Let's be completely and totally honest with each other right now, when you and your friends are all trying to lose weight, and the only one that it is not happening for is you, the feeling can be extremely disheartening.

More disheartening then seeing size 0 celebrities on every ad that you pass.  More disheartening than going to your high school reunion and seeing bodies that have no changed. More disheartening then trying to get rid of those last 10 pounds of baby weight. It just sucks, and we all know why. It is because it isn't some abstract third party who is losing weight. It is the people that you see every day. The ones that you love, or at least like enough to keep around.

We tend to make our most basic comparisons about where we are in life. We tend to view them as accurate because, for the most part, we have the most in common with our friends and unlike the big names in the world what they do is usually achievable for us. We also hate it because it blows away a lot of our excuses. You say that you can't eat healthy because of your kids. Well, Sara and Jamie both have kids and they have managed to adapt their lifestyles to eat less calories. You say that you can't get to the gym because of your demanding job. Well Alice is also putting in 60 hour weeks at the office and it is not stopping her from making it there three times in a week.

So, what can you do, aside from secretly sneaking butter and sugar into their food when they go to the rest room, can you do in to close up the gap. Well, that is really simple. You are going to turn those people you have secretly begun to hate (and don't lie, I know that you are on some level) into your biggest resource for practical information on how to live a life that is much healthier than it was before. Think of your friends as your new cheat sheet to weight loss.

Your friends with kids will be able to clue you in on some health meals that don't cause a round of 'you are going to sit here until you eat your peas' or an uneaten plate. Your work-a-holic co-worker may be able to not only clue you in on the good times to duck out the office early to him the gym, but she may also be able to tell you about company sponsored wellness programs that will help you on your way to weight loss. Even if you and your friend do not have a direct connection you may be able to pick up tips on exercise routines, not too bad snacks, and other helpful hints that will make your job easier.

The bad news is that, for now at least, you are the fat friend. The good news is that your path just got a lot clearer and that you have a great new source of motivation for shedding those pounds right now.