After years of trying to figure out diet culture and failing, I was so excited when I finally started to see results. I wanted to shout from the rooftop that I’d found the secret. Weight loss is so easy as long as you track your calories! I quickly learned though, that it wasn’t that easy for everyone, and everyone didn’t want to hear about it. Telling your friends about your diet may be at the top of your to-do list when you finally find success, but you may want to refrain unless they ask you.

All our bodies are different, and have different needs . . . just because it works for you, doesn’t mean it will work for someone you love.

Telling Your Friends About Your Diet May Not Be Effective Because We all Have Different Bodies

We all have different bodies that react differently to types of foods, timing of meals, and intensity of exercise.

It’s great to share what’s working for you and what isn’t with a captive audience, but if they didn’t ask, it may be for a good reason.

Different Mindsets

We also all approach big challenges in life differently. Four years ago, I was right in the middle of intense work toward my weight-loss goal. The calories I was consuming on a daily basis were minimal, and my workouts were crazy. That worked really well for me at the time.

Today, I’m in a very different mindset. Marriage has changed my priorities, in that all of my focus just can’t be on myself. My husband and I both need to care for each other so our lives both look very different than they used to.

Now, my health focus is more on maintaining low stress levels and balancing hormones than on what I look like.

Seeing this shift in my own mindset shows me what a lot of my loved ones were dealing with when I was telling them “how easy” my lifestyle was to maintain back then.

Different Personalities

People’s personalities can also affect their approach to health.

Goal-oriented people may be all about counting calories, intense workouts and tracking every step toward achievement.

Family-oriented people may be more concerned with finding a routine that doesn’t disrupt family life.

Career-focused individuals may be interested in learning about healthy meals on the go, and incorporating movement into the work day.

When you’re excited about a new lifestyle choice and finding your way to healthier living, it’s natural to want to share it with those you love. Just don’t overdo it. Pay attention to the pieces of your story that really capture their attention, and focus on that instead of trying to force your new habits on them.

Different Choices

When it comes down to it, we are all different in so many ways, and we all have different choices to make.

I have zero hesitation in giving up a food group or a type of food if I know that it is causing me pain or embarrassment in some way. But someone I love very much believes that giving up bread and pasta would help reduce the pain associated with some arthritis-type symptoms she’s been experiencing.

And, you know what?

She told me there is no way she could give those foods up, even if she knew it would eliminate her pain. That was the end of that conversation.

We. Are. All. Different.

Different Priorities

Long story short, we are all different in so many ways. Not only that, we can change so much in only a matter of a couple of years that something that worked before won’t anymore.

Cutting calories is a thing of the past for me. It turned out not to be sustainable when life got busier. That doesn’t change the fact that it worked for me in the past, and I had some great methods that I’m happy to share with people who are interested in learning more.

But, a good rule of thumb to follow is not to offer advice to those who haven’t requested it.

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