Need some healthier friends!

[pjlippert]

Don't get me wrong, I love my close gal-pals to pieces! I had an epiphonay at about 2am after some disturbing dreams that I simply need to meet up with some much healthier, fitness minded, Christian girlfriends!! I've worked soooo hard and been sooo diligent with my workouts and healthy lifestyle, losing weight inches, getting healthier blood test results, that I simply won't fall back into the trap of not eating healthy, skipping workouts for too much pool time, and making wrong choices. I love my fitness lifestyle and want to keep the scale moving in the right direction!!

Now, besides my wonderful Cathe cyber-sisters, I need to find some real, live healthy, gals to pal around with! I know I will look MUCH better this year in my bathing suit (after some spray on tan)... they won't and won't try to improve. I "hid" from them through the school year with being too busy being a single mom.... now that Summer is here I don't want those 20lbs to find me again... well, at least the 10 of the 20 I have lost.

I think a major reason I put on those pesky 20lbs when we moved here is that I had pretty much totally abandoned my healthier lifestyle for one of a more sedate group of friends whose primary goal was to get together to watch chick flicks, eat "bad" food and drink wine. That's just not me anymore and I don't want to go back!! EVER!!

Any suggestions as to where I should start to find these healthier gals?

Thanks!
Pam

 

[syzygy314]

I have yet to do so myself. If you figure out the way, let me know. Of course, at a gym might be a good option if you have access or a running club.

 

[lisa_la_machina]

Another vote for the gym. I have made some really great friends there, especially with the other regular attendees in the group fitness classes like cycling.

You mentioned wanting more "Christian" friends. Have you found a church in your area that you like to go to? I have made a lot of friends through Sunday service and church social activities--especially when I volunteer to help out with the picnic/play/whatever, even though I may not know anyone else beforehand.

Are there any healthy cooking clubs in your area that you can join (if you like cooking)? Also, I have even made "healthy" friends at stores like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. If someone is picking up an item I am unsure about or a veggie I have never used, I will sometimes ask them how they like it or what they plan to cook with it. Whoa, I just realized . . . Sounds like a lame pick-up line for a singles bar or something, doesn't it? That's really not my intention! Even so, a couple of times it has resulted in friendship.

 

[pjlippert]

Hi there! Those are great ideas!! I've been sooo hooked on working out at home that I haven't been to a gym in quite some time. Maybe I'll join up forthe summer again. I'm going to look into some other hiking, walking, jogging clubs as well.

We do have some great women's groups at our church which is such a "duh" thing for me not to have looked into that as well.

Love those ideas and keep 'em coming!!

Pam

 

[janie1234]

I have yet to do so myself. If you figure out the way, let me know. Of course, at a gym might be a good option if you have access or a running club.

This is GREAT idea. Trust me I know where you are coming from. I don't have many friends to begin with but the friends that I do have would probably not be able to get through a Cathe workout. I'd love to have a friend with similar views that likes to workout hard and eat right.

 

[syzygy314]

Janie - Are you in New England?

It seems, based on all the hard-working women here, that we are plentiful, but at work, my DHs friends, etc., none of them get where I'm at or even where we as a couple are at. It's like we're freaks because we like to do outdoorsy, active stuff and don't sit around watching sports all year round! None of my friends could do half a Cathe workout either!

I keep trying to get one friend to go running with me (I went with her a couple of times way pre-Cathe) and she kicked my butt! She won't even consider going with me! She says I'm way beyond her ability.

People are wussy.

This is GREAT idea. Trust me I know where you are coming from. I don't have many friends to begin with but the friends that I do have would probably not be able to get through a Cathe workout. I'd love to have a friend with similar views that likes to workout hard and eat right.

 

[cindi1]

I think you have to put yourself out there and people will come to you. Going to the Y or gym is a good place to start - or even the park district if they have group classes. I highly recommend group classes - I have yet to meet someone just hanging out at the cardio machines or weight machines.

If having a Christian friend is important, I would put that out there early on when meeting women. Just mention something that happened at Church casually so they know where you are coming from.

Local running clubs support all levels and ages. They are EVERYWHERE around where I live.

At church - I don't know your situation, but what worked for me is being a part of the Sunday School program. You get to talk to the other parents and get to know their kids. You can easily strike up a conversation about what you are doing this week, etc. I was talking to one mom about running my first half marathon last spring and that inspired her to start running and now she and I and 10 other women are doing a 200 mile relay run next month. Just being open and sharing what you do - not in a lecturing way, will help identify potential friends.

I think you work at home so this probably wouldn't apply to you - but I started a couch to 5K program in my office to meet like-minded folks. It was really fun.

One other thought - I have a group of friends who get together about once a month. Three of us workout regularly, one needs to lose about 50 pounds, and 2 are not really active, a bit heavy. But they don't have a problem with me if I say I am not drinking or I'm not eating that. We are all pretty supportive of one another. They are happy to talk with me about my running or whatever even if it's not their thing. If you have friends like that, it's not so important whether they workout or not.

Good luck!

 

[pjlippert]

Such great ideas again! I'm going to post something to our neighborhood Bunko group and see if I can't get a group of gals together on a regular basis. I'll also check with our church and see about hiking groups. Monument is pretty much a Christian mecca, so odds are the people I'll meet will be involved.

Thanks and happy Thursday!
Pam

 

[janie1234]

Janie - Are you in New England?

It's like we're freaks because we like to do outdoorsy, active stuff and don't sit around watching sports all year round!.

Tricia, .. . I wish I was in New England, . . California actually, . . a very small po dunk town in the middle of nothing but fine dinning and wineries. Which would be great if I won the lottery and had a disposable income with no responsibilites.

I hear ya about the "Freaks" comment though. I think a lot of people think I'm a bit of a "horse of a different color" because I expect my kids to eat right and I'd much rather be working out than hanging around gossiping and eating pastries. I think this is pretty much why I don't have very many friends. My husband is my only workout partner and he works 60 hours a week so mostly I'm on my own. Hey at least I can come here.

 

[syzygy314]

Right there with ya, Janie!

On all counts - especially the wineries and disposable income to drink . . . I mean, taste wine all day and pig out . . . I mean, dine wisely at good restaurants! LOL!

The only thing my DH will do is run with me. I can't seem to get him to do weights. He's just not into that!

Tricia, .. . I wish I was in New England, . . California actually, . . a very small po dunk town in the middle of nothing but fine dinning and wineries. Which would be great if I won the lottery and had a disposable income with no responsibilites.

I hear ya about the "Freaks" comment though. I think a lot of people think I'm a bit of a "horse of a different color" because I expect my kids to eat right and I'd much rather be working out than hanging around gossiping and eating pastries. I think this is pretty much why I don't have very many friends. My husband is my only workout partner and he works 60 hours a week so mostly I'm on my own. Hey at least I can come here.