Setting Yourself Goals and 5 Ways to Overcome When You aren't Supported.

This is a guest post by Karen Jenkins, one of my newest personal trainers and I’m excited that she is discussing this topic! I hope you enjoy. Love, Molly

Have you set yourself some pretty big life changing goals? If so, that is awesome, I am proud of you! Let me ask you this - are your friends and family in your corner or does it seem as if they do not really support you and your goals?

I am a wife and a mother to three amazing kids. I have been a mother for twelve years now and my focus has been my children. I love being a mom, but I realized that I had not really been focused on me. I was extremely overweight, so depressed that I could not make myself get out of bed for days at a time, and riddled with anxiety when I did. One day about a year ago, I finally looked at myself in the mirror and said, “Enough is enough”. I was failing my children and my husband in the state that I was in. I needed to make changes. My husband was amazing. He jumped right in and started coming to the gym with me, helped me with my workout plans, and worked out with me. Even then, I was not fully committed to my lifestyle changes. I still went to friends’ houses and over indulged on food and alcohol. I was not seeing the changes I wanted to see. Therefore, at the beginning of 2023 I decided that I was going to get very serious about it. I set some new goals for weight loss, strength, better mental awareness, all pushing myself to be better.

With this, I have come to realize that not everyone is in my corner.

One of the people that I considered one of my best friends is showing me a new side. Instead of supporting me and cheering me on, she decided to mom shame me. Telling me that she does not understand how I can just leave my children behind when I go to the gym or work. Statements like that from a person that I saw as a true pillar in my life, really brought me down. It started making me second-guess everything.

Apparently, this is not something that has just happened to me. I cannot count the number of people I have seen on social media complaining about their friends and family not supporting them in their personal fitness or mental health journeys. With that being said, my question is this - what would you do to pull yourself out of it? Well, here are 5 steps that have helped me tremendously.

First of all, give yourself a hand for committing to making changes in your life. Ultimately, we only get one life and one body and you made the choice to improve yours.
Remember why you made the choice to make these changes.
Focus on the good. You have made some amazing changes. Focus on that. Whether you needed to just lose weight, improve blood work, or just become more mentally stable. You are doing it. Be proud!
Celebrate yourself. Go buy the new pair of jeans. Go out to dinner, yes you can still go out on a healthy diet!
This is the most important one for me. Keep Pushing Forward!!! Even if it means you have to leave some people behind.

I have learned a lot in the last 6 months, some good, some bad, and I am thankful for it all. No matter what happens, I have found the pillars in my life that I want and need around. I am so excited for the future and what it holds in store for me. If you want to follow along with my journey, follow me on Instagram at KCfit-nut.

Love, Karen