On The Journey Of Maintaining a Healthy Diet

Have you ever wondered why, when you are so close to reaching your ideal weight, there is someone standing in the wing with a piece of chocolate cake or butter nut ice cream?

Over the past couple of months, I have been working with a client who is striving to get fit by October for a planned cruise. She had experienced several weeks of consecutive success. The numbers on the scale were going down. Her blood pressure had stabilized to 120/80. And she was feeling great.

Then I got a call, she asked if we could move our weigh-in appointment to the next week. I said, “Why?” She said, “I had attended several church functions and just over did it.”

A week later, the phone rang and it was my client asking again to move our weigh in appointment. I responded “Why?” She said, “Well, I had to celebrate my friend’s birthday and we went to a restaurant and I couldn’t say no to all that great food.”

She asked me if I could speak to her friends because every time I turn around, someone is bringing goodies or asking me to eat out.

No matter what dietary changes you’re trying to make – whether you’re working towards shedding unwanted pounds, lowering your blood pressure or training for a 5k race – you will at some point in your journey encounter a diet wrecker. It could be a spouse, a parent, coworker, or friend. You might hear things like, "I liked you better when you were a little bigger" or "You’ve gotta try this. I made it just the way you like it."

There are thousands of reasons why friends and loved ones are less than supportive.  Sometimes they are jealous or envious. Sometimes, your success highlights their failure. Sometimes they have a real fear of losing you as you become a healthier and stronger person.

So here are some quick tips to keep you moving along the path to a healthier you

1. The gentle approach -- “ Hey, I would love a slice of cake – I’ll eat it later.
2. The Direct approach -- “Honey, I love your  short ribs, but I am really trying to watch my sodium intake."
3. Cooperative approach- Tell your friends and family about your heath goals. Enlist them in helping you to reach your goal. “Thank you so much for having a salad available for me at your cookout. I really appreciate your help and support.”  Continue to do the activities that you love to do, such as going to your favorite restaurant after work with coworkers. Just be firm and tell your friends and family that you really want to hang out with them, but insist that they respect your decision to live a healthier life by not trying to tempt you with all kinds of goodies.