What To Do When Your Family/Friends Don't Support Your Goals
Yesterday, I had a chat with one of my clients about what happens when the people in your environment (friends/family/coworkers) don’t support you in your pursuit to live a healthier lifestyle.
Whether your coworkers still bring muffins and pastries to work every day, convincing you that “one won’t hurt” until you find yourself caving under the pressure.
Or maybe whenever you go to family functions, you’re met with pastas, breads and cakes forced onto your plate, served with a side of cutting comments about your appearance.
Or perhaps you’ve mentioned to your friend group that you would prefer not to drink too much anymore, only to be met with comments like “don’t be lame” or “you’re no fun”.
Honestly, I’ve PERSONALLY been in each of these situations.
I come from an Italian family. So, when I first started to live a healthier lifestyle, I had to make the conscious choice to risk offending my family for the sake of my own personal health.
That meant…
saying NO to pasta
saying NO to alcohol & juices
bringing my own meals to work and family functions
passing up on special events where I knew I couldn’t trust my own willpower
making excuses like “I’m not hungry” or “I’m not feeling well” to those who wouldn’t understand me if I told them I was trying to lose weight
I had MONTHS where I would receive cutting comments about my weight loss journey, my new habits, my new personality, etc. but the more I stuck with it, the more people just became comfortable with this being the new “normal”.
It was really hard. Believe me, I'm not saying it was easy at all. But, what truly got me through it was knowing that I was NOT put here on this Earth to eat food that I don't want to eat, just to please someone else.
Truthfully, they may never learn to understand your new lifestyle and point of view. And that's okay. The REAL issue is learning how to respect each other's personal beliefs, goals and values - no matter what they are.
And that isn't easy to teach.
But the more you're able to be a good role model and be kind, but still prioritize your own health and happiness, the more they will see that you cannot be affected by their words and actions.
Ultimately, you will regret letting other people control the way you FEEL about yourself if you don't take control of the situation yourself. And you'll feel so much better, stronger and more capable for having spoken up and said something.
So, don't let other people’s opinions about your fitness journey bother you.
REMEMBER: It's not their life, this is yours.
With love and wellness,
PS - If you're wondering how you can get strong & confident without the fad diets, the yo-yo dieting, or the unsustainable workout programs, CLICK HERE to schedule a FREE call!
(Seriously, ask me whatever questions you need - no strings attached)