When you’re on the road to health, your relationships have a huge impact on your success. In order to achieve your goals, those around you have to lead you down the right road, not the wrong one.
Health Saboteurs are those who (intentionally or unintentionally) lead you away from your health goals.
Some of these people don’t mean to do you harm; they may actually love and care about you. But this doesn’t mean their actions are in your best interest.
Health saboteurs can be anyone, from coworkers who bring donuts to the office when you’re on a diet, to those who declare you “no fun” when you avoid alcohol on girls night. Or your sedentary spouse who resents you for walking around the block after dinner instead of watching tv on the couch & eating ice cream
Some people that you’re close to may not want you to get better or change your habits because it affects their life. This can be for a few reasons:
- They like that you rely on them for help
- They’re facing a similar health crisis that they’re ignoring, and they’re uncomfortable because you’re taking steps toward a resolution
- You previously enabled each other to make poor health choices
- They aren’t comfortable with change and want to keep the status quo – they want you to stay the same so that they feel safe
So how do we get rid of these saboteurs? We still want them in our lives, but beware of their comments and advice when it comes to your health. Instead surround yourself with those who WILL help you achieve your goals.
4 people who can help you move foward in the right direction:
-Coach: someone with professional training and expertise, such as a Naturopathic Doctor (hello!), MD, psychologist, nutritionist etc. who’ll give you practical help, support and information
-Teammate: someone with issues similar to yours, who has similar goals, and with whom you can share ideas & compare notes. You will keep each other motivated
-Cheerleader: someone to offer honest encouragement and help you believe in yourself
-Umpire: someone who gives you constructive criticism, who’s a good observer and listener and isn’t overly harsh or critical. This should be someone who you can willingly accept criticism from
These people are the ones you should rely upon for insight and opinions with respect to your health – not your saboteurs.
Dr. Tanya McEachern 