Are you criticized for your choices with health and fitness?

Choices Getty images

                About two weeks ago in the middle of this nutrition "cleanse", I remember a few adjustments I had to make. I was so used to spending the weekends trying new restaurants with friends or enjoying good wine with people I love (which i still love to do), but just for this cleanse I was cutting out processed foods and any kinds of alcohol. It honestly didn't bother me all that much because I saw it as giving my body a break and just taking it on sort of a cleansing vacation just to see what would happen so I was having fun experimenting with new recipes, trying out new hobbies and spending my time doing things I normally didn't. However, every time I told a friend we could definitely hang out we would just have to do something different for a bit then go out to eat or if they wanted to go to a live music venue I just wouldn't be drinking it turned into "Oh my gosh, well if you can't do that then what can you do!" Um there's still a whole world out there aside from eating and drinking.

I'll never forget when the first Saturday rolled around and a good friend of mine texted me asking to hang out and I excitedly said yes looking forward to trying out something other then eating as a past-time with friends. She showed up at my house and we began to think about what we wanted to do for the evening and I threw out some hobbies or different things we could check out that we hadn't before and instead of being excited or open to the new ideas I immediately was hit with "Why are you even doing this cleanse? Why are you making yourself miserable? What are we supposed to do now if you can't even go out to eat or have a glass of wine? I think you are getting a little ridiculous with your health and fitness?"

What happened next...DOUBT. I began to question everything I was doing. Am I becoming ridiculous with this? Am I being selfish by keeping my friend from doing what she wants on Saturday night? Is this cleanse for vanity instead of growth opportunity? Maybe I should just stop and go back to the way I was living it wasn't that bad. Maybe she's right and I am becoming on of those "health freaks". I completely lost all confidence in why I was doing this healthy thing for my body and why I cared to even continue. Her attitude became my attitude of "this is stupid lets just go back to how things were". I HAD A CHOICE.

Would her opinion of what I was doing become my opinion of what I was doing? Would her lifestyle choices be my lifestyle choices just because I was being convinced that they were stupid? 

This happens to a lot of us any time we make a positive change in our lives and one thing I will learn and caution you with is when other people do not want to grow and do not want to make those same changes in their life you better believe they are not going to support it when you do it. When you decide to do something different then you have been doing you kind of bring to light areas for other people that they do not want to be responsible for so you better be ready for criticism. I have clients who have worked hard and look awesome and now have amazing endurance, energy, reduced stress, lower blood pressure, and look phenomenal have their friends or family tell them "You are getting way too skinny you need to eat. You are getting a little obsessed with this health thing you're doing. Etc." When these clients look awesome! Trust me I am the first to call someone out if they are not eating right and cutting their calories too low or working out an insane amount of times throughout the week because I want to help people find balance, but when you are simply representing what a healthy lifestyle is all about I will support you 100% when the criticism is thrown on you. The funny thing is I can guarantee you the 90% of the time that criticism is coming from people who are over weight, not pursuing their goals, are stagnant in life, and do not want to change any of their unhealthy habits. This is why it is SO IMPORTANT to have a great support system and to surround yourself with other people who have similar goals and dreams. Be a dreamer, but surround yourself with the DOERS. Whether it is business, fitness, relationships, spend your time around the people who don't just talk about changes or goals they want, but people who actually act on them and move towards them.

I read a great quote in a book the other day that said "We all tip toe through life only hoping to make it safely to death"! How powerful and true is that!? We don't take risk, we don't try new things, meet new people, travel to new places all just to make sure we make it through this life without being a little uncomfortable. Any opportunity for growth is going to be uncomfortable at first, but who you become and the things you experience going through it are what makes it worth while.

Surround yourself with people who love you, friends who support your growth opportunities, and ABOVE ALL ELSE BELIEVE IN AND LOVE YOURSELF!If you don't have one then FIND ONE! I have a support group for all of my clients that allow them to discuss these struggles and other areas to help lift each other up and give advice so there are options.

P.s. That Saturday with the friend, I chose my opinion above hers and grilled an amazing dinner of salmon, asparagus and zuchinni then baked a delicious healthy dessert while etching some beautiful wine glasses. I chose my own path instead of following someone else's. :)