Fitness: Don't Listen to Your Friends
Everyone has an opinion on how YOU should be losing weight. I remember when I got serious about losing weight, I got plenty of advice from all sorts of people some solicited and some not. Some advice was really helpful and others (usually the unsolicited) missed the mark. In MY personal journey I had to figure out what would work for me. Often, the problem with advice from others is that they don’t really know you. They don’t know that you are prone to ordering a whole pizza and devouring it in one sitting; they don’t know that you could eat a roll of cookie dough if left unmonitored and they don’t know that you’d rather drown yourself than run 1 mile around the corner.
Be careful who you invite on your weight loss journey. Most people have issues with their own body. People will project their own negative perceptions of themselves onto you when they see progress. It’s enough to battle the temptations, unmotivated moments and frustrations that go along with losing weight, then to add dealing with the psychological warfare your friends and family. Trust, it is a full out war. When you do finally come close to your goal people will say “You look to thin you need to eat” or “Your always working out you should rest.” Don’t allow these negative perceptions to invade your psyche. Be strong.
It takes hard work to get in shape and stay in shape. You should be proud of reaching that point where fitness and healthy nutrition is no longer a chore. Yes, it is great to reward yourself but don’t let the words of others influence your choice.
This past weekend I was on a family vacation. I have lost about 10 pounds since I started training for an upcoming marathon. One of my family members kept harping on my weight and said I was too thin. Meanwhile, I thought I looked great, and other family members told me how toned and fantastic I looked. However, this one family member kept encouraging me to eat and I did. Before you know it I come home 7 pounds heavier. Instead of listening to myself I allowed the insecurities of another influence my choice. It was funny because the same family member who was saying I was too thing called me the day after we got back and asked for help losing weight.
You know yourself better than anyone else. Ask God for guidance on your decisions regarding your weight and getting healthy. He will steer you in the right path, put the right literature in front of you and send positive people your way.
Are there negative influencers in your life? Are you getting push back from family members about being healthy? Share your thoughts and experience.