Do you remember having aspirations to increase your fitness and overall health and receiving the full support of the people around you? Maybe not, but that seems pretty incredible. It’s common for friends and family members to hinder good intentions when they host social gatherings, dinners, backyard barbecues, birthday parties, and so on. In my ten years as a certified personal trainer, one of the main problems I’ve seen first-time clients confront was the lack of a supportive system. Family and friends don’t necessarily want to undermine the fitness and health efforts of a family member or friend. Still, they do not understand the battle the one was fighting, and they’re making it harder to keep going in their quest to lead the healthy lifestyle they want to live.
The best part is that you are able to convert detractors into fans with just one simple step quickly. What’s the next process? Be clear about your goals! Recently, I dealt with a customer who had difficulty sticking to her nutritional program on Monday evenings. Why was it Monday evenings? There was the Bachelor (the television show) celebration every Monday night, where friends would come over and bring unhealthy food. She was not willing to be rude and take her food from friends and ruined the entire week’s progress to get one night. The behavior could not continue when she was determined to see the results she wanted, so we came up with a plan for that particular night.
We were aware that we were not able to decide on what guests brought to the table. After contemplating this for a couple of minutes, I asked, “How many of these friends know you are on a nutrition plan and trying to improve your health and fitness?” The answer? Zero! She had not spoken to one person! This was our next step in her lifestyle change. We set it as one of our daily goals to tell her acquaintances that she was following her diet at the next gathering. We wanted to develop an effective support system. After this client had returned, she was quite shocked to discover that all of the friends had the same objectives. The event was changed the following week to a “healthy potluck.” She was able to transform those who were preventing her from her goal into an ally!
The main lesson you can learn from this experience is that one should not be too open with one’s family and friends. We all know people who are never quiet about their diet; however, attempting to live an active lifestyle and communicate your goals are different. It’s a constant aspect of who you’re trying to become and what you’re striving to achieve in your daily life. If you can communicate your goals and allow your family and friends to support your goals, you’ll be able to establish a strong and supportive system. As a fitness and nutrition consultant, I make it easier for clients to achieve success; however, the road is filled with distractions. One of the best ways to stay clear of these distractions and dangers to be successful is to have a backup system that can help you whenever you need it.
Three steps to make sure you’re successful: Communicate your goals, allow others to assist you, follow the three guidelines for nutrition described in our program, and develop the proper exercise and resistance program to help you achieve your fitness and health objectives. You don’t know what impact your new lifestyle can have, not just the person who supports your journey.