November 6, 2017
Home Grown Peer Pressure
Hey guys! I wanted to pop on today & chat about “peer pressure”. It’s real for grown-ups too! When you are focused on your lifestyle whether its new to you or if it has been a long time constant, it can be very difficult when you receive flack from your loved ones.
This is something that I personally have dealt with for a long time. Around 16 years ago when I began to educate myself on proper nutrition (I obviously have learned a lot since then!), I also had to learn to walk a fine line of not being disrespectful and sticking with my plan.
For many years, my family and friends would give me a really hard time for not eating the pizza or cake or whatever fried foods were being served. They would say that I must think that I am better than them, or that I was being very disrespectful. I didn’t want to completely disappear from their lives, so during gatherings & outings, I would tote around my 6-pack fitness bag with healthful options for myself.
Pretty soon, it was a running joke that I thought I was better than and some of them felt like I was personally insulting them by bringing my own food. In reality, I was just trying to remain a part of the family and not miss out on quality time with anyone. Eventually, it started to wear on me. Particularly after I got into it with a family member about it. I would always try to explain that for my personal goals and all of my heath issues, this is what I needed to do. It wasn’t that I thought I was better than anyone, that’s the furthest thing from the truth. I mean, I am pretty fabulous but so is my kick-ass famiglia lol!
Sadly, I took a little break from family functions, outings with friends etc. I just felt like an outcast. All because I wanted to live a healthy lifestyle. A couple of years went by. Yes, years! I slowly started to come around again, hoping that they’d be a little more accepting. They were.
I still try to plan a creative re-feed meal around family fun or events or parties, if there’s one due. However, if I don’t have a cheat meal to cash in, I continue to bring my own food to eat.
The moral is, there will ALWAYS be people giving you a hard time, trying to convince you that you deserve it or that you’re being too strict. If you really want it, there’s no excuse not to succeed. Do I hang out at bars until the crack of dawn drinking with my friends? No…That’s not my thing. I’d rather feel as rested as possible the next day and have an amazing workout while fuelling my body with the nutrients it needs to perform at its best.
Do I let lose every once in a while and have fun? Of course. It’s all about balance and boundaries. The best thing about life is that it’s YOURS! You are in control of the choices that you make. Make the best choices for you, not the ones you think will make everyone else happy or like you.
Love yourself first and the rest will fall into place!
Thanks for spending some time with me on my blog!
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Brianna, Holistic Healing Fit Club
