I know that you have probably heard the saying that you are the average of the 5 people that you spend the most time with? This is such a true statement and something I try to remind myself of often, especially when choosing who sits in my inner circle.
How many times have you said to yourself "I am going to start eating better and not eat sweet foods after dinner?" I've said that exact quote to myself countless times. Then you get home after a long day, eat dinner and wander off to the couch to watch your favourite TV show. Then your partner plonks themselves next to you with a bowl of your favourite treat. At that point your mental resolve is put to the test, unless you're extremely determined to reach your goal and have amazing willpower, the chances of you not tucking into that bowl is very low.
I want you to consider your 'circle of influence.' Are there sore thumbs in your group? A good way to think of this is on a scale of 1-10. Where do the people around you fall on a positivity scale? If they are below a 5, are they helping you or hurting you? Is there negative energy bringing you down? Sometimes in life you really have to take inventory of who you allow to be close to you. No one likes weeds in their rose garden!
Often people ask why would someone's partner actually encourage them to eat poorly. Especially knowing they are attempting to lead a healthier lifestyle? I believe it comes down to emotions - love, fear or guilt.
When one half of a relationship tries to improve a part of their life, the other half will either support them, or fall into the trap of coming up with excuses for their efforts in fear of losing them, especially if they are not on a similar road to self-improvement. It is at this point that they can often feel like they need to convince you to have that treat, or extra glass of wine to keep you both on the same track.
What if you trained 2 hours per day, 7 days a week? That would mean you are doing an awesome job of hitting your training goals, however this still only represents 4% of your life. The general consensus is that your ability to lose weight is 70% connected to eating habits, which leaves just 30% for exercise. It's really what you do away from the Studio that will get you the results of your dreams. Therefore, you need to ensure that you and the people around you have an understanding of what your goals are and what influences you.
Research has found that many people with poor eating habits are the result of those around them. This supports the theory that we are the product of the people we spend most of our time with. This can also be seen on TV, shows such as the 'biggest loser', where prior to entering the house we look at their lives and it becomes evident the role that their circle of influence has played in getting them to that stage of their lives. When they enter the house their circle improves and they are amongst people who share common goals, ]that you can visibly see the improvements. Not only do they have a positive circle of influence but trainers who provide education and accountability to succeed. When they return home they either go back to the negative circle of influence, or push through with their new knowledge however it is unfortunately more common for them to go back to their old ways. This highlights the importance of ensuring that people who wish to lead a healthy lifestyle surround themselves with positive influencers and keep those close as they go throughout their journey. Positive energy brings good vibes and makes it that much easier to reach your goal. The more you hang out with people who motivate and inspire you, the more your life will benefit. On the flip side, if you spend your time with people who don't share your passion, enthusiasm and drive or thoughts, then you will inherit their energy - whether you want to or not. This can be applied to many aspects of life, not just health.
As the saying goes, 'it's hard to soar like an eagle, if you're surrounded by turkeys'.
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
