Do you have haters? Have you ever attempted to make big changes to improve your health and happiness? If you have made big changes then you have haters.
In his book Turning Pro, Steven Pressfield writes ” Turning Pro changes how people perceive us. Those who are still fleeing from their own fears will now try to sabotage us. They will tell us we’ve changed and try to undermine our efforts at further change. They will attempt to make us feel guilty for these changes.”
Have you ever experienced anything like this? The clients that I work with that make big changes all deal with this on some level. Maybe it is in the form of comments from co-workers turning their noses up at the healthy food you bring to the office. Maybe they throw back handed comments at you about your clothes, hair, body, etc.
One of your haters may even be a spouse or child. They begin to complain that you are different now and not in a good way. They may say that you are not as fun, don’t cook good food or won’t go out to eat like you used to. What about the mom who experiments with new healthier recipes only to be chastised by her loved ones at every attempt?
What about the lady whose closest girlfriends beg her to skip the gym in lieu of going out with them? When she does go out with these friends they attempt to get her to eat and drink the very things she is working to avoid.
One of the most surprising places you find haters is in the gym. Yes – the gym. The place we go to get healthier and happier. Unfortunately, everyone there is not at their healthiest and happiest place yet. And thus the claws come out.
I recently had a client have this experience while she was traveling. She was working out at a gym and had a lady gym accuse her of showing off, trying to look cute, and workout out too hard. Isn’t the point of working out to “work” out so that you look and feel your best? The lady then said to her ” you don’t need to workout”. Because she perceived my client as already fit she felt that there was no need for my client to exercise. The reality was that this client was struggling to get in her workout while traveling. This was the first time she had actually done a workout while on the road. It was a struggle for her to push herself and get it done.
How do we deal with our haters and naysayers? Mr. Pressfield says “We will have to choose between the life we want for our future and the life we have left behind.” This is very true but easier said than done. Especially if your family and closest friends are the ones giving you the most grief for changing.
The good news is that making positive changes makes us stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally. We need that strength to push through those very trying times that will come.
My client didn’t let the lady at the gym slow her down. And my hope is that you don’t let the naysayers slow you down either. She shook it off and got back to her workout and got it done.
You are not alone. Find comfort in knowing that everyone that works to be at their best will deal with others trying to pull them down. The more fit and healthy you are the better armed you are to shake off negativity. When you shake it off you will keep climbing higher and get to that future place you want to be at.
Taylor Swift says it best in her song “Shake it Off”. She sings:
But I keep cruising
Can’t stop, won’t stop moving
It’s like I got this music
In my mind
Saying, “It’s gonna be alright.”
‘Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate
Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off
I have a feeling I will have this song in my head all day. Thanks Taylor!
Below I posted a Full Body Workout to help us all “Shake off the Haters” along with some extra fat. I would love to hear about the challenges you have faced when making healthy changes. Leave a comment below or send me a message through my contact page.