Another television season of "Biggest Loser" is about to begin and this time it will involve children. I refuse to watch the show because I do not think it speaks to realistic, sustainable lifestyle changes. It may make for compelling television, but I also believe there is a large population in the viewership that sees people exercising vigorously many hours per day (while being flogged by a personal trainer) and suffering through a very low calorie diet. Through witnessing the extreme time and effort spent, these viewers quietly think to themselves "I could never do that". I happen to agree with them because our lives are not a TV show.
I am not a fan of extreme approaches. Just because we "supersized" ourselves to become a seriously overweight nation almost overnight, does not mean we should be implementing a "supersized" diet/exercise program overnight either. I have found over the years that less is so much more. People that strive for sustainable and manageable lifestyle changes are the ones that are the long-term winners. Our addiction for quick-fixes and immediate results have created manic like approaches to weight loss. No one is setting themselves up to win with these approaches. Consider the P90x workout. Yes, after 90 days of "hard core" workouts you will see results. The problem is, however, after 90 days are you going to be willing to continue with the program? Overly challenging programs create feelings of dread which do not translate into long-term exercise adherence. I know many people that did P90x workouts, and on day 91 and beyond, never did another. So, how far are we really progressing if we always ratchet back to zero after every over-the-top effort? Guess what folks, I am entering into my twentieth consecutive year of exercise with moderation and I still love it.
The CrossFit craze is also on my radar screen. Yes, I completely appreciate the athleticism and creativity involved with CrossFit, but I think it also falls short on the sustainable scale. I know many twenty somethings that have hurt their knees and backs doing CrossFit workouts. If we constantly push ourselves towards muscle failure and over-training, then we are also pushing ourselves quickly towards burnout. If you experience injury and must take six to eight weeks off, then again you have just ratcheted yourself back to zero. End up developing a chronic condition and you may just end up in a living hell.
Are you pursuing sustainable workouts for yourself, or is your ego pushing you to extreme measures for right now? Are you trying to keep up with what your neighbor is doing, or are you putting real thought into what might be the right approach and balance for you? Stop being overly compulsive about this stuff and start thinking about ten, twenty, thirty years down the road. Look beyond all trends and extremism knowing that your "one" body needs to last you for a lifetime. Treating it with a loving respect that honors it over the long course of time will ultimately make you the biggest winner. Sustainable efforts are adhered to, extreme efforts die.
