Fitness: Good Advice That Often Doesn't Really Apply
Published: 9 years ago
I am doing a 90 day fitness program and it reminded me of the things people typically say to you whenever you start any fitness program. I get sick of hearing some of this stuff, because people repeat it endlessly without even knowing what you are doing in your particular program. A lot of the advice is sound advice, however does not really apply to most people.
For example, people always say not to overtrain, but I think for every person that is overtraining, there are probably 20 people who are under-training.
People also tell you not to starve yourself, but really how many people out there are actually starving themselves? Aside from those with a legitimate Eating Disorder, I don’t think most people could starve themselves even if they wanted to.
The truth is, unless you have a legitimate eating disorder (a clinical psychological condition), it is highly unlikely that you could or would be starving yourself and/or overtraining. Most people would find doing those things so unpleasant that they would quit almost immediately. Over-eating and under-training is far more common, and leads to a lack of results, demoralization, and abandoning the program. Well-meaning people often do not know how to truly be supportive.
People will also try to push unhealthy types or quantities of food on you and tell you "just this once won't kill you." Unfortunately, these types seem to say that all the time. "Once" needs to really mean "once."
When people make themselves a psychological obstacle to improving your overall fitness and quality of life, they must be overcome like any other obstacle. Sometimes it's time to say "be supportive, or be gone."
For example, people always say not to overtrain, but I think for every person that is overtraining, there are probably 20 people who are under-training.
People also tell you not to starve yourself, but really how many people out there are actually starving themselves? Aside from those with a legitimate Eating Disorder, I don’t think most people could starve themselves even if they wanted to.
The truth is, unless you have a legitimate eating disorder (a clinical psychological condition), it is highly unlikely that you could or would be starving yourself and/or overtraining. Most people would find doing those things so unpleasant that they would quit almost immediately. Over-eating and under-training is far more common, and leads to a lack of results, demoralization, and abandoning the program. Well-meaning people often do not know how to truly be supportive.
People will also try to push unhealthy types or quantities of food on you and tell you "just this once won't kill you." Unfortunately, these types seem to say that all the time. "Once" needs to really mean "once."
When people make themselves a psychological obstacle to improving your overall fitness and quality of life, they must be overcome like any other obstacle. Sometimes it's time to say "be supportive, or be gone."