I guess I've been fortunate enough to be in a group of friends who are in awe of what I'm doing. Who have seen me fat and bulked and then shred it and to be honest it seems to inspire most of them.
When I was preping hard, one guy, who was trying to just not feel embarrassed in his swimsuit, would ask me questions all the time. We all get together weekly and most of the time I was having my post work out meal in front of them. I started noticing that when we got together, he was coming in eating an apple and drinking water. It's crazy how much people watch you when they want the same thing.
Anyways. Sorry you dropped out, but I gotta agree, with T and Buck, if this is something you are passionate about, you need to be leading them the other direction and not changing your convictions to fit their lifestyle. Just saying. I think people were more impressed with my willpower and ability to resist dessert than anything. It also helped define me to them. Hope something in there helps!! 8)