You’re gung-ho about your fitness goals, but on a Friday at five, you find you’re a lonely heart trying to explain to your gang why you’re headed to the gym to work your hammies and do some HIIT, instead of hitting happy hour to get hammered. You’re reshaping your lifestyle.
But, it seems your friends couldn’t care less about your fitness goals, and in fact, keep trying to distract you. But, before you start crying in the corner and accusing your bosom buddies of trying to sabotage your goal, take note. It’s likely they can still help you achieve your goal, just not in the way you might be expecting.
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4 Ways to Keep Focused on Your Fitness Goals
Instead of cutting out your crew, try a little of this:
1) It’s Not Cheating to Step Out On Them!
Develop some fitness relationships. Meet someone at BARRE class, not at the bar! You’re not seeking to replace your existing friends, but are looking for support, accountability, and advice from people you trust while you achieve your fitness goals.
Check out the gym’s social network sites. Go to group exercise classes. Join a group run. Attend a cooking class. Chances are you have work friends, childhood friends, college friends and other categories of friends. It’s okay and productive to have “fitness friends.”
2) Buff-up Your Understanding of BFF
It’s true; research shows that working out with a buddy increases the chances you’ll adhere to an exercise program. But having a strong social network in general also increases the chance you’ll realize goals.
If your friends buy you fries when you want fruit, that doesn’t mean they don’t care about you. It just means you’re not connecting on this particular point. Keep your expectations in check. Remember those Expectations vs. Reality videos? Someone, usually the person with lofty expectations who’s trying to replicate someone else’s success, ends up feeling like a chump.
Just because they don’t want to sit and talk about your Paleo plan, doesn’t mean they have the emotional capacity of a cave man. Feed your friendships and figure out how those relationships can grow with you.
3) No Need to Preach or Teach!
Meet up with your friends, but BYO kale chips or whatever it takes to keep you on track without preaching about it! Your priority is changing your lifestyle, not to save them from theirs. You need a few cheerleaders but don’t expect every friend to pick up a megaphone or expect them to stick around if you start berating them through yours.
4) Express Gratitude
Maybe your pals aren’t jazzed about protein shakes, but that doesn’t mean you should shake them off. Appreciate the fact you have the ability to make conscious lifestyle changes. Recognize the unique support your non-fitness-freak friends do lend.
Do they make you laugh when you need it? Do they warm your heart by treating your cat like the Lion King? Do they offer an ear when you’re stressed about work? Realize the subtle ways they have been helping you and thank them!
The whole point is they are the friends who got you this far. Graciousness goes far when it comes to growth.
