You’re “that guy/gal”
- The “Fitness Guy”
- The “CrossFit Chick”
- The “Orange Theory Junkie”
- The “Nutrition Nut”
You never miss a Monday, the gym is your second home, and you haven’t eaten a carb since 2017. You train 6-7 days per week, you only train at high-intensity, and if you don’t hit you macros perfectly, you contemplate on running into oncoming traffic. You’re training for “performance,” but you haven’t competed in anything since your senior year of high school in 2007.
Does any of that, or maybe all of that, sound familiar?
Over here! Me, me, me!
From 2012 to 2018 I was OBSESSED with fitness and nutrition, more specifically, CrossFit and carb restriction. CrossFit was the ONLY fitness program worth doing and if you ate starch, you were basically the devil. Training was my only priority; the goal was to become as fit as possible. I NEEDED to train harder. I NEEDED to eat better. I NEEDED to look leaner. I was addicted to Snatching, Handstand Walks, and Muscle-ups, I was transfixed on better “performance,” and I was willing to do anything to make it happen.
Being known as “that guy” was EVERYTHING.
Fitness was my identity.
Anyone else out there able to relate? Hell, maybe you’re still in that season of life, and if you are, that’s okay. However, I’m here to tell you that you’re more than fitness and nutrition. You’re better than CrossFit, Orange Theory, and counting macros. You’re better than Clean and Jerks, Handstand Push-ups, callused hands, and food scales. In fact, fitness and nutrition are the LEAST interesting things about you!
The truth is that no one, literally no one, cares whether you’re fit or not. No one cares if you have a six-pack or look like you drink a six-pack every night. No one cares if you can walk on your hands, do a Muscle-up, or Deadlift double your bodyweight, No one gives a shit about your time on the workout, not even the other CrossFit junkies in your class, and no one thinks it’s cool that you don’t eat chips, cookies, and cake (actually, they probably think you’re a f#ck!ng moron).
What people actually care about is YOU.
- What makes you happy?
- What pisses you off?
- What do you do for fun?
- Who’s your favorite sports team?
- What’s your favorite food?
- Do you drink Miller, Bud, or are you one of those IPA snobs?
- How many times have you watched The Office?
- Were Ross and Rachel actually on a break?
These are the things that matter!
(I’m literally sitting here laughing out loud as I read those back)
Seriously, people care about your faith, personality, core values, beliefs, characteristics, hobbies, and pet peeves – they don’t care about your latest PR, body fat percentage, or how many grams of veggies that you eat on a daily basis.
It’s time to take a step back and reevaluate.
Where is your identity? Where do you invest the majority of your time, energy, and effort?
If the answer is fitness and nutrition, it’s okay. You’re not a bad person. Like I said, I’ve been there, and when you’re in that season of life, it’s really HARD to get out. You can’t just “flip the switch.” We’re talking about changing perspectives, cultivating a new mindset, and adopting healthier behaviors – these things take time. You need to be patient, you need to hold yourself accountable, and you need to be consistent AF.
It won’t happen overnight, but if you keep at it, one day:
- You’ll wake up without the compulsive need to train
- You’ll eat the pizza, wings, and birthday cake without feeling guilty
- You’ll crush margaritas with your Mom on vacation without pre-logging in MyFitnessPal
- You’ll skip training to walk around the woods and check trail cameras with your Dad without feeling the need to train when you get home
- You’ll replace the 20-minutes of fasted-cardio every morning with devotions, prayer, and time in the Word
In other words, your identity will no longer be in fitness. Training will only be a part of your life, not your entire life. You’ll have cultivated an active, balanced, and fulfilling lifestyle that you’re proud to live and share with loved ones.
Sounds a hell of a lot better than CrossFit, Orange Theory, and counting macros, right?
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