How to Deal With Naysayers Along Your Nutrition Journey
Have you recently made the decision to get healthy and fit?
Congratulations!
However, you may have a problem. Your friends, family, coworkers and naysayers (FFCN) are everywhere. You can run and you can hide, but eventually they are going to find you.
When they do, you can rest assured that they are going to inquire, ask, judge, or hate about the new you.
No worries — here are five simple ways to handle any reaction to your FFCN.
Lead By Quiet Example
This one is first for a reason. Ever heard of the phrase actions speak louder than words?
Your results will speak for themselves.
After the first few weeks, when your energy has skyrocketed, your skin is clear, your aches and pains are gone, and you’ve shed some fat or built some lean and mean muscle, people will notice, and they will ask you what you’ve been doing.
It’s kind of hard to doubt the method when the results are right there in front of them. So, let your experience shine through. Answer questions if asked, but don’t waste your breath trying to convince, cajole, or persuade others before they’re ready. Just be a living example of what this way of eating could potentially do for them.
Pick Your Battles
Whether you like it or not, you can make people feel bad about themselves just by rolling up to the lunch table. The way you eat may very well remind people that they aren’t eating the way they should, or could, or might want to.
It’s not you — it’s them.
They are on the defensive the minute you plop your salmon and vegetables next to their Lean Cuisines and crackers. Now is not the time to point out the dangers of grains, or comment on the study you just read linking diet soda to obesity.
Keep your lunch to yourself, and encourage others to do the same by not responding to their pokes, jabs, or attacks on your “weird diet”.
If someone is truly interested, have the conversation away from the crowd when you can speak privately and not be interrupted by the haters.
Educate Yourself
You know you’ll have to deal with questions, comments, and straight-up challenges from time to time, so you’d better be prepared.
If I asked you right now, “Why don’t you eat dairy anymore?,” how many of you would have an immediate answer for me?
That answer could range from the documented inflammatory properties to the fact that as soon as you stopped, your skin cleared up — anything from reference to personal experience.
The point is, you’d better have an answer — and it can’t just be, “Because my coach said so.”
So, do your homework. Figure out the difference between the Ketogenic Diet, counting macronutrients, and low carb diets. Learn why certain foods are excluded. Understand how a diet high in good fats helps promote body fat loss.
Prepare some remarks based on your own experience. Just don’t show up empty-handed, because if you do, you’ll lose any chance you may have had to get the other party to buy in.
And if that other party is your mom who shops for all the food, your husband who cooks all the food or your roommate who pays for half the food, you really can’t afford to lose that chance.
Refer to “Scientific Evidence” Cautiously
I’m not saying you shouldn’t research and cite information from the likes of Loren Cordain, Robb Wolf or Gary Taubes. What I am saying, however, is that for every science-y article you find that talks about, say, why dairy is bad, there are a hundred just as science-y articles that will say the exact opposite.
My recommendation? Unless you’re totally on the ball with scientific references (and able to intelligently refute the opposing side on the fly), don’t let the scientific research be the only leg you choose to stand on in conversation. Refer back to point #1 — lead by example, and cite real people who have had real results.
When Outnumbered, Fall Back
You may very well find yourself stuck in a battle that you just can’t win.
It’s a family dinner. Your parents, siblings, and children are at the table, and you’re being hammered with doubts, skepticism, and outright criticism.
Take a deep breath, smile, and simply fall back. In the end, the only person whose health and wellness you are responsible for is yours.
While it may pain you to see the unhealthy behaviors exhibited by your friends and family, ultimately, they are responsible for their own lives and their own choices. So rather than spark a bitter feud or ruin a birthday party, swallow your ego, your pride, and your frustration and simply say,
“Well, this is actually kind of working for me right now, but I hear what you’re saying and I really appreciate your thoughts. Now let’s get back to enjoying this delicious meal!”
Sometimes, that’s all you can do . . . and that’s okay. Refer back to point #1. If people are open to change, eventually they will come to you, and you’ll get that opportunity to help them.
Have You Been There?
Have you ever found yourself in a tough situation like this while pursuing your nutrition goals? How did you respond? Tell us about your experiences!
Maybe you haven’t experienced a situation like this because you haven’t yet taken the step to get your nutrition on track. If you need nutrition coaching in Sioux Falls, you’re in the right place! Drop us a line, and we’ll chat about getting you fit for life.
