Fitness is not about weight loss. Period. Get over it. Stop obsessing.
I wish I had come to this realization back in college when all I did was workout twice a day (sometimes more) constantly obsessing about the number of minutes put in, the amount of calories burned and the number on the scale. I would actually schedule my classes around an appropriate workout schedule. Early morning run. 8am class. Break for the gym. 10am class. 11am class. Lunch. Run and/or gym… 9pm back to the gym for what I called “power hour” right before they closed.
It was insane. It really was. In my defense, I love working out. I truly do. Beating my body up until I can no longer stand is fun for me. I feel alive and used (in a good way). But at the time I was overdoing it and only doing it to lose weight.
And all the while I was fueling these workouts with a single protein bar and endless Diet Coke. Or a salad and saltine crackers. 90-calorie soups. Etc. You cannot lose weight like this. You will not lose weight like this. Should I say it again? Excessive exercise paired with extreme caloric restriction will not equate to weight loss. If you’re going to burn a lot of calories, you’re going to have to eat a lot of calories. Do not starve your body.
Fast forward a few years to the ripe old age of 24 and my knees are shot, my feet are completely damaged and I can’t wear most shoes, sandals or heels. Fun, right? I suffered many a stress fracture doing what I did as well as an IT band injury that still flares up if I run.
I don’t have a problem working out and working out hard. I have a problem with doing it the wrong way and for all the wrong reasons.
Today I do hot yoga 5 to 6 times a week. My trips to the gym have tapered off but I do miss it. So I still plan to go 3 to 4 times a week and do 30 minutes of cardio paired with about 20 minutes of weight lifting. If I don’t go to the gym or do yoga, I will often do mini workouts in the living room. Just keep a medicine ball, mat and resistance bands on hand and you can do a full body workout watching TV.
And you know what the real bitch of all this is? After all that obsessing and all that body damage from college, I am now working out less and eating more and have lost 25 pounds doing so without thinking about it or trying. I feel great. I feel healthy and sane. I don’t regret kicking my own ass for so many years because that’s such a silly thing to regret. But I don’t plan to do it again.
Fitness is about being fit. How simple. Aim to feel healthy and be strong. Do that and the weight loss will follow.
Great post on the realities of exercise, body care and diet habits. Sometimes being a “gym rat” can get you mousetrapped!
We at http://www.familyfitnesspath.com share a POSITIVE fitness attitude for the whole family. Today, time is short and stress is high, so anything that brings reality to fitness, like the above post, so (if you’ll pardon my pun) sorely needed!
Thank you so much for this! I too have tried every diet/exercise program that has come down the pipe and I am working now to find a balance. Yoga, yoga, yoga!
At first I was just randomly looking at your site, after finding this entry it really spoke to me. In january I’m leaving for school and I obsess over my weight constantly. But after reading this I’ll try to start my health journey in college the right way. Thank you!
That is so so true. And I’ve been there. We can’t put our bodies through torture and expect them to respond like we want and not suffer any consequences… nope. The happiest I have ever been in life is after I stopped watching every calorie that I ate and just listened to my body. And when you don’t try to lose weight, when you learn to balance fitness and healthy eating, that’s when your body will adjust to it’s ideal weight. If only we all could’ve learned this lesson long ago but better late than never.
This is so true!!! I used to count calories but then I’d obsess and feel like a failure if I didnt go to the gym to burn off the extra cals. Love this post!!
girl, I LOVE you right now! I literally just feel like I got the pep talk I’ve been needing for….years. Seriously. I have nothing else to say except *thank you.*
i’m so happy! thank you for stopping by.
WOW! You are an amazing and inspirational writer! I wish I could put my thoughts like that into words. I might just print this out and read it once-a-week!! Thank you!
“Fitness is not about weight loss. Period. Get over it. Stop obsessing.” – Fantastic quote! I love it! Very insightful article
Great post, great attitude and my philosophy entirely! Nice one!
Wow. How inspiring is this. Thanks for giving some much needed perspective.
You described my exact mentality in college also! I was a professional ballet dancer before college and once I got to college, I had this idea about working out more=more weight loss. I totally relate! I am now a yoga instructor and continue to dance professionally in LA. Very insightful!
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What you said about exercise making you feel “used, in a good way” . . . YES! Love that descriptive term . . . raw, real, right.
I just found your blog and I LOVE it!! I can’t wait to follow it! You are amazing and such an inspiration!! I was the same way over working out my body and eating a granola bar and water…..since I have changed so much and now love me for me
you go girl!!!!!!!!
It is about time someone else said exactly what you did in your blog. I am a fitness instructor and have been preaching to my ladies with every class it is not about being a stick…it is about being healthy and enhancing your body into it’s fittest. No two bodies are alike nor will they be. But, we can all do cardio, weight/strength exercises and stretching to increase our metabolism, flexibility and physical endurance. I loved your blog and will be sharing it with my students. I wish more people could see fitness the way you do. People would be a lot happier with themselves and in their souls. It is not about starvation, but moderation. Eat!!
PS…I just had a crunch cone in Utah! That is actually how I found your blog.
I will also let you know you can purchase the crunch online at crunchcoat.com. Enjoy!
Amazing! Thank you!
Couldn’t have said it better myself, Katie!!
The first sentence of this post says it all-my motto! I love your outlook on fitness; being fit isn’t about numbers, it’s how you feel inside! I will for sure keep reading your blog!!
I absolutely love your take on fitness.
Hi Katie–first of all, I love your blog! You have inspired me to start doing yoga regularly, and I am really loving it so far. I have a couple of questions. Did you start out doing 5-6 days of yoga a week, or did you build up to it? Do you tend to have some days which are easier than others or are they all at about the same level of intensity? Similarly, when you talk in other posts about doing 3 hours of yoga in one day, is that all one class, or broken down throughout the day? As a beginner, I’m trying to figure out how many days a week I can practice and for how long, so I’d love to know if you have any advice and hear about how you figured out what’s right for you.