Losing weight and committing to a healthier lifestyle are challenging tasks. Having a cheerleader or 3 to provide you with emotional and practical support can make your goals more successful. Do you have a weight loss cheerleader? How do you empower your partner, family and friends to commit to a healthy lifestyle?

Another BB I'm part of has a support thread where we post goals in 3-month cycles. We continually update each other with our ups and downs and ask questions about exercise and diet. It's wonderful--we've been doing it for years now--and when I'm losing my motivation, I know I can go there for support.

My sister is also a cheerleader for me. She recently lost 75 pounds and is working on 50 more. We check in periodically to see how each other is doing and exchange favorite new recipes and tips for good lunch and snack ideas for the office.