How to deal with everyone else
As long as you make similar choices to those around you, it is likelyno one will have anything to say about your health. In college, when I was living off of velveeta and party pizzas no one asked me where I was getting my fiber. Aside from cardio provided by going out dancing I did a lot of not moving. No one presented to me their concerns about my cardiovascular health.
Since losing weight and changing my habits Ive been presented with more concerns about my health than ever in my life. Mind you, I am a person who used to struggle with serious bouts of depression, frequent emergency room visits and chronic illness. But exercising and eating healthy are the things that caused alarm.
I am often asked where the protein is in my meal. Because everyone around me is suddenly a nutrition expert. Ive been warned of the dangers of eating too much fruit, getting too skinny, eating frozen vegetables and vitamin deficiency.
Regarding exercise I am reminded often about overtraining. I am given the mandate of not getting too bulky (p.s. I lift heavy and often and I wouldnt call myself bulky just sayin). And Ive gone from being routinely asked if I am pregnant to being asked if I miss my boobs.
If youve made similar changes you may have experience some of this. If not, its probably something you should expect. It used to really upset me and if Id had any less motivation it may have been the thing that would have caused me to come to a grinding hault in my persuit of better health.
One day after what felt like a huge attack on my new healthy choices I was feeling particularly down. I had become passionate about fitness and health. I was working my butt off and seeing results. Id never been so driven or worked so hard at something in my life. And the people around me were anything but impressed. In many cases critical or rude. My husbands best friend said the following to me:
It isnt you. Its the fact that if you can make these changes so can they. Which means if they are unhappy with their bodies they can do something about it. That makes people uncomfortable.
The good news is, people get over it. While I am still offered up nutrition advice and am always prepared to answer the where is your protein question for the most part people are over it in terms of my changes. What started out as being funny the big girl doing tae bo by herself at work became a part of who I was. It stopped being interesting and became a part of my identity.
When you start to make changes its likely the people around you will respond and it may not be with an outpouring of support and awe. It probably wont be.Trynot to take it personally (nothing ever really is personal anyway) and just give those around you the chance to adjust. Commit to your new choices and stick it out. Once the dust settles and the new you doesnt seem to be going away people will get used to it. The concerns will begin to fade away. And maybe youll even inspire a few people along the way.
Shake the haters off and do you.
Love, Mama