Peer Pressure

Peer-pressure is a serious thing, especially since it does not stop at the childhood or teenage years, it continues on into our adulthood. Most peer pressure is on young girls and women who see all of the magazines, the beauty products, the commercials and bulletin boards on how to stay young and good looking. Men and women in general are always bombarded with images from the media that make them feel inadequate. For a person who is out of shape and overweight, it is tough enough to be starting on the journey to better health and the look that they desire. So as soon as they start eating better, exercising and making some real progress, they go out with their friends and choose to get a healthy dish from the menu, and are looked at as a "health nut" and pretty much ridiculed or made fun of by their friends for making the healthy choice. For someone who has just begun this long journey, it can be extremely easy to succumb to the peer pressure and give into eating bad for one day, then two, then three, and before they know it they are back to where they started.

My question is when did being called a "health nut" become such a bad thing? And why do people consider being called a "health nut" a negative label? Let me tell you something; because you CHOSE to eat better and healthier, to train regularly and improve your health, you should be proud of the label "health nut". Think of it as a badge of honor that you worked really hard to get. The people that are calling you that recognize your hard work and that is why they say it. But they are a little jealous because it is really hard for them to turn down that piece of cake or the 7th cocktail that they are having at the office party. You do what you intended to do. Stay the course. Keep your goal in mind, which is getting healthier, living a better and longer life. Every time you are called a "health nut", take it as the highest compliment. Once you see things from this perspective there won't be any peer pressure for you and you will only do what you choose to do. Don't get me wrong, the peer pressure is for both women and men. For men it's mostly about looking macho and most of it stems from drinking. Who can out drink who? You would think that this behavior would be over in college. But that is just wishful thinking.

The bottom line is that no matter what kind of peer pressure you are exposed to, know that you are the one who is in control, because you are the one who chooses what to eat and what to drink. Make the right choice.

Questions or comments please contact me at yuri@absolutefitnj.com