Unfit to Get Fit – Dieting and Fitness Malpractices That Put You at Risk

RJGraveyTrain

Hello everybody, captain of #TeamRJ coming back at you again with this week’s installment for #BATTLEROYALE. This week we’re tackling the health and fitness category, and whilst I have been prompted by a few special G@Gers to bring back “old RJ” and write you a recipe take (who knows, maybe I will?) I instead chose to touch on a subject that I feel very strongly about.

And that topic is addressing the fact that not everybody is fit to get … fit.

Let me explain before I lose your attention all together: everybody SHOULD be healthy, and SHOULD eat well and SHOULD exercise in a perfect world, that isn’t the issue. The issue I find more often than not – predominantly with women I’ll admit – is that people consistently go about it the wrong way for the wrong reasons.


So what does this all conclude? Well, it concludes that there are people out there who really ARE NOT ready to start a fitness regime, yet.

However, you can become prepared and fully able to begin your fitness journey by getting a good, healthy dose of reality by understanding the common malpractices that could potentially do more harm to you than good, and what you can do to make sure you do health and fitness the right way.

Restrictive Dieting

Unfit to Get Fit – Dieting and Fitness Malpractices That Put You at Risk

I hate to jump on the dead-horse band wagon, but we all know how I feel about “dieting” as opposed to changing your eating habits. Why is that? Because frankly, a lot of dieting nowadays is very fasting-focused, carb and fat cutting, drastic portion reducing, designed to make you lose weight quickly.

That’s all well and good, but just how much do you know about these diets? Too many of us will get ourselves wrapped up in the “drop 2 dress sizes in only five days!” concept that we don’t consider the actual functionality of the diet. Sure, if you drink hot lemon water and only eat vegetables for two weeks you’ll lose a lot of weight, but do you really think you’ll maintain that weight loss?

Meg Selig, successful author of the acclaimed Changepower! 37 Secrets to Habit Change Success presents exactly the reasons why this method is ineffective in achieving long lasting, healthy results.

Not only this, but studies done on behalf of the National Eating Disorders Information Centre (NEDIC) suggests that restrictive dieting is a fast-tracked way to lead you down into a dark path of multiple eating disorders, and not just the typical anorexia. Restrictive dieting has been proven to cause a pattern of binge eating after long periods of fasting or deprivation, eventually turning into a full blown binge eating disorder.

Unfit to Get Fit – Dieting and Fitness Malpractices That Put You at Risk

Extreme Workouts/Lifting Regimes

Unfit to Get Fit – Dieting and Fitness Malpractices That Put You at Risk

Whether competitive, or for basic fitness goals, exercising in excess without proper knowledge can result in detrimental issues down the road for you.The issues related to such malpractices can result in disproportionate physique, injury, and even mental and emotional issues (such as having a short fuse, depression, addiction, eating disorders) and constant fatigue.

Improper form, diet, over-exercising; all of it can cause more harm than what a lot of people realize. You can tear muscles, damage joints, overwork yourself and form very unhealthy habits. Not only that, but a common theme in taking on extreme regimes is giving up; it becomes too much to handle, too much stress and you’ll resort to doing nothing out of frustration and exhaustion. Coach Eric C. Stevens, head trainer at Orangetheory Fitness at the Highlands and Union Station studios in Denver, touches on the serious effects of exercise addiction, addressing illness and depression related to over-exercising and how improper workout practices can have devastating effects.

In the case of competitive weightlifting and bodybuilding, it might seem like exercise addiction is sort of just the name of the game, and I’m sure that it is, but making sure you’re going about it safely and with your best interest in mind should be top priority for everyone. Even if you’re just the average person trying to get into better shape, you need to always have your best interest as your main interest. Period.

Unfit to Get Fit – Dieting and Fitness Malpractices That Put You at Risk

Yoyo Dieting

Unfit to Get Fit – Dieting and Fitness Malpractices That Put You at Risk

We have all “yoyoed” at least once or twice in our life when it comes to our weight or practices. One week we’ll be eating nothing but raw, whole foods, the next week we’ll be binging on pizza wondering where we went wrong. But there comes a time where this yoyo pattern can actually be damaging to your physical and mental health.

The most common issue associated with yoyo pattern dieting and exercising (also known as weight cycling) is closely related to common symptoms of BED (binge eating disorder); sufferers will go through periods of strict dieting, fasting, working out, only to relapse and begin binging and becoming sedentary again.

Though weight cycling isn’t indefinitely proven to cause certain types of diseases or retention of fat or loss of muscle, it has been associated with the formation of loose, excess skin (though dramatic weight loss in general causes this) and health issues such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and gallbladder disease. These issues are also related directly to being overweight.

What is known for certain is that yo-yoing can cause a lot of psychological effects, such as depression, low self esteem, and of course: eating disorders. All of these factors can dramatically affect your quality of life, and even shorten your life expectancy. You may find it harder to lose weight, or even more difficult to maintain weight loss due to fear of failure. Without proper discipline and practices, yoyo dieting can cause lasting mental and physical issues.

Unfit to Get Fit – Dieting and Fitness Malpractices That Put You at Risk

What you should do

All of these malpractices are easily avoidable if you follow the easy steps necessary to make sure that you get the most out of your fitness journey without causing yourself any grief.

Consult a Professional

Be it a therapist for your depression/unhealthy mentality, a trainer for guidance, a dietitian for advice or even a doctor to help you find the proper resources and distinguish if you should even begin ANY kind of regime in the first place, consulting a professional is the ideal way to make sure your best interest is your MAIN interest.

Do Your Research

Make sure you take the initiative to education yourself about nutrition and your health before starting any kind of regime. Get information from supported sources and take it to heart. Don’t just go to www.10-reasons-why-it’s-okay-to-starve-myself.com, actually look at who is publishing the information, and get it right.


Remember that Your HEALTH is Your GOAL

It isn’t all about looks or proving yourself to someone. Losing weight, gaining mass, or what have you, is for your internal benefit as much as it is your external benefit. Don’t put yourself at risk for the sake of your appearance; remember that being healthy inside is what will create the best, most long lasting results.

Unfit to Get Fit – Dieting and Fitness Malpractices That Put You at Risk

Alright folks, that’s my article for this week, I hope you found it informative or at least to be an interesting read. If you have any experiences relevant to this take or advice you’d like to share, post it in the comments below.

Have a good one guys.

Unfit to Get Fit – Dieting and Fitness Malpractices That Put You at Risk
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