In bodybuilding, you have to be prepared to say “no, thank you” to food

Having the confidence to say no comes from having confidence in your choice

The less you feel the need to explain yourself, the less stress you’ll be under & the less people will ask you to explain

When it comes to eating, at any point of your journey as an athlete or human, sometimes you’re just not in the mood, not hungry, don’t like it, or it makes you sick, does that make you a bad person? NO, it’s just food

The only reason people treat you differently for saying no is because you’re doing it as a “diet” which means you’re choosing to say no when you could be saying yes with the rest of them

We cannot blame people for wanting to enjoy a meal with us but we can fulfill their need to feel connected to us by being present with them

Like Joining them out, encouraging them to enjoy, reminding them how happy you are to be there, & engaging in fruitful conversation

Many people also just eat out of habit so they can’t understand why you wouldn’t too

A habit to eat the m&ms at work, the food brought in by surprise, the full dinner served, the snacks, the samples, & it can all serve as a multifaceted experience, not just eating & that’s okay too!! Food, in my opinion, is not just fuel

At least not in the biological sense alone

I believe it is fuel for nutritional, life, value, and personal goals

It’s fuel for fun, satisfaction, health, healing, celebration, community, tradition, human senses, experiences, you name it

But as a competitor, you’re eating to literally fuel your aesthetic goals, recovery, energy, & optimal function

While you don’t have to explain your decision to eat or not eat something, you may have to help people understand your decisions

The point is, it’s okay to say no because if you’re athletic goals as much as it’s okay for someone else to say no because they’re just not in the mood or they’ve just eaten

Celebrate the opportunity to choose & express gratitude for people who ask questions because it’s not all coming from a bad place, sometimes they just to feel connected to you & express that they care💓😊🧠