Kyra posted a theory about exercise and nutrition that was presented to her in her blog today.
The Perfect “Fit”
The basic gist of the theory is that one should only eat and exercise to the degree that one’s job requires. By that standard, a desk-bound computer jockey like me should only be consuming around 1300 calories a day and not doing a lick of exercise because I don’t need to lift heavy things or run 2 miles in 16 minutes without stopping to be good at my job.
According to this theory, to do more is a narcissistic, selfish waste of time, money, and resources that would be better spent on more important things like being with my family and friends.
…
Yeah, I thought the originator of the theory must be a sedentary crack-addict trying to reason away his laziness, too, with this equation of
Fitness = Unnecessary Pastime
Why don’t we take this a bit further and extrapolate a bit while we’re on the topic of unnecessary pastimes?
Most people don’t need to watch TV or movies, play computer games, go clubbing, drink alcohol at a bar, hang out playing Dungeons and Dragons, surf the web, collect stamps, or read novels to get better at their jobs either, and those activities also take away time, money and focus from their families and dogs.
Should we give up all of our non-work-related hobbies and activities as well as fitness?
Pshaw.
At least working out and eating right actually produces a tangible result. I get nothing from seeing a movie except a fleeting hour of escapism and a lighter wallet.
I consider exercise just a part of my daily routine as well as a voluntary HOBBY. I spend less time working out each day than the typical blobby American spends watching television with his/her flabby bottom spreading ever so slowly across the surface of the living room couch. I don’t take time away from my family and friends to work out; I do it in the wee hours of the morning when everyone else (including my two cats) is still snoozing.
My grocery bill is significantly lower than the bills of the average American as well, simply because I don’t dine out but once a month.
So tell me how I am depriving the world in general and my loved ones in particular of my glorious company and a limited supply of resources–go ahead, try.
Whoever came up with that line of reasoning had better be an utter saint who eats and drinks only enough to sustain life while accepting no salary for his work and devoting all of his time and attention to the needs of others without taking any time for his own interests, because that’s the only way he would not be a hypocrite in my eyes.
I’ll give up my unnecessarily healthy ways when the rest of America gives up all of their non-essential activities, too. In the meantime, I am going to keep on enjoying the facts that I don’t jiggle when I run my 16 minute two miles, can carry a heavy trunkload of groceries to my third floor apartment in one trip without losing my breath, haven’t had any major health issues stemming from poor diet and lack of activity, and have the physical stamina to help me run away in the event of a cataclysmic alien invasion.
Really, do you want to get caught by brain-eating aliens from outer space just because you are so out of shape and properly-suited to your desk job that you have to stop running after half a mile and have a lie down? :tongue:
Oh, and, narcissistic as it is, I DO like being able to rock a two-piece swimsuit, too.
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Nutrition: Training Day Menu
(SGX nutrition details omitted by request of trainer)
1: PWO Dextrose/Whey shake
2: 3×1 spinach omelette with 1/3 c. (dry) oatmeal, 1 T. raisins, and 1 T. wheat bran
3: 3 oz. chicken, 1 c. mixed veggies, 1/2 c. rice
4: 2/3 c. LF cottage cheese, small orange, 1 T. oatmeal
5: SGX Meal
6: SGX Meal
Daily Supplements: multivitamin with iron, calcium 500 + D, 1 T. flaxseed oil or natural peanut butter
Water: 16 cups minimum
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Workout:
7:00 AM Full Body Blitz 8 (60 minutes)
8:00 AM P90X Abs (15 minutes)
8:15 AM YF Core (30 minutes)
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The Awful Truth:
1. Nothing! Whee!
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Brownie Points:
1. 4/31 Perfect LMH Challenge Days
2. Bought a ton of chicken at $0.59-$0.99 a pound.
3. Roasted chicken with Cajun spices.
4. Got to bed on time again!
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Short-term Goals:
1. Update HandBase workout module.
2. Organize desk.
3. Skin, bone, and portion out fresh chicken.
4. Cook Napa and green onions and mix up some salad dressing.
5. Buy cheap plastic shelves from Target or Ghetto-Mart and move plants to balcony.
6. Read a few chapters from NASM book.
