On one of my Instagram posts about how it’s not too late to get on the 10 Pound Takedown starting, some drive-by social media commenter wrote, “Not too late to ease off on the caked on makeup 😂”

I also get opinionated comments and messages from people who don’t like me WITHOUT makeup.

Imagine what life would be like if I tied myself in knots trying to make these people happy.

Seriously, what am I supposed to do? Both wear makeup and not wear makeup? I love a challenge, but how the heck would THAT work?

I’m used to this kind of stuff. The reason I’m sharing it with you is because on your weight loss journey, just the fact you’re losing weight is gonna cause other people to become uncomfortable.

Not because you’re doing anything wrong, but because something in them, based on their beliefs, experiences, and personality, gets triggered. (Everyone works that way, including me. It’s a part of being human.)

You’ll get comments like, “Oh, but it’s not safe to drink that much water” from someone who’s guzzling a gallon of Diet Coke and energy drinks a day.

You’ll get people matter-of-factly telling you that you “look great and don’t need to lose anymore weight” even though you’ve got 50 pounds to go.

Who made them the expert?

Seriously, I’m not even being sarcastic. Ask yourself: Who made them the expert on whether you “need” to lose anymore weight? Why do they think it’s okay to just blurt it out like it’s fact?

Or how about when your husband supposedly doesn’t want you to get “too skinny?”

I don’t know about you, but being “too skinny” has never been my problem!

Part of what makes these unsolicited comments and opinions so disturbing for some Rebels is that they echo doubts going through your own head…

DO I need to stop losing weight?

AM I too skinny?

DO I look sick?

IS IT dangerous to drink a gallon of water a day?

Next time you face this kind of situation, here’s what I want you to do.

Outside the moment where it happened, check in with how YOU feel.

Through the fear and doubts, reconnect with what YOU want for yourself.

For example, do YOU wanna stop losing weight with 50 pounds left to go?

No?

Then WHO CARES what someone else thinks? They can think whatever the heck they want. It has no bearing on what YOU want for YOU.

I sometimes wear no makeup and I sometimes wear a lot of makeup.

In both cases I do it because it’s what I want. Some drive-by social media comment doesn’t change that, and it wouldn’t change if someone I knew in person told me I wear “too much makeup” or “not enough makeup.”

You are the one living in your body. Other people can have an opinion–it’s a free country–but they don’t get a vote.

The only person who gets to decide is YOU.

If you’ve decided this is what you want, keep going. 

Remember: You’re here to take YOUR life back, not someone else’s opinion on what your life should look like.

Get started on Code Red with the 30-day 10 Pound Takedown Challenge, where you can lose 10 pounds in 30 days and feel better than you have in years. Join the challenge at www.10PoundTakedown.com.