Who do you have by your side?

I have a weakness for Almond Roca.  It is this divine, little, toffee; dipped in chocolate and then rolled in crushed almonds.  Sometimes it is made dipped in dark chocolate which is even better.  During the holidays, they make a special peppermint version that is: To. Die. For.  I salivate at the thought of Almond Roca.  I don’t like candy in general, but this little nugget of sweetness is a downfall.

Almond Roca is the type of treat that I could eat an entire box without paying attention to mindful-eating patterns.  It is a true weakness of mine.  Thankfully, it is often difficult for me to find, and usually only available around Christmas time where I live.

However, the plot thickens with my weakness: a dear friend lives right by the Almond Roca factory.  She has been known to send me a box when I am in desperate need.  It is a great gift and I am always touched when she remembers my little obsession.  She is also a great friend to have by your side when you are focusing on cleaning up your diet and focusing on healthy eating.  I recently posted that I needed to get my sugar intake under control following the indulgences of the Christmas season and my friend wrote to say that she had a box of Almond Roca wrapped for me for Christmas, but she was keeping it.  She was supporting my decision to get back on track.

This is the kind of friend you want by your side as you make changes in your life.  She was supporting my decision to eat healthier and while she knows how much I love Almond Roca, she also knows how much I appreciate my health.  What a fantastic gift she gave in supporting my healthy living!

There is nothing worse than having a friend by your side that sabotages your health goals.  I am blessed that my friends build me up and support me on my journey and often we are traveling the health journey together.  When you are making healthy changes in your life and focusing on long term lifestyle changes, make sure your family knows and are engaged in supporting your decision.  If you are really lucky, your family will also join in your goals and become healthier as well.  Don’t be afraid to tell your friends about your goals as well.  Gather around yourself individuals that seek a healthy lifestyle as well.  Have a friend that doesn’t send the Almond Roca to your door and rather says, “I support you on your journey.”

Does this mean that my friend will never send me Almond Roca again?  Hopefully she will!  But for right now, in this place, and in these goals I have set, it is not the time and place for Almond Roca in my life. I am blessed that my friends support me in these goals and I hope you find a cheerleader in your life that will support you in yours.