To those of you who said no to the free office donuts and got an eye roll in response. To those of you mocked for deciding to bring a healthier lunch to work. To those of you questioned when you get up early to get in a quick workout on holiday. To those of you questioned by family as you opt for a healthier choice than usual at dinner. You’re not alone.
Sticking to healthy lifestyle changes is hard enough on its own without the eye rolls and snide comments. While we may want to respond with some snappy comeback it’s usually not a good idea and may cause more trouble than it’s worth.
Here are my top tips to use if a situation like this arises again…
1 Pause and consider. Do they have a point?
A healthy lifestyle is one of balance. Take a moment to think, are you taking it to an extreme? Are you restricting yourself? Are you doing too much? If it’s a healthy balance… keep going!
2 It’s often not about you.
It’s important to remember most of the people critiquing your choices are often either misinformed but well intended people or they are people who are insecure, possibly self-conscious about their own lifestyle choices.
Before getting defensive, remind yourself that it’s likely not even about you.
3 Have a few well-practiced responses.
There will probably be situations and comments that keep reoccurring. I suggest you think of a few responses for when those instances arise.
Here are a few examples:
Comments about you not eating something – “Who cares about the calories?”, “That’s not enough food”, “Are you on a diet or something?”
Responses
-Smile and redirect the conversation – “I’m just pacing myself. Hey, how was that trip?”
– Be direct and be generous with a compliment “This is plenty for me. Thank you for preparing all this!”The little white lie
– “I’m going out for a nice dinner later and want some room for…!”
Food pushy people – “Just have a some it won’t kill you”, “Everyone else is eating it”, “Come on, you can be unhealthy for a day”, “I don’t want it all, let’s split dessert!” “Eat some cake, you’re making me feel guilty”.
Responses
-An easy one – “Thanks, but I’m not hungry. I already ate.”
-A small explanation – “I do eat what I want, but I’m ok for now, thank you”
-If they say they feel guilty watching you this is the perfect example of someone projecting their own insecurities. You could make the scenario a teaching opportunity – Offer your own past experiences and share helpful videos, blogs or books you’ve read.
-If they really won’t leave you alone – take it to go and do as you wish with it at home (ie give it away or bin it).
Comments on your appearance – “You’ve lost too much weight”, “You look like you need to eat this”, “You’re too skinny now, eat this”.
Responses
-Take the focus off your appearance and focus on the other achievements of the new lifestyle – “I feel better and more energetic than ever since I started working out regularly! Can you believe I can squat my own bodyweight now?”
4 Remind yourself why you’re doing it. You are your biggest advocate.
Keep in mind why you’re eating as you are. You want to fuel your body with whole, nutritious food. You aren’t restricting yourself and turning everything down. You’re simply being more mindful of what you’re eating.
I hope these tips and scenarios have helped you think about coping with any uncomfortable social situations. Remember, you don’t have justify your decision to say no to eating something as you don’t have to justify your decision to indulge in something.
