This was a tough step for me.. When I first got into fitness it was not as popular as it is today. It was not a fad or something my friends really did. I went to a huge party school where drinking 5 out 7 days of the week was normal and socially accepted. As I got into fitness I began to realize how hard it was to balance both. I realized I could not reach the goals I had set for myself if I continued to eat whatever I wanted, barely sleep and party all the time. I didn’t have many or really any friends at the time who didn’t drink. I at first distanced myself from almost everyone, which was a huge regret of mine. I became fearful of going out with friends because of the pressure of not staying consistent with my training and eating. I look back and find it crazy how much I over thank it all. Looking back I wish I had just found a way to balance my friendships and goals. I could have easily gone out to eat and found macro friendly meals. I could have easily gone out to parties and have been a DD for friends while still having fun.
This step is crucial also in the fact that you WILL lose friends. There will be people who do not understand, support it, or care. Not that those friends don’t matter – you all will just grow towards two different paths in life. Neither one better than the other, just different, which is perfectly normal. This is your time to surround yourself with those that you believe help better you and support you in your efforts to becoming the best you. Find ways to compromise in your relationships with your friends. Examples: go to a restaurant you both can find food options at, go to a party together but agree that you will not drink or will only drink X amount. Those little compromises will go a long with in a true friendship.
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Awesome post! I related to a lot of this back in school. Have to surround yourself with like minded people
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