Judging Choices
Who are we to judge?
We have no business judging people's choices.
As we continue to deal with the pandemic and more gym closures, the comment of "Why are gyms closed but fast food restaurants are still open" continues to be spread by the fitness industry.
It's a bullshit comparison that needs to stop.
Gyms are not more essential than people's access to food. The quality of the food at those places is irrelevant.
I want gyms to be open. They allow people to improve their health. But we all need access to food. It's a basic human need.
And the narrative is full of judgement and assumption.
It assumes you are going there to make "bad" choices.
Those same "bad" choices could be made at a grocery store. Yet no one is complaining that those are open.
Is getting that Happy Meal for your kids after a challenging day of online learning "bad"?
Is getting that $1 coffee "bad"?
Is a homeless person getting their first meal in days "bad"?
People judge those places because they assume the food is unhealthy.
You know what else is unhealthy? Not having any food.
People judge the people who go there because they assume the people who go there are unhealthy.
You know what is also unhealthy? Judging and shaming people.
We have no business judging peoples choices. We don't know their story. We don't know why they made that choice.
We can help people improve without judgement. It requires compassion and understanding.
The Monitor Says You Burned “X” Calories…
Are calories burned accurate? Or important?
The monitor on the exercise machine says you burned 30 calories, is that true?
Probably not.
Unless you and the conditions of training fit a formula.
A common question people have when using exercise machines that display a number of calories is if that equates to calories burned.
Concept2 (popular rowing erg manufacturer) states that their formula for calculating calories on a monitor is based on a 175lb individual.
Are you exactly 175lbs?
Probably not. And that's ok!
It’s also ok to not think of calories when doing a workout. I would encourage that.
Because why do calories need to be a metric of effort? When programming for clients I have largely stopped using them. There are other metrics like distance, time, watts, perceived effort etc. Calories are just another option for a unit of measurement. Sure there can be some different performance outcomes when training using different units of measurements but that's a different discussion.
You do not need to look at “burned” calories to feel successful in your training. This idea can lead to the feeling that you need to “burn” calories to earn the calories you consume. Which is an unfortunate mindset. Because calories aren’t inherently bad.
Weight ≠ Pain
Is weight the source of pain?
You’ve been dealing with back pain. It’s been on and off for years.
You’ve been told you should lose weight.
But is it your weight?
That person that told you to lose weight, do they know that you’ve been trying with little success, and are still dealing with back pain?
That person did they assume you needed to lose weight based on your BMI? The Body Mass Index was created by a mathematician in the 1800s who knew little about weight loss. Can we stop using dated information?
That person who told you to lose weight, did they assess how your body moves and the tasks you want to be able to do pain-free?
There are so many possibilities for why someone could be experiencing pain.
Let's say you start to make some changes. Maybe you do it by eating different foods, maybe in different quantities. Maybe you start sleeping more. Maybe you start to exercise more. You start strengthening your body.
Those can all be great achievements.
So was your weight the sole reason you were experiencing pain? I really doubt it.
Maybe you stopped experiencing pain because you improved your body's strength and tolerance to activities. Maybe it was because you fuelled your body more optimally and improved your recovery.
It wasn’t your weight. No one can be sure of that as a cause and no one should shame you or place blame on your weight. You are more than a number on a scale. People need to acknowledge that.
So how would I address that pain?
We would assess your current abilities.
We would assess your current lifestyle (sleep, stress, work, nutrition)
We would identify the low-hanging fruit that is limiting you. (It’s probably not the weight)
We customize your training to get you the results that you have been looking for.
Pain can be complicated. Training and your path to results doesn’t need to be.
What’s Your Roadblock?
What’s your roadblock? Is it pain or weight?
What is the thing that is holding you back from the results you so badly want?
You’ve set a goal, but something has gotten in the way.
Maybe your goal is weight loss.
That’s great! Totally support it, assuming it is healthy and you are doing it for you, and not to please others.
So is your problem weight loss?
Maybe you love working out.
Maybe you eat quality foods.
Maybe you get good amounts of sleep.
But you are dealing with physical pain that is causing you to take breaks in your training, derailing your progress in the gym.
When you have to take breaks from the gym, it throws off your routine. You start eating differently. Your sleep is disrupted. Your stress levels rise. Your weight increases.
So is the problem weight loss?
Or is your roadblock physical pain?
I’d say it’s pain.
Address that and we get you back on track towards your goals.
Cheat Meals
What is a cheat meal?
What is a cheat meal? Or a cheat day? Whatever you want to call it.
Here’s my definition of a cheat meal: You went against the rules of a competition that involves food.
Example: You’re in a hot dog eating contest. You get to the point where you have a “reversal of fortune”. Apparently, that’s the term used in the sport of competitive eating for vomiting. You can not do that. You will be issued a red penalty flag. You cheated. That's a cheat meal.
In my mind, there is no other instance where the phrase cheat meal or cheat day needs to be used.
Enjoy your food!
Want to have a burger? Maybe some fries? How about ice cream?
Go for it!
Do we want to do it every day? Probably not.
On a diet that doesn’t allow you to eat certain foods? Ask why. It’s possible there is a great reason for that. It’s also possible that there is no good reason at all.
I would rather see someone exercise/sleep/eat/breathe perfectly 70% of the days in a year, instead of being perfect for a period of 1 month before falling off the wagon for the rest of the year because of an unhealthy relationship with “insert thing”.
It can be really hard to love your body or love yourself with negative associations with an action, like eating certain foods.
Side note: “Reversal of fortune” is the most polite way I have ever heard to describe vomiting. I would like everyone to use that phrasing from now on. Thank you.