Setting a goal to become healthier puts pressure on friendships. The reason for this is that when we are with friends we tend to relax and loosen up a bit. After setting a health goal everything seems to change for friends. The moments that you weren’t looking at what you would eat or drink are in the past.
Before you throw your healthy lifestyle onto your friends start a open conversation with them. Let them know how important changing your life really is. Determine what is important for you. What are things that you want to maintain no matter what and which habits can you adapt? If you like to eat healthy but still like a dessert now and then, reserve those moments when you are out with friends. Keep your healthy lifestyle in check during the day so you can loosen up a bit while with friends.
Dropping some of your guards while with friends shows that you can be vulnerable, this includes your food and drink choices. Knowing that you are giving in on some things will prevent you from obsessing about your health. Which in turn makes it a more sustainable way of life.
Friends … they cherish one another’s hopes. They are kind to one another’s dreams. – Henry David Thoreau
Sometimes maintaining the friendships seem difficult. But in the end it are your friends, the people that know you the best and that will support you the best they can. So you are not the only one that will have to give back to the friendship. As long as you support your friends they will do the same. At the times that you are having problems maintaining your healthy lifestyle your friends can motivate you.
If your friendship is based only on going out to party and drink it will be more difficult to maintain the friendship. Going on a night out without drinking alcohol is doable. But not everyone wants to do it. If you want to try it give it a go. You might like the fact that you remember even the little details from your night out. Who you met in the evening and what happened.
Going out while drinking alcohol is also feasible with a healthy lifestyle. As long as you limit your drinking. Alcohol on itself is not bad in small amounts. It is the long hours, with lots of alcohol and bad food choices that influence our life.
In whichever situation you are at right now, put conscious effort into holding on to your friendships. Health is an important part of your life, but it shouldn’t be put above friends, at least not al the time.
This is so true thank you for such an amazing post