On Saturday I had an experience that I’m not accustomed to on Twitter. I was tweeting with someone I had never had any previous dialogue with. She asked a question about her training and, after a series of exchanges she asked, “How are you doing today? I hate talking about me all the time.”

I told her I was grateful for the question and surprised, and she responded, “Why is that? People should always reciprocate care and concern!”

I’m not accustomed to someone asking how I’m doing when I’m in a conversation related to helping them with their fitness or nutrition program. For me, it’s all about them. So the question simply made me feel good and it got me thinking about how one small comment or show of concern can go such a long way. But what does this have to do with you? Everything. We tend to look at weight loss, fitness and nutrition as a process of seeking information and then just starting a program. And then merrily we go into fat burning zone. C’mon, not a chance! It’s so much more than that. It’s about having people in your life that support your efforts, that will get tough with you when you start to weaken and that will encourage you even more when you’re making progress. And it’s about you doing the same for the people in your life who are embarking on their own fat loss and fitness journey. It’s not an easy journey for many.

The simple truth is, we all just do better with everything, especially weight loss, when we have support and when we’re lending support. If you check out many of the Facebook fitness and nutrition motivators most of them really have to do with focusing on yourself. Today try reaching out and supporting someone who is trying to lose fat or get fit. If you see someone who has done well, compliment them. If you know someone struggling, give them a word of inspiration to keep going.

Today, let’s pay it forward.