There's been quite a few posts about keeping it a secret that you're changing yourself for the better in order to maintain the status quo within your relationships. They mention lost friends and social repercussions, but I think they are missing a couple of important ideas on the other side of the argument.

1. You make friends with like minded people

If before TRP you were a fat beta who always made excuses about not going to the gym or pumping your body full of fast food, then you probably made friends with similar beliefs; friends who are also avoiding the reality that they are out of shape and actively denying it. If you have friends such as these your improvement and effort will show them how lazy and fat they are, in reaction to this they'll most likely (sub)consciously blame you for feeling bad about themselves.

2. How you are perceived largely depends on your intentions.

If you recently started working out, and are now trying to receive validation or attention from going to the gym, of course everyone is going to think you're a fucking tool. This applies to any body type. Both the fat slob and roid head are going to be perceived as douchebags if they keep bragging about how they go to the gym with the intention of receiving validation.

2.5 It is possible to talk about yourself without seeking validation.

Going to the gym, talking about diets, and overall fitness conversation in general isn't some weird cultist shit unless you make it that way. You can be an asshole, or not, with anything you say. It's how you talk about it, not what your talking about.

3. Why maintain the status quo?

If you have friends similar to those mentioned in point one, why are you trying to keep them around? Why are you still friends with someone that will actively try to sabotage your lifestyle and progress? If you have shitty, unpleasant friends it's probably because you're a shitty, unpleasant person. Otherwise you're keeping around those shitty friends in order to receive validation from them.

4. Find a friends who will support you, and align with your believes

If I like racing motorcycles, what sense does it make for me to join a boating club (if that's not what I'm into)? How are my boating "friends" going to help me race my motorcycle? How can they help me out if I have a problem with my motorcycle? How can they teach me to be a better motorcycle racer if all they know about is boats? Most importantly how can they relate and understand when I dump my bike; the boaters will might tell me to "quit, it's too dangerous", but my friends will help me pick myself up and keep on riding.

5. Stop being a fucking pussy and stand up for what you believe in.

On the most recent post about this mentioned something about how he "makes up a story" when confronted about his lifestyle. You don't owe anyone a fucking reason for what you do. If you need to "make up a story" or workout in the fucking closet because you're too scared of what other people are going to think of you: You are being a fucking pussy. Newsflash: People are going to judge you for anything, and everything you do. No matter what you do, you will always be wrong in someone else eyes. That's out of your control. If you're liked by everyone, than you're loved by no one.