There is starting to be this movement towards people really obsessing over their health. That might not seem like a bad thing, but when a person is reaching the point that they have created stress over missing a certain healthy food item, or that they had to cut their gym session short, they might be heading in the wrong direction in regards to finding true wellness.
Remember Why You Are Doing This
This might be something that has slipped your mind as you find yourself eating the same thing day in and day out and not remembering the reason you needed to include it in your diet. You also may be slogging away at the same exercise routine that early on made you feel good, now it just seems like a chore.
If this sounds familiar it may be time to take a step back and ask yourself what do you really want from your pursuit of health? The easy thing to do is undertake a new workout or introduce yourself to some new healthy recipes but if all of this has become a burden in your life you are basically spinning your tires.
I’m not saying to stop exercising and start eating like crap but put a plan in place that fits more to YOUR lifestyle as opposed to making your life fit the plan. If you are not going to be happy in your health and fitness progress, you need to make a change. I’d rather have a little bit higher body fat and be happy than to despise every moment I try to progress.
When It Goes Too Far
I’m starting to see so many people obsessing over things like trying to get enough steps in a day, or that they missed a serving of vegetables in their daily diet and in their mind they have destroyed any sense of progress or health.
Some tough love now: achieving perfect health is not possible, and the sooner you can come to grips with that the better. I won’t achieve it, Lebron James won’t achieve or even Usain Bolt. It’s why we all continue to train and try to make improvements. Since we got to this stage surely there must be a better version of ourselves possible. We always want to run faster, jump higher, be stronger and lose more weight. It’s like a donkey chasing the dangling carrot in front of him, and as humans we tend to never be satisfied with where we are at.
When we recognize our health is about progress and not perfection the easier it becomes to start making real improvements. Keeping that idea of progress in mind helps in the process of becoming truly healthy, especially when you realize there isn’t a finish line.
Comedian Jim Gaffigan points this out when he walks into a gym and sees someone in amazing shape, he remarks, “why are you here? You’re done!”
In that mind of that person though they are never done.
Vegan, Non-GMO, No Dairy, Gluten Free, Paleo & Exhausted
the fact you are conscious and aware of all things nutrition is the main thing as it means you make health based decisions and are less likely to turn to that double quarter pounder. It’s when you become a slave to it that you move farther away from real health, as you’ve now thrown things out of balance. An addiction of any sort is not good and being constantly caught up in your progress is no different. If your mental clarity and focus are tied down to you obsessing over your health, you will never achieve true wellness.
Take a moment and recognize that since you are health conscious you can be confident that the majority of your nutrition decisions are having a positive effect on your health. At the end of the day, that is what’s important, not stressing over if a certain food is paleo friendly or not.
You might not have chosen the best organic version of something, but you didn’t end up going through the drive through that day.
Wrapping It Up
I will stress again, in regards to your health, that it is about progress and not perfection. Keep training hard and eating healthy but remember to cut yourself some slack.
Just like how one healthy meal is not going to completely transform your health, one bad meal is not going to destroy, it. If every waking moment is fixated on your calorie intake, your calorie expenditure and you question every health decision you make, I’m afraid there is a lack of balance in your life.
It’s important to acknowledge that things are not always going to go perfectly in the pursuit of your fitness and diet, but as long as you are moving forward you can know you are on the right path.
You got this.
Originally published at www.huffingtonpost.ca