Work With Yourself, Not Against

You know what’s the worst? Waking up and checking the clock only to realize your alarm is just about to go off. I really dislike that.

What’s really the worst though is when hard working people burn the candle at both ends in a frenzy of exertion, while trying to be healthier. Specifically, I’m talking about the attitude that “as long as I crush myself in the gym, I can do whatever else I want and still be a healthy person.” This is like driving with the parking break on, and seeing the only solution as continually pushing the gas further and further.

I’m not here to be the cookie police, but for goodness’ sake, be reasonable, people! If your constant goal is to punish the bad food you’re eating out of your body every week, it’s only a matter of time ’til the wheels fall off.

Here’s something to consider: If you’re working out hard on a regular basis and are still carrying around excess body fat, continuing to work harder and harder is probably not going to get you what you’re looking for. What’s the solution when your weight creeps up again? Now you need two hours per day of craziness to make progress?! I’m exhausted just thinking about that!

Intense exercise is a stressor on our bodies. It’s a stressor that we get positive adaptations to when done properly, but when we go hard, our bodies do break down a little bit. It’s the process of recovering (eating well, restoring range of motion to our joints, sleeping, etc.) that makes us better.

The circle of binging, only to “work it off” is an exhausting, and not-productive way to live (and I can promise you eventual burn-out after working your butt off for so long only to see minimal changes). There’s no one workout/eating template that works perfectly for everyone, but take a second to think about what you’re doing and be honest with yourself about whether or not it’s working.

I want nothing more than to help the people that I work with, but part of that is also on you. So, help me help you, and be good to your body when you’re not in the gym.