How to Respond When People Question Your Fitness Journey

 

Hey hey, beautiful human! If you’ve ever felt judged, misunderstood, or even a little bit discouraged by other people’s opinions about your fitness goals… this episode is for you.

We’re diving into a mindset shift that’s helped me so much, especially when people don’t get why I pack my meals, prioritize my workouts, or count my macros. It’s based on Mel Robbins’ “Let Them” theory, and trust me, it’s a total game-changer.

What I discuss:

  • Why you don’t need to explain your fitness goals to anyone

  • How to stay consistent when others around you aren’t

  • Why their judgment says more about them than it does about you

  • Three mindset shifts to stay focused, confident, and committed

This episode is your permission slip to stop seeking approval, protect your energy, and keep building the body you want, no matter what others say. Let them talk. You? You keep showing up.

If you loved this episode, you’ll also love Episode 523: Choosing Yourself: What It Really Means and Why It’s Time to Start. I’ll link it in the show notes for you to easily go listen to next.
👉 https://www.juliealedbetter.com/embrace-your-real/choosing-yourself-what-it-really-means-and-why-its-time-to-start

If you want more from me, be sure to check out...

Transcript

00:00

Hey, hey, beautiful human, Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace your Real with me, julie Ledbetter. I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned. If you're ready to embrace your real, let's get it. Let's go. Hello and welcome back to another bonus episode on the Embrace your Real podcast.

00:40

In today's bonus episode, we're going to be diving into a powerful mindset shift that I think every woman on a fitness journey needs to hear, and it's based on a concept from Mel Robbins called the let them theory, and let me tell you it has been a game changer in how I approach judgment, misunderstanding and distraction from others while pursuing my goals. Mel explains it like this If people want to leave you out, let them. If they want to judge you, let them. If they don't support your growth or understand your boundaries, let them. The point is we waste so much of our energy trying to control other people's opinions, reactions or choices, and that energy is so much better spent staying locked in on what actually matters to you. So if you've ever felt discouraged or judged for prioritizing your workouts or counting your macros, this one is for you, because today we're going to be talking about how to stay focused on what you want, even when others don't get it. I'm going to be diving into how to let go of needing others to understand or approve your choices, why their opinions say more about them than they do about you, and three practical mindset shifts to stay consistent and confident in your fitness journey. But before we dive in, I want to share this super sweet review. It comes from Bethy D87. She gave a five-star review and said God's plan for Julie. God gives each of us gifts and talents not only for the glory of him, but for the purpose of helping others. This is exactly what Julie does. Her trials and tribulations that she has been so open about has served such great purpose. Her podcasts shine on positivity and realness and, let's be honest, that's something that we all need more of these days. Each podcast gives a little golden nugget on how to strive for your absolute best self while being aware of the trials and the process. She shows all of that, the good, the bad and serves great purpose. Thank you for being you, julie. I appreciate this so much. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to send in this review. I completely agree with you and I'm so grateful that you are finding this podcast helpful for you.

02:37

Man, just to think of, like the decades that I spent in misery and in just lack of clarity and also just frustration and thinking, man, am I ever going to crawl out of this black hole and now look ahead, you know, a decade or a decade and a half, and be like man. I'm a mom to an amazing boy. I'm married to my dream husband. We have two amazing dogs. Like I love this life so much and being able to share just vulnerably and openly with you. You know all of my struggles in the past and, and in hopes that it will help somebody, either not go through them at all or at least feel like man. This girl knows, like what I'm going through, because if there's one thing that I wish I would have had and now I understand, I understand it like why I had to go through it, because God does really bring everything for his glory, if you allow him to. But my hope and prayer is that either you can derail from it altogether and not have to go through what I went through or, at the very least, if you're in the midst of it, feel like you're not alone in this. So thank you again so much for taking time out of your day to send in this review. It really does mean the world to me.

03:47

Okay, let's dive into how to respond when people question your fitness journey. Mindset shift number one is let them not get it. Let's talk about this weird but common thing that happens when you start making changes, especially when it comes to your fitness or your nutrition. Like you start packing or meal prepping, you start prioritizing your workouts, you're trying to be more intentional with how you show up and suddenly someone's got an opinion, like your coworker comments on your lunch, a family member says oh, you're working out again. A friend jokes oh, you're being good for skipping dessert.

