A "friend" that I see once or twice a year posted a picture to my wall on Facebook the other day. The picture was of a pin-up with the words "People don't want to hear about your diet. Just shut up, eat your lettuce, and be sad. -Nicole Byer" written over it. I have to admit that I was hurt and I wasn't sure how to react to it.  Was this friend trying to be funny? Snarky? Either way, my emotions ran the gamut of hurt, embarrassed, annoyed, and angry. I was going to let it slide, and then I heard the words of my psychologist urging me to respect my boundaries and speak up when something isn't right  

I took the post off my wall and sent her a message that said "Hey, sorry you don't like what I post on my Facebook feed. I post about things that I'm interested in: my dogs, food and fitness, work, and quilting. Rather than post something rude on my wall for the express purpose of hurting my feelings, you could have just clicked on the "unfollow" option provided by Facebook. Nobody is forcing you to read anything."

So here's the thing: me posting about health and fitness on my Facebook feed isn't anything new. I've been doing it for years. I've had pictures of delicious healthy food mixed in with splurge meals. Photos of beautiful hikes alongside photos of my garden. Throwback Thursdays followed by Flex Fridays. And I almost never eat lettuce.

I think what made me the most angry is that it felt as though my friend were trying to shame me into shutting up about what makes me happy.  Why is healthy living something to be vilified, while excess, debauchery and unhealthy choices are things to be celebrated? And why is it OK to try to hurt someone's feelings for geeking out over something they enjoy? This bullying culture has to stop.

I'll end by saying this: if the way I'm leading my life makes someone else feel uncomfortable enough about their own choices that they have to be mean, maybe it's a good thing. I just know that I will continue to post things on social media that interest me, and I will not allow anyone to bully me into hiding my true self. I hope you all do the same.