Starting a diet isn’t easy. The more overweight we are, the more we need a diet plan and usually, the harder it is to stick to it.

But we need diets because, let’s face it, being overweight creates health risks that none of us want. It causes low metabolism, high cholesterol, high blood pressure. On a psychological level, depression, a general state of unhappiness and other feelings none of us like.

Losing weight is important, but a lot of people give up on it, the most common reason being related to how challenging it all is.​

So if it all seems to be getting harder and harder to keep up, here are 3 effective tips you can apply to keep yourself motivated and consistent in your efforts:

#1 Get your friends involved.

It’s hard to overstate how helpful it is to have a small group of friends (or even just one) cheering you on and taking your side as you navigate this (or any other) challenge.

Talking about your goals, your progress and your efforts, makes the stakes feel a lot more real, so that helps us keep it all up. Trust me. It may be more effective than you think.

Give it a shot for a couple of weeks, maybe even post some of your on-going results on social media, and see how you feel after keeping a few people in the loop about what’s going on.

You’re going to be a lot less likely to give up because now, you wouldn’t just be letting yourself down – you would also be letting your friends down in a way.

#2 Find people who are following the same process you are.

We humans are fundamentally social creatures. We find comfort in knowing other people out there share our interests, challenges and routines. So finding someone who’s following a similar process to your own can be a great way to start feeling better about what you’re doing.

Not only that, they may also be able to help you out further with tips and advice they’ve learned from their own personal experiences.

And the best part is, nowadays it’s easier than ever to find people facing the same challenge you are: you can look at various Facebook groups, blogs, forums, in-person group meeting or even the gym.

#3 Use fitness apps

Pretty obvious, right?

Friends and gym-buddies are great, but what happens when you need expert advise and you don’t have the budget or time for a real-live nutritionist?

A simple search from your smartphone can quickly lead you to a number of popular results – apps built and vetted by certified nutritionists and doctors, designed specifically to help more people like you reach their weight goals.