vain: conceited: characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance;
The other day I met up with an old friend after many years. It seemed that time and a life of bad habits had really gotten to him. At 27 he wheezed like Darth Vader, and almost filed up two seats. As we chatted away he commented on how lean I was looking, and I laid down in two sentences what my secret was. “HGH-inducing workouts 4-5 times a week, and a low-carbish diet consisting of veggies meats, and yummy fats” He went on to say that such a lifestyle seemed too stressful to follow. He concluded, “You and I aren’t models, why deprive yourself?” I had no answer. I could tell him about health, wakefulness, longevity, feeling good looking good, but it really seemed like something egotistical at that moment.
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It made me wonder, I do not want to ever stop, but why am I doing it? Why take the time to lift weights or sprint? Why get down below 10% bodyfat? Why skip out on french fries and cake? Why look good? I know these seem like obvious questions, but I am trying to answer them from my friend’s perspective. Because in the end, is it not all for the sake of vanity?
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But in the end is there really anything more to it? Is looking great really anything special. Moreover is it wrong? In light of the fat-acceptance movement, I would be considered vain, anorexic, and genetically blessed. I get weird looks for leaving out french fries, skipping desert or for ordering salad. By looking better than 90% of people, am I just some sort of elitist? Again, I want to be fit for the rest of my life, I am not knocking health and fitness in any way. I am simply questioning the overall philosophy.
There are three main points that I want to address from this comment. First, I’m going to look at the natural state of man. Second, “why deprive yourself?” And finally, elitism and fat acceptance.
Man’s Natural State
The natural state of man is invariably lean, strong, and healthy. Look at people still living in traditional ways, look at fossil records of our hunter-gatherer ancestors…you see that there is no obesity. There is no cancer and heart disease. Bodies are long and lean, a requirement for and result of trekking for food and taking down animals stronger and faster than oneself.
So do I think there’s anything vain about allowing my genes to express themselves properly by feeding myself good food and working out? Not at all. I think it’s vain to think that mankind can come close to outdoing the food and medicine that Mother Nature has provided.
Frankly, I think what JE mentioned is the exact reason to follow such a lifestyle: “health, wakefulness, longevity, feeling good, looking good”. Why is being healthy, alert, and feeling good about yourself (up to and including looking good in your clothes dubbed vanity? Who doesn’t want those things?
Addressing Stress And Deprivation
Let’s look at another point from JE’s friend:
He went on to say that such a lifestyle seemed too stressful to follow. He concluded, “You and I aren’t models, why deprive yourself?”
Is a Paleo-ish way of life stressful? Maybe at first while you’re still trying to overcome the cravings forunnatural fake foods, but after a couple months, it’s a rather easy lifestyle to follow. The body knows what it wants; we just have to get the frontal lobe to follow along.
As for deprivation, raise your hand if you feel deprived eating meat without trimming the fat, loading up on fruits and vegetables, eating nuts and seeds, and getting some intense exercise. My hand isn’t raised. If yours is, tell us why in the comments. I find that the longer I stick to a solid dietary and fitness lifestyle, the less deprived of things I feel. In fact, I have absolutely zero desire to taste a Krispy Kreme. If I were forcing myself to exercise, then I might feel deprived, but generally I want to be on the track or in the gym. If I were forcing myself to eat a rare steak with a baked sweet potato loaded with coconut cream and kale with a lemon-tahini mixture (sorry for the tantalizing description…that was last night’s dinner), then perhaps I’d feel deprived. But I think the lifestyle I describe here at Modern Forager is much less depriving than the diet we’re told to follow.
Deprivation comes from a feeling that you’re not getting something you need. But once you start loading your body up with the right foods and nutrients, you realize that donuts, cookies, pies, and the like hold little in the way of goodness for you. When you eat those things, your body revolts. Basically, you feel like crap. Of course, we all have our vices, but the goal is choosing smart vices. I drink coffee a few times a week, whether I need it or not. I eat dark chocolate. And I’m not above going head-first into a bag of corn chips with salsa or guacamole. It’s not about depriving yourself, but about realizing that the things you think you “just couldn’t do without” typically aren’t all that good anyway.
Elitism and Fat Acceptance
Now for the real issue: elitism. Can one pursue health and fitness in a way that is vain? AB-SO-LUTE-LY! It does no one any good for those of us that are in shape to look down our noses at the unwashed masses. Just because you have a six-pack doesn’t make you a better person (nor does it mean you need to walk around shirtless every chance you get…you know who you are). Just because you don’t eat French fries doesn’t mean you should wave your salad in someone’s face or make comments about how you don’t understand how they can eat such things. The goal should be to help those that want help and leave the others alone.
Don’t interject your opinions when they aren’t asked for, lest you want to be dubbed a zealot and elitist. Recognize that when people get on you for not eating fried potatoes or cake, it’s not necessarily because you’ve done something to be an elitist, but because your choice puts theirs in stark contrast. As a pack animal, we don’t like those that stand out from the crowd on their own choices. But making your own choices doesn’t make you an elitist. How you wave those choices in other people’s faces might though.
And about the fat acceptance movement…is it a good thing or a bad thing? I’m neutral. I mean, no one should be discriminated against, be they fat, black, gay, Asian, female, or otherwise. But I don’t see a reason to pander to any particular group either. If everyone would just live and let live, we’d all be better off.
Summing Up My Opinion
So is it wrong to seek health and fitness, to seek looking good? Not necessarily. You can be an arsehole about it to everyone you meet and you’ll come across as vain. Or you can live your life and let others live theirs, helping those that seek your help and leaving the rest alone. It’s all in the execution, not in the act.
Cause let’s get real…there’s not a person out there that doesn’t give a hoot about how they look. It may not be a priority for many, but anyone would choose to change something or other i-f it required no sacrifices.
What are your thoughts on this? Is it vain to pursue looking good? Is it elitist to skip certain foods?
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