Handling Negative Feedback on Your Fitness Journey
Learn how to handle negative feedback in fitness, protect your confidence, and stay strong on your health and fitness journey with the Get Sculpted coaches
Let’s be honest, not everyone will cheer you on when you start your health and fitness journey.
Sometimes the people closest to you are the first to question your choices, crack a joke, or make you feel like you’ve changed “too much.”
In this anniversary episode of Get Sculpted, Coaches Jordanna, Marilynn, and Tijana get honest about the hidden side of transformation...the moments when others don’t understand your goals or your growth. They share personal stories of being judged for saying no to drinks, for eating differently at family events, or for posting progress photos online, and how they learned to move forward with confidence anyway.
Because the truth is, negative feedback about your fitness journey usually says more about the other person than it does about you. When you start showing up differently, it can mirror back other people’s insecurities. The key is learning how to stay grounded, hold your boundaries, and surround yourself with people who do get it.
Here's what we cover:
Why people react negatively when you make positive changes
How to handle judgment from friends, family, and social media
Simple, confident responses for “food pushers” and critics
Why building a supportive fitness community changes everything
How to rebuild self-trust and confidence after being criticized
This conversation is a reminder that your goals don’t need anyone else’s approval. You’re allowed to live differently, eat differently, and show up for yourself even when it makes others uncomfortable.
Not everyone is going to support you on your health and fitness journey. Not everyone is going to see the light of where you're headed. And guess what? That's okay.
-Coach Jordanna
So if you’ve ever felt judged, misunderstood, or tempted to shrink back to keep the peace, this one’s for you. Tune in and remember: your fitness journey is about progress, not permission.
Listen now and share this episode with a woman who’s choosing to grow — no matter who claps for her. Tag @getsculpted.ca and tell us how you’re owning your health and fitness journey this year.
Connect with Get Sculpted
Thanks for joining us on this episode of Get Sculpted! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple or Spotify to help us reach even more women ready to cut through the noise and get the real deal on fat loss, muscle building, and what it really takes to build their 2.0 sculpted self inside and out.
This podcast is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.
More about the Get Sculpted Podcast
Welcome to Get Sculpted, the podcast for women who want to lose fat, build muscle, and reset their metabolism with science-based strategies and actionable advice.
We go beyond quick fixes and fad diets to give you sustainable fat loss strategies, strength training tips for women, and the mindset shifts that help you achieve lasting results. Think less guessing, more confidence, and habits that actually fit your lifestyle.
No matter if you’re just starting out or ready to level up your training, this podcast gives women the tools to lose fat, build muscle, and feel stronger in their bodies.
We’re your hosts, Jordanna, Marilynn, and Tijana, fitness pros with over 20 years of combined experience and 1,000+ client transformations, including a focus on helping women optimize their metabolism and build strength. You’ll get strategies designed for real bodies and real lives.
We’ll cover questions like:
Can you lose fat and build muscle at the same time?
What is the best way for women to lose fat without losing muscle?
How do I start strength training as a beginner woman?
Why am I not losing weight even though I’m working out and eating healthy?
How can I stop yo-yo dieting for good?
Is cardio necessary for fat loss?
If you’ve been searching for sustainable fat loss, women’s nutrition, and strength training that actually works, you’re in the right place. Join us every week to sculpt a stronger body and a more empowered 2.0 life.
Connect with us on Instagram at @getsculted.ca
The unedited podcast transcript for this episode of the Get Sculpted podcast follows:
Why Not Everyone Supports Your Fitness Journey
Jordanna: We're talking a truth that comes up for almost everyone on their health and fitness journey. It's happened for each one of us. And I know all of our clients at some point struggle with this, but not everyone is going to support you on your health and fitness journey. Not everyone is going to see the light of where you're headed. And guess what? That's okay. We don't need everybody and their brother, friend, cousin to be on our team when we're working through our goals.Jordanna: We just need to have the right people in our corner. So today we're going to cover three big takeaways... We're gonna walk you through why people give negative feedback. It's not necessarily what you think. We're going to talk through how to handle it when it comes and how to keep moving forward while maintaining your own self confidence. And we're going to take some time and talk a little bit about our own personal experiences here because we've got a ton.
