Everywhere you go in life and everything you do, you are going to encounter negative people. There are some people that will always tell you that you can't do something or achieve certain things. There are some people that will question the reasons that you want to better yourself, your health, and your relationships. When trying to get in better physical condition, people love to make negative comments or try to persuade you to make unhealthy food choices or question the reasons you go to the gym or go to a hill to do sprints when you could be doing something "more fun". For me, pushing myself to physical exhaustion is fun! (ok, I'm a little crazy). Now back to the topic....
Dave Tate touched on this subject and I found it almost humorous because it occurs in my life and many other peoples lives who are trying to get leaner, stronger, or healthier. Tate spoke of a group dinner which he went to a restaurant with some friends and when it came time to order he was criticized for ordering a healthy meal, something like grilled chicken and broccoli. His friends made negative comments trying to justify their lack of disciple and make themselves feel better. Meanwhile his friends ordered chicken wings, cheeseburgers, onion rings, and fries. Of course, they probably were all overweight and some of them probably could be mistaken for an attraction at Sea World. I've been it this situation numerous times and I don't get it, wtf? Just cause I'm trying to eat a healthy, clean, "leanness" promoting meal I "need to live a little" "I am ridiculous", "I am vain/shallow" and "I need to let loose".
There are plenty of times in my life where I let go and enjoy a few meals that aren't even remotely healthy. I was in Vegas for my 35th and I had pretty much every type of food that I don't normally eat. I had a great time and it was great to "let loose" but at the same time I knew when I got home I would go back to my "normal" way of eating. There is a time and place for "cheat meals". Just because it's the weekend and it's football season, it doesn't make sense to eat like crap Saturday and Sunday so I can feel like crap on Monday.
You will encounter negative people everywhere you look. Take the grocery store for instance, people have actually made comments about the food I have in my shopping cart. A person questioned why I was buying "free range organic eggs", basically I was told that I was wasting my money and regular eggs are just as healthy. Sorry, didn't know you were my financial advisor.....
As far as your personal achievements go, don't expect a complement or a congratulations from the negative people in your life. If you get a promotion, get a raise, or decide to take on other endeavors in your career path, don't expect anything positive from these people. If you get in better physical shape and achieve your weight loss goals, yeah the negative people will take notice, but don't plan on getting a compliment!
I made some choices in my life that require a lot of dedication. I am very passionate about getting stronger and staying lean. I would prefer not to let my body fat get over 10% while maintaining, what I feel, is an adequate level of strength. Since last January, my fiance and I have lost between 20-30lbs, have gotten physically and mentally stronger, and we have had fun in the process. We are in this thing together and we encourage each other to make better food choices and we hit the gym to train together when we can, even though our schedules are extremely busy. Why do we do this? Because our best years are in front of us, we realize that we have never felt better and our outlook in life has never been more positive. One of the reasons people might be negative toward your achievements is because their best years are behind them.
Negative people will try to make themselves feel better by trying to make you eat worse and exercise less. Just remember "nothing tastes as good as being in great shape feels". Make choices that will effect your life in a positive way. Eat the right foods, go to the gym, exercise outside, do the opposite of what the negative people in your life do on a daily basis. If you are doing something that is beneficial for your health, your relationships, and your happiness, don't let any body or anything stand in the way of what you are trying to accomplish. Be positive, be dedicated, and every now and then-live a little and let your guard down- you deserve to have a little fun.
If we take closer look on what's important to us we should focus on the positive things in life. Be passionate about what makes you happy and don't let negative individuals bring you down. When I start my day, I know what is important for me to accomplish and the things i need to do that will make my life better. At the end of the day, when I look in mirror, I understand that I am the way I am because, to me I feel that "average is just unacceptable!"
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