How many times has this happened to you?
You’re at work having lunch, or out to lunch with co-workers or friends and you order a salad. People start giving you a whole lot of crap.
You’re having a salad again?
Why don’t you just live a little?
Just have some of these nachos. It’s no big deal.
What do you do?
You’re trying to eat healthy to support your training and your lifestyle. You’re not on a diet, you just don’t want to eat the fat-loaded, processed crap that everyone else is shoveling into their faces.
Many people at this point unfortunately will give in to the pressure. You don’t want to be the only one that’s eating a salad with chicken on it.
So you either skip these meals with friends or you just suck it up, abandon your healthy plan and eat a greasy plate of nachos or a burger and fries.
Both of these answers are no bueno. No good.
Since when did eating healthy and wanting to take care of yourself become the minority situation? Eating like a slob and not caring about yourself, that’s the new normal?
Not okay in my book.
But you want to keep your friends and have a life, so what do you do?
It’s simple. You have to own your change.
When you go out and you order something healthy and you start to get the comments, all you have to do is own your change.
Instead of backing down and just having what everyone else is having, when you start to hear things like;
What are you, on a diet?
Why don’t you just have a few nachos?
Come on, live a little.
You simply say, Hey, I’m working out really hard and eating healthy makes me feel good. It gives me energy for my workouts, I sleep better, I’m more productive and I don’t feel like crap by 3pm every day. That’s why I’m having a salad.
You have to have a reason for what you’re doing and if you just state that reason to people, they will totally get it and that becomes the new normal. Who knows, you may even inspire them to make a change too.
Most people are not doing this to come at you in a harmful way, it’s just that when someone is doing something they aren’t doing, it’s uncomfortable for them. Owning your change is the way to get past this and still enjoy time with your friends and have a life.
Give this a try next time and remember that being healthy is a lifestyle. It takes work every day to maintain it. Do 1-2 things every day that make you feel strong and healthy.
Be sure to leave a comment below if this post resonated with you. I’d love to hear your thoughts.