FITness & Friendship

Hidee hoe.  How was your weekend friends?  We had a busy weekend jam packed with mounds of merriment. ❤️

I had the privilege of attending a beautiful wedding ceremony last Thursday night. It’s so lovely and special to witness young love. When family and friends congregate to celebrate the sacred union between a man and a woman it’s magical because it’s holy! It’s basically God’s blue print for covenant relationship taking place before us.

All of the niche traditional boxes were checked before we sent the two love birds on their way lit up by sparklers and bubbles.

Speaking of unions, let’s get to down to FITness and friendship!

Like a marriage, support is kind of big deal when it comes to making a lifestyle change.

One minute you and your significant other seem to be enjoying a serene steady flow of substandard unhealthy habits and the next minute one of you decides to detox. WHAT THE HECK???  Without any warning your best buddy, bff, spouse, co-worker or friend straight up abandons the cozy little ritual lunches or nights vegging on the couch and   gets all active on you.

You’re left dazed and confused.  You’re googlied eyed and perplexed as to why your friend is leaving you for a new active lifestyle?  Bewildered you find it hard to understand why this person is choosing to pump the brakes on all fast food, alcohol, and french fries.  Why is this person turning their back on you and turning over a new leaf?    What have you done to deserve this cruel and unusual punishment?

You feel threatened.  Their new choice came out of left field and is causing a serious point of consternation in the home, work environment, apartment, dorm room or friendship.   The once greasy harmonic relationship you shared has been blown apart by salad and sweat.

Juicing??  Really?

In your mind you know that this is just temporary.  You feel strongly that this manic deranged workout phase will not last.  You’re friend has done this before but she/he will be back.  In no time yall will be living fat and happy from the couch.  But then you remember seeing it.  That look in their eye.  That eye of the tiger look.  It was different.  You know it because now looking back you knew something was off.  The way they didn’t want to laugh with you about the skinny girl in the TV commercial.  Or the way they didn’t want to eat at your hole in the wall greasy stomping ground burger joint.  Have they really made a vow in FITness and Health?

But don’t fret because you have options!

INVESTIGATE

Go undercover, go covert or go with gusto but go with it.  Join this brave compadre on the new FIT journey.  See what all the hype is about. Instead of looking like the lonely louse at your regular happy hour, join your friend at the gym.  The corner happy hour bar isn’t going anywhere.  It will be there after your full investigation is done. Give it a whirl and go along for the ride.

Ask your hubby if you can tag along for the jog.  You don’t have to chit-chat,  just plug-in your music but check out the route and speed and see if you can keep up.  You might like it,  A couple who sweats together stays together.  If your friend is into water sports, dive in and check the water.  You will dry off, the water won’t cause you to melt.  While you’re in the horizontal position under the covers, pick up the FITness magazine he or she has been reading.  Click around on some FITness blogs and see if it doesn’t spark some minimal enthusiasm on your part.

SUPPORT

If you don’t want to join your friend or spouse on the jungle gym, the least you can do is sit on the grass and wave.  Be supportive.  Don’t make snide negative remarks about the way he or she is ordering healthy food.  Don’t get that judgy tone when your partner is headed out the door for a jog.  Don’t doubt their committment to make better choices.  Your friend/spouse made a bold choice to work on their health.  So instead of breaking their balls…offer up some words of encouragement.

 Like:

I’m so proud of you.

I’m so glad you are NOT giving up on this!

Keep going!

Girl, you are looking strong, buff, smaller, lean, FIT, healthy…..

Honey, I’ve never see you with this much muscle definition.  I’m liking it a lot.

Let me feel those biceps!  Wowza

Compliments keep people enthusiastic.  Your close friends and relatives notice change and voice their support it can fire off an endorphin rush.

FIND NEW FRIENDS

If you’re eat up with envy or too proud or lazy to join in on the weight loss, cut ties.  Break up and find new couch potato friends.  This is not divorce advice.  If you simply are not interested in getting active with your spouse then don’t.  But it’s hardly permission for a divorce.

If you don’t want to work out stick with what you know.  The world is crowded with folks that just don’t care.  Or that don’t care to exercise or those who love to EAT rich unhealthy gourmet meals.  If you are one of them then own.  It’s not hard to find like-minded people who don’t enjoy activity.

This is so abrupt and harsh Angi, where is all of this coming from?  Uh hello…I get constantly tortured for living healthy.  If I even look at a piece of cake…  people start the slurs.  “Oh…are you going to gain a pound if you eat it.  Will you run like a million miles tomorrow because you ate that?”

No…I won’t have to.  The reason I won’t have to is because my body is its own fat burning machine.  My metabolism is like a rocket that blast and burn right up.

My Mr. Chicken Fry, my real friends and family know me.  They don’t discourage me in any way.  They know by now that FITness is my jam.   It’s like brushing my teeth, I do it every day.  I make time to walk or do push ups, sit ups or squats almost anywhere in the world.  They have seen my consistent dedication to the diet and workout and it’s accepted.  Even my gal pals know that I will go out and have a knee slapping good o’l time but I’m still going to eat healthy.  I will always eat the cake, but I’m going to keep it in the fairway.

This was a picture I took from brunch a few weeks back.  One of my friends doesn’t eat healthy.  But I do!

Now, if you’re the new workout gym rat in the story…the same goes for you.  Be accepting of your friends, spouse and or family members that just aren’t into it. They don’t know yet!  Just keep doing your own thing.  Be careful not to brag or boast, just live it.  Don’t give them the evil eye when they order the double meat double cheeseburger or the chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed potatoes.  The pancakes are on them. Try not to be disappointed when they turn you down for the 15th time on your offer for a bike ride or walk around the block.  Just keep inviting and including them because one day…just one day…they just might say YES!!!!

Stranger things have happened!  Even Mr. Chicken Fry and or my teen queen will come with me on the occasional walk or bike ride. It’s such a sweet surprise.

Who are you in the story?

Love, celebrate and include your mate!

If you are ready to take the leap of faith into a relationship with FITness, I can help.  

 

Angi