Things You'll Need:
- Flexibility and presence
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Step 1
Encourage healthy methods and expectations. Before a friend or partner even goes on a diet, it is important to encourage her to seek medical counsel and to engage in doctor-approved weight-loss methods and programs, rather than to embrace crash diets or other unsafe dieting practices. You should also stress the health benefits of such diets, rather than focusing on target sizes or weights.
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Step 2
Create helpful, and healthy, eating situations for the two of you. If your friend or partner needs to eat certain foods, eat at certain times, or use particular tools (a scale, for example), make sure you choose restaurants or at-home menus that allow for these needs when you are eating together. If you live with the dieting party, you may also choose to remove certain foods from your home altogether.
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Step 3
Exercise together. Most diets also require the participant to exercise as well. Go for a walk, play a game of tennis, or otherwise engage in such athletic activities with your friend or partner. Your participation will help motivate him, and it will be good for your as well.
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Step 4
Don't micromanage. As much as you want to help, you are not the one on the diet. Unless you have discussed taking this role with your friend or partner beforehand, do not overtly try to control her behavior on the diet; her choices are her own, and SHE needs to be committed to the change.
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Step 5
Provide positive feedback. Express how proud you are of your friend or partner for sticking to his goals, NOT for "looking better."
