Hey there. There have been times in my life where I felt completely mishandled by people I trusted. It could have been something they said, something they did, or the way they chose to treat me when I was vulnerable. For a long time, I thought the only way to handle those situations was to get defensive or to replay everything in my head over and over. What I have learned is that I cannot control how others treat me, but I can control how I respond and how I carry myself forward.
When you’ve been on a weight loss journey for years, you’ve probably faced this too. Maybe it was someone close to you making comments about your body. Maybe it was a friend who didn’t take your goals seriously. Or maybe it was the people who quietly celebrated when you stumbled because it made them feel better about not addressing their own struggles. It hurts. It cuts deep. And if you let it, it can hold you back for years.
The inside/out approach has shown me that handling people who mishandled me doesn’t mean pretending what happened was okay. It means I stop giving their behavior power over my future. I can acknowledge the hurt, but I don’t have to keep carrying it. Every time I let go of the bitterness, I make room for growth. Every time I shift my energy from them to me, I get stronger.
I’m not saying it’s easy. Forgiveness is not always about them, it’s about you. Setting boundaries isn’t about revenge, it’s about protecting your peace. Walking away from certain people doesn’t mean you’re weak, it means you value yourself enough to stop accepting less than you deserve. That’s strength.
If you’ve been mishandled, I want you to know this. It doesn’t define you. The way you choose to rise above it does. Every rep you do, every meal you plan, every time you talk kindly to yourself, you’re rewriting the story. You’re proving to yourself that you’re worth the effort.
Handling people that mishandled you is about deciding who you want to be moving forward. Do you want to stay in the cycle of replaying their mistakes, or do you want to free yourself to build something better? I’ve chosen the second path, and I want you to join me there.
If you’re ready to take that step and start focusing fully on your growth, I’d love for you to join me in The YLF Experience. Together we’ll focus on what you can control, and we’ll make sure your story is one of strength, resilience, and progress.