There will be consequences

When you make the incredible decision to begin transforming your health one small step at a time you will notice some consequences.  Many of them will be positive.  You will begin losing weight (or at least toning your body) so you will feel better.  You will have increased energy, improved bodily functions and a higher level of euphoria as endorphins are released into your system.  You will also experience less stress, lower levels of depression and a general feeling of accomplishment as the changes begin to take place.  You can expect to become more self confident as you take control of your life and see the results of your choices. Overall, all good things.

However, there are a few drawbacks to getting healthier.  First of all (at least for me) is some of the comments that you can expect to receive from people you know and even random strangers.  Here are a few examples from my life in the past few months.  I was at a church prayer breakfast and went through the line and loaded up my plate with a pastry, a small helping of eggs and potatoes and a bunch of fruit (not exactly an extremely healthy breakfast, but not too bad either).  Upon seeing my plate an older man decided to ask me if I was a vegetarian because I had skipped (swapped out ) the sausage patties.  I informed him that I wasn't a vegetarian, just trying to eat healthier.  He proceeded to inform me of the health benefits of sausage.  This man must have weighed close to 300 hundred pounds with a belly that weighed at least 100 pounds.  I wonder if he would have found it rude if I explained exactly what it was in his colon that was causing his gut to be so large, round and hard.  I decided that whatever he was eating, I would avoid.

Then recently, I was at a family gathering and decided to skip (swap, there is that magic word again) the hot dogs so I brought my own chipotle black bean burgers.  A female (who is much healthier and leaner then the man in the previous story) relative asked me twice within 5 minutes "if I had gone vegan."  I informed her that I hadn't (even if I had, would there be anything wrong with that?) but I was just trying to be more healthy when I could.

I can barely ever remember a time when I have commented on the food on someone else's plate.  Maybe if I really enjoyed an item, or something looked interesting I would ask about it.  However, to ask someone if they were a vegetarian or a vegan simply by watching them eat one meal has never crossed my mind.  I find it to be extremely rude.  I will eat what I want and it doesn't concern you.

So, long blog post, to simply say that you can expect many people not to understand your new lifestyle choices.  Don't worry, continue to model positive behavior in an understated way and they will eventually see the benefits displayed in your life and be jealous and envious.

There can be a more insidious side to these comments and conversations though.  Many times people will be concerned with your break from average and your move to awesome.  They will seek by any means necessary to draw you back into the herd, so they do not feel badly about their own choices.  After all, if everyone is making bad choices, they can't really be that bad, right?  You are throwing  a curveball into their life.Average isn't so bad if no one ever does anything to rock the boat.  Be a boat rocker.  Stay positive and stay focused on the end goal.  Don't get drug back into  the herd.