04:19

And part of you might feel the urge to explain yourself, to say, well, I'm trying to build muscle or I'm trying to focus on consistency right now. But here's the deal. You don't have to explain your goals to people who aren't working toward them with you. And this is where the Mel Robbins let them theory hits hard. Like she says, if they want to misunderstand you, let them. If they want to judge you, let them. If they want to opt out of taking care of themselves, let them, because none of that changes what you are doing. You're building the body that you want. You're showing up with intention and that doesn't require anyone else's approval. So, instead of wasting energy trying to convince someone why you're doing what you're doing, save that energy for your actual goals. Like, let them not get it and keep showing up anyway. And here's a little mindset hack that has helped me before you explain or defend a choice, I want you to pause and ask yourself would explaining this help me feel more committed or just more exhausted? If it's the second one, smile, nod and move on.

05:20

Mindset shift number two is let them opt out. This one's a biggie, because when you're trying to stay consistent but the people around you are just not prioritizing health at all, it can feel so isolating. Like maybe your partner sleeps in when you're trying to get up early to move your body, or maybe your friends cancel every time you suggest going on a walk. Maybe people in your life keep saying that they want to feel better, but then they shrug and say I just don't have the time, it's easy to start wondering like am I being too intense? Should I just ease up too? But here's the truth Just because other people aren't prioritizing their health right now doesn't mean that you shouldn't. Your goals don't require anyone else's permission, and consistency doesn't mean being perfect. It just means deciding to keep showing up even when no one else around you is doing the same. So let them skip the workouts. Let them say must be nice while you're out walking. Let them do what they want. And you stay consistent. Stay committed to showing up for the future version of yourself, because there is no better way to motivate others than them seeing your results. Let them skip the workouts or skip the macro counting, but once they see your results, they will speak for themselves. Results always speak louder than words and they will want to know what you're doing.

06:38

Mindset shift number three is let them talk. People are always going to have opinions. That's just a part of being human and especially part of doing anything that challenges the status quo. You eat a packed lunch instead of takeout someone might roll their eyes. You weigh your food or count your macros someone will probably say that's too much. You prioritize your workouts instead of going out. Yep, someone's gonna have a comment on that. They might also try to explain why something else is better than macro counting, or that a different workout will give you better results, or that what you're doing is not the best approach. Let them tell you. But here's the thing those opinions say more about them than they do about you, and Mel Robbins puts it.

07:20

So simply, let them talk, let them judge, let them say what they want, because while they're talking, you're progressing. While they're questioning your macros, you're fueling your body with purpose. While they're skipping their workouts, you're showing up with consistency. And the truth is you don't need their approval. You need your own consistency. So what can you do when the commentary starts to get loud?

07:44

Here's a tip that really has helped me stay grounded is to create an anchor statement. It's some one sentence that reminds you why you're doing what you're doing. Something like I'm doing this to feel strong and to show up better in my life, or I want energy for my kids, for my husband and the confidence in my own skin, or I've tried the quick fixes and now I'm doing what actually works. So stay the course. Write your anchor statement on a sticky note in your phone or on your bathroom mirror. So the next time that someone tries to make a sideways comment or questions your choices, you already know your answer. You've already decided what matters and, honestly, most of the people who talk the most at the beginning, they eventually stop talking. Some of them even start asking questions when they see the consistency that you are having is actually paying off. But that's not your job. Your job is to keep showing up. So the next time someone is making a snarky comment or gives you a weird look or questions your choices, smile to yourself and remember, let them. You keep going, keep showing up, keep building the body that you want.

08:52

But if you're in a season where staying consistent feels tough whether that's time, motivation or just not knowing what to do when you do actually get the workout in that's exactly why I created my Movement With Julie app. It gives you simple, effective workouts that meet you right where you're at. At home. You can do them at the gym. All you need is a few pair of dumbbells in a small space 30 minute workout or a 60 minute workout Again, nothing fancy, just the structure that you need to keep moving forward. If you want to learn more about my dumbbell only workouts. You get five brand new workouts every single week. You can do all five of them, you can do two of them, you can do three of them or four of them, but again, all you need is a small space, a few pair of dumbbells and showing up with consistency. I also will include the link in the show notes, or you can go to sale. That's salemoonwithjuliecom. If you are a brand new subscriber, you get 50% off your first month.

09:45

If this episode encouraged you, you will also love episode 523, choosing yourself what it really means and why it's time to start. I will go ahead and link that in the show notes below so that you can easily go check that out. But that is all that I have for today's bonus episode. I love you so dang much, I mean it, and I'll talk to you in the next one. All right, sister, that's all I got for you today, but I have two things that I need you to do. First thing if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so.

10:21

Julie A Ledbetter yes, it's with an A in the middle For that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world, and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real, because you're worth it. You.

 
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