There are few things that have the power to dictate our mood, confidence, or self-worth more than your weighing scale.
Those that have never struggled with fitness likely have an innocuous relationship with the scale. It’s simply a piece of equipment that simply reports one’s weight.
But for those who have struggled with their body image, the scale represents much more. It’s a deity to which they pay homage by enduring great pains in hopes of a favorable number.
I’m not sure why, but I get pensive and analytical at the end of these conference-style events. Whether it’s the physiolgoical impact of alcohol withdrawal trickling into my mood or the fact that I overanalyze human interactions (and consequently sometimes I think I may be a high-functioning sociopath…) is anyone’s guess.
Last year, immediately after the summit, I wrote about my analysis of the fitness industry and why it’s broken. This year, a few comments about “The Fitness Summit” being a circle jerk, coupled with a Facebook post by my brilliant friend Clifton Harski (this guy totally gets it, by the way) left me wondering the same thing.
On a scale of 1 to 10, the “judginess” of Clifton’s post is close to Judy, but I always respect a bold opinion. It’s interesting that I would agree with Clifton’s overall sentiment, because I absolutely adore everyone who spoke. Echoing Clifton’s sentiment, at the atomic level, everything was great, and I truly enjoyed (if not idolize) almost all of the presenters.
Overall, however, something gave me pause.
So… is The Fitness Summit a circle jerk? (And just for clarity I loved the experience and am planning to go every year.) To answer this question, let’s look at some characteristics of the fitness industry.
There’s been a lot written about the physiological justification behind overfeeding, cheat meals, and cheat days. I want to talk about a different perspective – more specifically the psychological importance of deviating from diet and how it can make or break your success.
If you are the type of person who’s always trying to maintain your diet through countless work dinners, happy hours, weddings, and weekend benders, listen up because this is for you.
