reach your goals—or not. Who could you connect with more? For example: The IG influencer who shares real-life ups and downs of weight loss or the coworker who gets you to walk during lunch. Who could you interact with less? Examples: The friend who constantly talks about trendy crash diets or the podcaster who stresses you out about your health 4. RECALIBRATE—can someone on your “more” list replace time with one on the “less” list? Or can you find someone new to swap in? Example: Invite your co-worker to try a workout instead of the diet-obsessed friend. Or, listen to a new podcast recommended by your fave IG influencer. 5. PLAN exactly what you’ll do, when and where, and how you’ll make it happen.

Let’s dive a little deeper…

It’s easy to get into a routine of hanging out with the same people, streaming the same podcasts or TV shows, and scrolling the same TikTok or IG accounts without thinking much about their impact. But we’re like sponges; we soak up others’ words, ideas, pictures, messages, tone, and more. And all that can influence how we feel and think and eventually what we do.

Taking a step back to notice who makes it easier to do things that support your goals and who makes it harder allows you to see and make changes that could help you be more successful. We’re not saying you should cut loved ones out of your life. It’s about prioritising time and attention to those who help you stay on track—e.g. the friend who loves trying healthier restaurants versus the one who always vetos your lower-Points app suggestions. Those are the people you want riding shotgun on your journey.