DEAR ABBY: A friend and I have the same personal trainer. Occasionally, he has used me to make her work harder.
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Yesterday he worked me very hard, and so I called her to tell her that she would need to eat an extra protein and complex carbohydrate because he had worked me unusually hard, and she would be worked hard, too. She is very competitive and called me while her husband was present to tell me that she had done better during her workout than I had.
I have laughed off other comments she has made, but I think this is her way of keeping herself on a higher level than I am on. I recently lost a lot of weight, and she is now on a diet to make sure she stays smaller than I am.
As you can see, this has upset me, and I am tired of her one-upmanship. Am I overreacting? -- HURT IN ARKANSAS
DEAR HURT: Competition is a two-way street. It's time to either find a different trainer or stop competing with your friend.
Getting in shape and staying in shape is a personal journey. Constantly comparing yourself to what others are doing is not only unhealthy, but can also be dangerous. A word of warning: Many people have injured themselves doing this, and have torn themselves down instead of building themselves up.