In this day and age, most of us have one or more friends or family members who are trying to lose weight. Whether they are trying to drop a few pounds for a high school reunion or trying to make a drastic lifestyle change, your support and encouragement can make or break their success.

Like with anything, people are more successful in achieving their goals if they have an incentive to continue. All too often, people use food, candy and sweets as a reward; however, when someone is trying to lose weight, that’s exactly what you cannot do in order to motivate them. Instead, you have to get creative.

Certificates and plaques are a great alternative to food to show your friends and loved ones that you support their efforts. A plaque with a certificate proves that you have been planning and thinking about giving them a reward, not that it was a last minute decision on your part. Award plaques and certificates can also be chosen in colors and materials that reflect the person who is receiving it.

Most people have heard that incentives, like plaques and certificates, can provide motivation in the workplace and at school, but you may not have heard about the success of giving these types of awards for weight loss. In fact, many of the top weight loss companies today use certificates to motivate their clients. Companies like Weight Watchers award certificates for reaching certain weight loss goals, such as losing 50 pounds. This is a company with major success in helping people achieve their goals, so if they see the value in using certificates as an incentive, it’s definitely worth a try! These certificates not only reward people for their hard work and success but they are also an incentive for dieters to continue pushing forward.

Anyone who is taking on the challenge of losing weight will appreciate that their hard work is not going unnoticed. A plaque for a certificate is a reward that will last a lifetime; it is a constant reminder of the dieter’s dedication and success. It won’t disappear in few minutes like candy or sweets, but instead it will be a constant reminder of their accomplishments and that is something no one can ever take away.