Yesterday, we went to get some new workout clothes. I got some new shorts, he got shirts and shorts...but the single most expensive item purchased was a new sports bra.

And I had no problem with it. If I can't have basic support and comfort, I'm not going to work out. Which got me thinking...do I REALLY have "basic support and comfort" when it comes to living a healthy life?

Thankfully, yes. I don't have anyone in my life that I see on a regular basis who tries to yank the rug out from under me. Good choices aren't ridiculed or shot down. I'd have to admit that the one person who questions and doubts my choices the most is...me.

So...take a minute and think. Do you have "basic support" for your lifestyle? What does that mean to you? Can you change the circumstances or your reaction to unsupportive people?

Responses aren't necessary, if you're uncomfortable putting the words out here.

Support is really what I am counting on to make Weight Watchers work for me. I'm a month into it now and its going great. I go with a very close friend of mine. We make a full day of it each week, and take turns making lunch after the meetings. I also love the ladies in my group and especially the leader. She really goes out of her way to check in with everyone during the meetings and it is almost impossible not to participate. I also have another friend who hit lifetime several months ago, and she has been very supportive.

DH is pretty good, but I most want to give a major thank you to my walking buddy. We've been walking almost 3 months now. Seven o'clock in the morning is a lot earlier now than it was when I was teaching. We keep each other going.

Linda

I am fortunate. Most people are supportive. A few are not... oh well.

I'm blessed in that I have a lot of support in my life between my boyfriend and my friends. My online friends are probably my biggest support base.

Most of my family do not know that I am working hard to change my habits and it's not really an issue because I live so far away from them (and this is by choice because I was pretty much the "caregiver" when I was a teen). My sister and one brother do know, I won't tell the other brother because he would tell me how "I need to do it."

There are people in my life who are very supportive, and those who aren't. My family (who I know love me dearly) are often those who try to sabotage me, but you love... I'll send just a few of these home... and so forth.

I know they mean well, but sometimes they make it really hard. I do get upset when they try to make it look like they're being "healthy" by balancing a really bad thing with a small good thing (ie whole wheat pasta with alfredo sauce preceded by fried fish) and then look down on me for ordering something healthy & only eating a small portion.

DH is supportive most of the time. He loves munching his way through the evening and it doesn't usually bother me. He is a picky eater and so dinner has been a challenge, but I have come to realize that there are times when I just need to make to entrees...it doesn't bother me anymore.

He really does try, but has a selective memory when he gets groceries. The other day we were out of bread and he stopped at a gas station store and was soooo proud of himself. He got "wheat" bread....I had to break it to him that it was not a "healthy wheat" bread. Poor guy!

My friends and family are very supportive as well.

In the beginning I had a friend who was not supportive in the least. When she had lost weight I supported her 110% and it was all fine and dandy, but she had gained some back and watching me be successful was too much for her. We are co-workers only now. She has NEVER said anything supportive during my journey and if someone is talking to me about my success and she's around she will either walk away or rudely change the subject. If it's not about her then she will make it all about her.

I feel blessed to be surrounded by people who truely care about me.

DH tries to be supportive, but then he insists on buying cookies and ice cream. I have told him that it makes it hard for me and he thinks "You should just have more will power." That is a sticking point with us.

DS is actually generally very supportive, and he frequently asks during a meal "Is this healthy?" Or he tells me what he had for lunch and asks if it was healthy.

Although, the other day we were in the store and he really wanted something out of the bakery and I said "No, I really don't need to eat that." and he said "BUT you REALLY want to..."

That was really the first time I can think of when he has tried to blantently sabotage me.

Dawn

"Basic Support" I have group help, but I can't say that I have one person who is supporting and encouraging me. I have me, my glucose monitor and lab work. And those are my best supporters. My dh is supportive as far as asking about things I can eat, or how I did each week after WI's, but as long as he can eat what he wants...that's support.
My sons are far enough away or removed that they aren't part of the equation. So my support comes in group form from my WW meetings and my minute to minute support comes from a deep desire to be healthy...that's pretty basic.

Yes, I would say I have "basic support" for my lifestyle. Basic support to me means that the people with whom I spend most of my time are rooting for me and not working against me.

Back in 2003 when I started, I could not say that--I felt VERY UNsupported. After thinking about why that would be, I realized that I had tried to lose weight many many times over my life and hadn't often been very successful--and I'd been even less successful at keeping weight off. Given that, I could then understand why the people in my life were being cautious and not immediately jumping on the bandwagon. That's not to say it didn't hurt to feel unsupported--but just that I eventually found my way to understanding where they were coming from.

Over the past four years, as people in my life have seen that I am committed to a healthy lifestyle (even when I'm NOT losing weight), they have come to understand that this is different than all those temporary diets in my past and most have come around to supporting me. Some actively (like friends who make a healthy meal when I visit) and some passively (like most of my family).

There are still people who are threatened or confused by my being so different now. One friend who is heavy has pulled away--is it because of my weight loss and healthier attitude? I don't know. Two other friends are neither supportive nor unsupportive--they are just somewhere in the middle (one started as actively unsupportive but as the years have rolled on, sees that I am committed so he just keeps his mouth shut now).

Can I change the circumstances or my reaction to unsupportive people? Yes and no. I would like to say that people being unsupportive doesn't hurt my feelings--it does. Can I WORK on changing my reaction to that? Sure. Have I been successful at it? Only moderately.

I tried to think of a case where a friend or family member of MINE made a major change and how *I* reacted to it. The only one I can think of is a friend who became passionate about something I'm on the fence about after several dear people in his life died. I am not actively supportive of his new passion because I don't fully believe in it. So if someone in my life doesn't believe in eating healthier to live a longer, healthier life, I suppose I can understand them not being supportive of MY passion.

I am super blessed. In my daily life I have a lot of support. Dh and dd are totally supportive of my good health and our family's good health. I have friends who are really there for me.

Extended family is a problem sometimes. I mostly keep very good boundaries. In fact I just posted an email to my mom telling her we are not visiting for Easter. (We have to go there later this month and I KNOW I will melt down with 2 visits too close together.) I keep people who are not super supportive at arms length. It works well.