Making the leap into fitness can be a pretty tough one. When you start lifting, a lot of things change. Like your lifestyle, your mindset about the scale, and even the people around you. Fitness is hard enough on its own, but it’s even harder when the people around you are unsupportive.
Most of us have a hard time getting support from our significant other, let alone be fortunate enough to have an entire support system.
So how do you get through it? I won’t lie, it is absolute gold when the people around you support your lifestyle, or at the very least don’t try to tear you down for it.
You can’t change the people around you, but you can change how you cope with them.
Families, especially when you’re super close to them can be soooo unsupportive. Most of the time they mean well. They love you and hate seeing you not “enjoying yourself” by eating all the food at a gathering. You might lose some weight and they tell you that you’re getting “too skinny” or that your muscles are “too much.” Maybe they even put you down because you’re the “big one” out of the rest of them.
All of this can really f… with your head. This is your family. The people that are supposed to love you unconditionally. And here they are
on you for trying to better yourself.
In this situation, you really only have a couple of options and that talks to them or ignores it. I always try to talk things out first, sometimes they don’t even realize they are being unsupportive or how it is affecting you. Other times, it’s just the way they are. Older relatives and parents especially– you can’t change them. You just have to adjust your mindset to the understanding that they don’t get it. If you keep doing what you’re doing they might see it someday, and if they don’t, that’s just something you will need to accept.
As much as I hate to jump to jealousy, this tends to be the case when it comes to friendships. People hate to feel like you are surpassing them on some level or another. A lot of friendships are complacent and comfortable, and you’re generally seen as equals. So what happens when one piece of the equal pie starts to better themselves? The other person starts to feel it. They might look at you and feel like you think you are better than them. Your newfound healthiness might shine a light on their unhealthiness and an insecurity explosion may ensue. Rather than use you as inspiration to get better themselves, they may try to get you back on their level by making rude comments or trying to aid you in sabotaging your progress.
As as it is, this is something that happens. You can try talking to them and including them like the significant other section above, or you may need to allow the two of you to simply drift apart. A lot of friends are lost on fitness journeys because you are elevating yourself and quite possibly growing out of friendship.
You have goals, and you can’t let anyone, no matter how close you are to them, stop you. You are bettering yourself, improving your health, your life, your mind, and your body by embarking on this journey. Don’t let unsupportive or ignorant people keep you from that.
And if you have no one? Sometimes that’s even better. You may not have anyone to support you– but you don’t have anyone to drag you down either. At the end of the day, you’re the only one who can accomplish your goals. When you can make shit happen without support, you’ve already proven to yourself you can do it, so when you do have it– it’s simply a bonus.
Most of us have a hard time getting support from our significant other, let alone be fortunate enough to have an entire support system.
So how do you get through it? I won’t lie, it is absolute gold when the people around you support your lifestyle, or at the very least don’t try to tear you down for it.
You can’t change the people around you, but you can change how you cope with them.
Families, especially when you’re super close to them can be soooo unsupportive. Most of the time they mean well. They love you and hate seeing you not “enjoying yourself” by eating all the food at a gathering. You might lose some weight and they tell you that you’re getting “too skinny” or that your muscles are “too much.” Maybe they even put you down because you’re the “big one” out of the rest of them.
All of this can really f… with your head. This is your family. The people that are supposed to love you unconditionally. And here they are
on you for trying to better yourself.In this situation, you really only have a couple of options and that talks to them or ignores it. I always try to talk things out first, sometimes they don’t even realize they are being unsupportive or how it is affecting you. Other times, it’s just the way they are. Older relatives and parents especially– you can’t change them. You just have to adjust your mindset to the understanding that they don’t get it. If you keep doing what you’re doing they might see it someday, and if they don’t, that’s just something you will need to accept.
As much as I hate to jump to jealousy, this tends to be the case when it comes to friendships. People hate to feel like you are surpassing them on some level or another. A lot of friendships are complacent and comfortable, and you’re generally seen as equals. So what happens when one piece of the equal pie starts to better themselves? The other person starts to feel it. They might look at you and feel like you think you are better than them. Your newfound healthiness might shine a light on their unhealthiness and an insecurity explosion may ensue. Rather than use you as inspiration to get better themselves, they may try to get you back on their level by making rude comments or trying to aid you in sabotaging your progress.
As
as it is, this is something that happens. You can try talking to them and including them like the significant other section above, or you may need to allow the two of you to simply drift apart. A lot of friends are lost on fitness journeys because you are elevating yourself and quite possibly growing out of friendship.You have goals, and you can’t let anyone, no matter how close you are to them, stop you. You are bettering yourself, improving your health, your life, your mind, and your body by embarking on this journey. Don’t let unsupportive or ignorant people keep you from that.
And if you have no one? Sometimes that’s even better. You may not have anyone to support you– but you don’t have anyone to drag you down either. At the end of the day, you’re the only one who can accomplish your goals. When you can make shit happen without support, you’ve already proven to yourself you can do it, so when you do have it– it’s simply a bonus.