I am utterly bemused by the way so many people believe that to be fit and healthy you have to “punish” yourself. Punish yourself at the gym, deprive yourself of all the things you want to eat. How many times have you eaten something and called it a “treat”, or maybe you ate a “treat” and then really “punished” yourself at the gym the next day. Does that not seem completely f**ked up to you? You’re stuck in child mode, trying to parent your way out of an upbringing that taught you that some things were good and deserved praise, and some things were bad and you had to be punished. Did you ever question that? Food and exercise are not tools of manipulation. Food is fuel, it’s an essential. Why are people so obsessed with messing with it and using it as a punishment or reward?!
There is a HUGE trend at the moment for the clean-eating, paleo-style diet…which in essence I think is a good thing…but it seems that Paleo eating is being coupled with a type of exercise called Crossfit. Crossfit workouts are typically short—20 minutes or less—and intense, demanding all-out physical exertion. This super trendy Paleo/Crossfit union has created an army of wannabes “punishing” themselves on a daily basis in pursuit of the body beautiful. I am totally unimpressed.
The simple fact is, most people are too stressed in their everyday lives to add in high intensity workouts. It’s counter productive and it’s all in the name of vanity- not health. The people following these ideas might think they’re doing it for health but they’re not. Most are doing it to look good, fundamentally different. It is important to point out here, that before undertaking ANY fitness programme people should have a thorough health & biomechanical assessment to ensure that they are ready to exercise. Another key indicator of health is body temperature. If people actually want to get healthy, a new Lululemon outfit and a Crossfit gym pass should not be the first investments. Get a thermometer and a health assessment by a CHEK qualified practitioner.
If we are to believe all the pretty girls on the ‘inspirational’ graphics doing the rounds at the moment, FIT is the new THIN. Well, I think that’s crap. What about those girls who are naturally thin…they’re suddenly not attractive anymore?
“So lets all stop starving ourselves and start eating loads of protein instead!”
“Yeah let’s obsess about carbs and sugar that sounds new…and we can be elitist and s**t and demonize foods that contain too much sugar! What a GREAT idea!!”
Paleo eating focuses on unprocessed foods and that is a wonderful thing. In fact although it’s become popular to call it Paleo, it’s actually just EATING REAL FOOD. It really doesn’t need to have a fashionable label. It’s actually kind of sad that to sell the concept of eating NORMALLY people need recipe books and guidelines. Just eat food for God sake! Y’know….fruits, veggies, meat, eggs, cheese, milk….food that came from the ground or from an animal and doesn’t have additives. Get it?
I am so anti punishment. I promise you no good will come from punishments and rewards. Whether it’s your diet, your parenting etc…punishing is pointless.
Be kind to yourself, you don’t have to go to the gym tonight because last night you ate some ice cream. Your body wants to rest, your brain wants to rest! Take a bubble bath, get a massage, watch TV, eat some more! But don’t punish yourself, reward yourself, guilt yourself or congratulate yourself.
Just live. Show your kids how to live. Everything in moderation. Meditate.
Peace. x
2 Comments
I happen to love crossfit. I happen to do it not as a form of self punishment but to improve my fitness level. And I think more people joke about eating junk then having to go make it go away. I dont think that its fair for you to throw Crossfit under the bus with a diet that was here way before the term “Crossfit” was. Why not mention Jenny Craig, Weight Watcher isnt it the same to throw yourself on a point system. Have you watched crossfit? Have you seen the total body workout that it is. And if you ask people that do Crossfit, no one will tell you they do it to be “beautiful” they will tell you they want to do a better job at what they just did the next time.
My issue isn’t with Crossfit alone, it’s with the entire mentality of everyone who gives themselves a good beasting at the gym in the name of ‘health’ or ‘feeling good’. This is not health. It’s a very dysfunctional mindset. Of course, there are those people who *are* fit and strong enough to do high intensity workouts on a regular basis, but the average person on the street should thin seriously about where they want to be in 20 years time before they undertake a strenuous exercise routine. Don’t even get me started on WeightWatchers etc…I won’t even give it the page space. Low calorie plans are just dreadful and I can’t even get into it. I see that the Crossfit/Paleo thing has a good foundation but the body is so complex. People should be working IN not working OUT. Often times these workouts are too much stress in our already stressed bodies. I know it’s controversial but I believe it’s true.