By Troy Paradiso
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Webster's Definition:
Obsess: (1) to haunt or excessively
preoccupy the mind of
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Does this sound like you when it comes
to training and/or diet? Still not convinced? Then I offer the following
three scenarios that should clear up any doubts.
1) You're out on a date with your
significant other and as you peruse the restaurant menu choices
you are thinking, not about how nice it is to be out on the town
with your special someone, but rather, how many extra sets of HIIT
you'll have to do if you go with the Fettuccine Alfredo.
2) The wife's been nagging you for
weeks to take the kids camping and fishing. What's the first thing
to cross your mind? "But what about my Saturday session with
the guys?" Ya, you're a lock for that "Father of the Year"
award my friend.
3) The lights are low, two empty bottles
of wine say, oh ya, it's ON. You reach over to make your move and
that twinge in your right pec sends you on a 5 minute 'flashback'
of the KILLER chest workout you had today… (Hey, why you leavin'
baby??!!)
OK, now that we're on the same page,
let me start this discussion by asking; is it wrong to be obsessive
when it comes to your health and fitness goals? Can we not justify
this preoccupation with our training and diet by the fact that we
are improving ourselves and possibly extending the quality of our
lives in a very tangible way? Where it regards our health, it seems
there are more and more things we can't control, i.e., infectious
disease, genetic/hereditary issues, harmful chemicals in our food,
water, and air; are we not right to launch a full-on assault on
what we CAN control? Even if it means being a little obsessive about
it?
Are you ready for the answer?
Drum roll please….
No, not really.
Please allow me to explain. Go back
to the top of this article and read the definition for obsession
again. Got it? So tell me straight, does that sound 'healthy' to
you? If you are being intellectually honest you'll have to agree
that there's definitely a 'psychotic' undertone in that definition,
right? Being concerned and proactive about our health, desiring
to compete and excel in athletics, maybe even wanting a certain
look for vanities sake, ok fine, but when it gets to a point where
we are pursuing it to the exclusion of most everything else, we
may be taking things a bit too far.
So this begs the question; is there
such thing as 'healthy' obsession? Some would like to tell you there
is; it sounds catchy in the title of a book, like: Healthy Obsession:
You're Guide to Rapid Weight Loss. Catchy, right? Or it could be
someone looking to justify their own obsessive tendencies when it
comes to their training and diet habits. But ask any psychologist
or head doctor if there's such thing as a healthy obsession and
you're likely to get a resounding NO from all of them. As a matter
of fact, obsessive behavior can be downright dangerous and is usually
a key indicator to a host of personality disorders and even criminal
behaviors.
Now don't get me wrong, I am definitely
not saying that if you've shown some signs of obsessive behavior
when it comes to your training and diet that you're all of the sudden
going to develop some inclination to go postal inside a fitness
center or something (true story - http://bit.ly/xRUm9).
What I am saying, and I have many experts to back me up, is that
obsession towards pretty much ANYTHING is not healthy and really,
just not necessary! I offer my own story as empirical evidence of
this assertion. As a husband and father of four, I have managed
to set national power lifting records, attain national ranking (4th
place as of right now) in Masters Weightlifting, and attain all
of the aesthetic and health benefits that go along with it; and
I've done it WITHOUT alienating friends and loved ones, and still
maintaining my sanity (so far). I hate to be cliché, but
it's true, IF I CAN DO IT, ANYONE CAN.
You know what this article needs?
A good acronym. I now offer you my rules for getting the most out
of your athletic/fitness endeavors while still maintaining a balanced
life - the S-A-N-E way:
Schedule your training, diet and competition
goals with input from your spouse and/or family; this will help
avoid problems and uncomfortable situations down the road. (You
know I'm right)
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Allow some flexibility
for… life. Its ok, you won't shrivel-up/get fat/get weak,
in 24 hours.
Never take your
spouse, family, or friends for granted - they'll be there
long after the accolades (if you follow this rule that is…).
Enjoy the fruits
of your labor (being strong and healthy) by exploring the
great outdoors with your family and friends for example; it's
all about <insert sappy Hallmark quote here>.
Final thoughts…
Often you'll see people that have the all or nothing (read:
obsessive) approach to fitness tend to suffer from burnout
and end up lapsing into very counter-productive habits - it
is just too hard to maintain that kind of intensity for very
long. However, when you make exercise and diet part of your
normal routine, odds are that you'll stick with it and reap
the rewards for the long haul. Sounds good to me.
Until Next time.
Next week's topic:
Victory!: How To Put Yourself First To Achieve Your Goals
(ok, not really)
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About
The Author
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Troy Paradiso is a competive
weightlifter and active member of Team Staley. To learn
more about Troy, check out his interview with Julianne by
clicking
here.
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