Okay…rant time. It’s been a very long time, but a couple of topics which have popped up on my timeline have goaded me into action. However, both fall under health and fitness as driven by the media…which, in turn, is perpetuated by we, the people. First of all, there are several dirty words that I wish would disappear when discussing health. Let’s start with “diet”. It’s not so much that I want the word to disappear, but that it should be used differently. The Oxford Dictionary defines diet as: “The kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats”. That is, the food we consume every day. More commonly, it is used in accordance with the second definition, which is: “A special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons”. This is a restriction or modification. Maybe it’s just me, but I think it’s more accurate to say that you are on a restricted or modified diet. I’m on a diet diet? Nah, that’s just stupid. I could go on for days on each of the points I’ll be hitting, so I’ll go on, for the sake of brevity. Next up is thin/skinny. These words are interchangeable…but neither means “healthy”. Everybody is different and each individual has their own ideal lean muscle to body fat ratio. That means that, while you and I might be the same height and same general build, we won’t necessarily carry the same weight or have to weigh the same to be healthy. Seriously…get rid of those two words. Now, we get to my favorite. I love to hate this word (compound word? phrase? I need an editor). This culprit is weight-loss. The term drives me crazy. Weight encompasses everything that makes up your body, including lean muscle mass and fat. Muscle weighs more than fat. That means that you could start an exercise plan, modify your diet (see what I did there) and wind up heavier than when you started. But…your lean muscle mass to body fat ratio would change. Gain muscle and lose fat. I much prefer to say fat-loss over weight-loss. Of course, I get that tracking weight is helpful, but it’s not the be-all-end-all indicator. If you hit a plateau, don’t get discouraged and/or frustrated. Keep doing what you’re doing. During those times, pay more attention to how you feel; how your clothes are fitting and how well your body is moving. If your weight stays the same/goes up and those other indicators point to a negative trend…THEN…you may have something to be concerned about. Just don’t beat yourself up. Evaluate (be brutally honest with yourself) what you’ve been doing and see if there’s room for improvement or that a change may be needed. Most importantly…just keep doing. I was putting off this last part as it can be controversial. That is, how do we determine what is healthy and what isn’t? How do you decide? How does media influence your views? There is so much that is so wrong, out there. Young girls…and guy… are getting plastic surgery to look like Barbie and Ken. Women and girls are obsessing with the troll-initiated topics of ideal “thigh gaps” and “bikini bridges”. As if that weren’t bad enough, we have another disturbing trend. So…at one end of the pendulum swing, we have “you’re not skinny enough” and at the other end, we have “you’re fit and, therefore, a jerk for posting the results of your hard work and success because that’s fat-shaming”. Do y’all remember that “fit mom” and all the hoopla that resulted from her “What’s your excuse?” pic? Yeah. I have to ask, at which point does “being okay with yourself and comfortable with your body” become dangerous to your health? Now, remember, as I pointed out waaaaay up there, everyone is different. You don’t have to look like a fitness model. A person can be curvy and healthy, but be honest with yourself. I know I’m not curvy and healthy, and that, while round is a shape, that’s not the one I want to be. I’m not going to BS myself. I’m obese…fat…but it’s something within my power to change. I don’t want anyone to think that I’m fat-shaming them when I post my workout or results. I’m sharing my journey, and if that offends you, it’s not my intention. I want to be the best and healthiest version of me, and it helps me to be public about it. It makes me accountable. I also hope that some of you might see me and think, “If he can do it, so can I.” Y’all have a great week. #rant #health #fitness #fatshaming #diet
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 22:38:45 +0000
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