How to keep a positive atmosphere when surrounded by negativ

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LinzCurlyQ
LinzCurlyQ Posts: 94 Member
in Motivation and Support
Would anyone like to share any tips or tools to keep a positive attitude when surrounded by not so positive people?

They are my family, so ditching them isn’t an option. They aren’t really debby downers, just negative and condescending in nature. Failure instead of success is expected when it comes to weight loss.

My goal with this post is to gain knowledge on getting past the feeling of negativity/failure and create personal motivation despite external influences.

Replies

  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,383 Member
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    Tell them you are trying to GAIN weight (like bulk up or something), then when they tell you you're going to fail it will actually be supportive of your weightLOSS efforts. :-) (basically, try to approach the situation with humor b/c unfortunately you can't change the way people are)
  • s1lence
    s1lence Posts: 493
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    Take whatever they say and put a twist on it. Like if they say you will never lose weight, turn it and say something like "You know you may be right, I'll just become healthy instead." Or just smile and nod then go about your own ideas. Just because one person has a negative outlook doesn't mean that it has to affect yours.
  • shovav91
    shovav91 Posts: 2,335 Member
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    Realize that this battle is a personal one. You are doing it by yourself for yourself, and nobody should have the ability to tell you otherwise.
    I think Eleanor Roosevelt said it best, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

    Unfortunately, you don't have the power to change the attitudes of the people around you, but you have all the power in the world to influence how others effect you.
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
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    Keep a nice pile of mfp friends around! Just stick to your guns and your friends and family sill eventually get on board when they see you are serious. Even if they don't you might make some new friends that share your goals. Oddly enough, a lot of the encouragement I get comes from my coworkers.
  • Amy_Lee_2012
    Amy_Lee_2012 Posts: 156 Member
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    I live with an extremely negative and not so nice man- we've had a terrible and rocky relationship for the past 8 years and are just waiting for this house to sell, so we can finally go our separate ways. When I first started on my weight loss journey, he would take every opportunity he had to put me down and make fun of me, especially when he would see me working out. It was hurtful at first, and I cried a lot. Then, I finally realized that I didn't have to allow what he said to me to upset me. In fact, I learned to use his negativity and cruel words as 'fuel' to motivate me to work even harder to lose weight. The hurt I felt turned into anger and now I am able to just completely shut him out- not even pay any attention to anything he says. The more he sees it doesn't effect me any more, the less he bothers me. It's very hard dealing with negative people, especially when all you need is support...all you can is ignore them as best as you can and keep focused. Don't let anyone get in the way of reaching your goals!
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
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    I agree with keeping a nice pile of MFP friends (nice visual :laugh:) Also, just do your best to not talk to the negative ones about it. Make your good choices quietly and move on. Refuse to engage them when they try to bring you down. Nod your head, say something noncommital, and move on. Your friends here will keep you motivated :smile:
  • Jeaniehop
    Jeaniehop Posts: 88 Member
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    I agree with having positive friends here, keep your head up your doing great, and use the negativity as fuel. I just keep my mouth shut and my new self will speak for itself! Eventually they will eat their negative comments and you being the bigger person will have NOTHING to regret! feel free to add me if you need a positive friend! Good luck to you!

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