Lesson 1: Understanding Negative Reactions
Marilynn: I actually think that this is one of the things that surprises women the most when they start a health and fitness journey, realizing that not everyone is gonna be your cheerleader and support you. And speaking from experience, it stings because at this stage you're really excited. There's nerves for sure, but you're excited. And it's so deflating when the people that you care about most and who are supposed to care about you as well are kind of poo pooing on things...Marilynn: What we want you to understand is that most of the negative reactions you're gonna get from people in your life... it has nothing to do with you flat out. It's not you, it's their stuff. And it is almost always a reflection of their insecurities or fears or like we talk about a lot on this podcast, limiting beliefs. It's their limiting beliefs.
Marilynn: Girls, I would love to know, like, when you started your fitness journey or along the way, have you ever had pushback or negativity?
Tijana: The first thing that came to mind for me is really more like getting out of the party scene... certain friends are just not gonna follow along. And also you don't wanna expect people to because they're on their own journey.
Jordanna: I felt it in multiple areas. And the first area that I noticed it was in the corporate world at work where people like, what, you're not drinking at happy hour?... If relationships are being built, they should be built on authenticity and you know, a common good that you're trying to create, especially in the workplace.
Lesson 2: Strategies to Handle Negative Feedback
Tijana: In the beginning, you get so frustrated because you just want so badly to change how other people react... As soon as you let go—it's like Mel Robbins always says, let them.Tijana: You cannot control other people. And also that kind of sucks because let's just validate that.
Jordanna: Being able to have those boundaries really helps buffer you between the person and what they're saying. And Then they're like, you're no fun anymore. You used to be so much fun. And that would be, like, the sting that I would get.
Marilynn: I have a really good strategy that my therapist gave me... echo their questions. So I was recently at a function, and I don't drink... So instead of engaging, I said, "Why is that so shocking to you?"
Lesson 3: Social Media, Judgment, and Building Real Confidence
Jordanna: Can we talk for one second about a different type of negative feedback? Because a lot of our clients will share their journeys on social media... And I actually had a client who...got two or three comments saying, you're still fat. Why would you share your progress?Tijana: That's such a great thing to talk about is the keyboard warriors and like social media... they. It's just things you would never say to someone in real life.
Marilynn: It's literally bullying... You have to remind yourself, consider the source. They're doing it because they're not happy with themselves.
Tijana: Can we also talk about people sharing? And then I know we've had this experience too where someone's like, ooh, why are you so sexy looking? Like, not in a good way, but like, oh, you're a mom, like, why.
Jordanna: One of the number one things we hear from women that they want to feel confident and sexy in their skin.
Jordanna: When those two things start to meet again, you're like, oh, I actually look good.
Final Takeaways: Moving Forward & Confidence in Your Journey
Jordanna: How do we actually move forward confidently? You're probably sitting there being like, okay, block them out. But, like, then what do I do? So really, this is about stepping into your confidence. And how we actually build confidence is by repetition and doing the hard thing over and over again, keeping those promises to ourselves...Tijana: It would just be a damn shame if my life went by and I didn't do things just because of fear of other people's reaction. Like, that's my life.
Marilynn: Let them, let them, let them, because they don't live in your body. They don't live your life. And they're not the ones who are going to experience that feeling of regret. If you hold back, you are.
Marilynn: When we see Tammy, you know, hip, thrusting over 200 pounds. Do you know how many clients have said to me, that is my goal. That was not even on my radar, that that was possible? Or, oh, my gosh, those clients did that photo shoot. That is something I want to do that is the most magical thing when we see women pumping each other up.
RECAP & FINAL ADVICE
Jordanna: Let's recap today so that you have some actionable steps to take away with you. We've learned three things today. First, people's negative feedback is really about them. Next, you control how much space you give those voices to take up in your mind. And the best way forward is to keep showing up anyways, because ultimately, it's your life, it's you that has to do the work and enjoy the success, or it's you that ends up stopping because of someone's negative feedback. Ultimately, you're the one living with the consequences of that...Jordanna: Thank you for being with us through our very first year of the Get Sculpted podcast. We are super excited, super excited for year two. We are already hard at work putting together some incredible episodes for you, and we really want you to take a moment this week to notice where you've been holding back out of fear or maybe judgment, and really to challenge yourself to share your story anyway...
Jordanna: Get out there and share, because you're gonna change somebody's life when you do. Thank you for listening. Here's to year two. We're ready for you. And to every one of you choosing to invest in yourselves, we hope you have an amazing day.