I am fortunate to have a spouse and friends that support my desire to eat healthy and work out.  Some of them are my inspirations. I remember when Kristy, Shazzy Fitness CEO, suggested we start walking together not eating together to catch up.  It was a real shift in making the nature of our interactions around our common goal of being healthy.  She made me think differently about my friendships.  When we go on vacation, my husband and I work out as a part of our vacation schedule and it's a requirement that the hotel have a gym.  In fact, we often laugh that we do better on vacation!  I run with friends and we exchange information on the best workout videos and running shoes.  Not that we are all buff chicks but we are interested in a healthy lifestyle. It's part of what binds us.

I know that everyone does not have that support and even for those of us that do, naysayers who aren't even friends will often offer unsolicited comments.I've had friends who have changed their eating habits only to have their love ones complain about the inconvenience that causes them or gone to dinner with people who try to talk someone into getting dessert saying they were wrong to be so strict with their diet - “why don't you live a little?!”. 

Folks who have told people that were wasting away or that they needed to stop losing weight when it was obvious to us all that they could and more importantly wanted to lose a few more pounds. People who tell you to stop running ("It's so bad for your knees"), discourage you from going to the gym ("you work so hard.  When do you rest?"), tell you to quit buying new exercise videos ("there is so much you can do for free outdoors"), or are sour on the idea of you weight training ("who wants someone who is all muscular and bulky? Those people look freaky").  There seem to be ALOT of discouragers out there ready to pounce.

More amazingly we don't pounce the OTHER way. Could you imagine if people told folks that are overweight they didn't need dessert or that they needed to lose weight, workout or change their diet?  I keep imagining someone yelling to someone else in the company breakroom "put that doughnut down and back away from the box!" We would never think it's ok to do that. Nor should we. Even though if we were real honest we sometimes think it and when you care about someone it's often true that it needs to be said to them under the right circumstances.

Some people can be toxic to our dreams and aspirations. They can be detrimental to our healthy or good lifestyle choices. Sometimes they are the people who love us and it is their own fears  or issues that make them uncomfortable with our choices. Sometimes they don't know the impact they are having.  Unfortunately sometimes, they don't care.  I hope you find the courage to deal with the people who are eroding your confidence to do what can sometimes be a difficult task and that you are able to embrace those folks that want what you want for yourself.  It can make all  the difference.  

See ya on the road!  

The Sweaty Executive.