That’s not good for “YOU”

It's all about YOU

“That’s not good for YOU”

“That’s not healthy for YOU”

How often have you heard these two claims from someone who is neither a health professional or even in any sort of physical shape that you would consider desirable?

It’s is quite common for someone who is overweight or out of shape to comment on what is good or not good for YOU in many areas of health and fitness.

Picture this scenario:

You’re out with some friends, you’ve been doing really well on  Eat Stop Eat or some other weight loss program and you decide that tonight you’re going to have a few slices of pizza just because you can and you want to. Then someone else at the table says “eating all that pizza isn’t healthy for YOU”. I’m sure this scenario doesn’t sound out of the ordinary.

Now picture the same scenario and that same person saying “eating all of that pizza wouldn’t be healthy for me”.

Sounds a lot different doesn’t it! A lot less judgmental, and it sounds like that person would actually be taking responsibility for themselves instead of finger pointing and preaching to you.

This is a fundamental problem we face when other people who are casual consumers of health and fitness media start taking it upon themselves to tell you what they think is good for you. This allows them to sit in the background out of the spotlight and make you and your dietary and fitness habits the center of attention and scrutiny. This is both unfair and ignorant.

The next time this happens to you just flip the logic to aim the conversation back at them and say “thank you for sharing your opinion on what is healthy for me, but I’d really like to know what you think is healthy for YOU and what you’re doing about it”

…in most cases this should shut them up.

John

Posted by johnbarban in Health, Human Nature
Tags: diet advice, fitness advice, what is good for you |12 Comments

12 Responses to “That’s not good for “YOU””

  1. Dan Says:
    May 11th, 2010 at 12:08 pm

    The whole healthy and unhealthy food has always bothered me. My take on it is too much of anything is unhealthy. I shouldn’t feel guilt for eating a brownie or piece of pizza every once in awhile and I don’t.

    Dan

  2. branko Says:
    May 11th, 2010 at 12:20 pm

    jb. i rarely have seen anyone saying being regular in the gym or with their diet its just something they seen or heard watching tv like some sort of a mantra .
    if people the broad public tried to scrape under the surface of the fitness and diet industry and discover thats its all about calories in vs out coupled ´with one or two 24h breaks from eating now how hard is that ?

  3. MovieFX Says:
    May 11th, 2010 at 1:26 pm

    I love what the supplement industry has done with the term ‘healthy’. I regularly see obese people buying food supplements.

    If you’re obese, the last thing your food intake needs is supplication.

    (On a related note – how many guys and gals do you know who work in supplement stores on juice? I know at least three.)

  4. Girlwithnoname (Jackie) Says:
    May 11th, 2010 at 1:37 pm

    ooooo, I like that approach. I think I’ll try that out next time I hear someone preach to me what’s best for me. LOL.

    thanks JB
    J

  5. johnbarban Says:
    May 11th, 2010 at 1:37 pm

    oh yeah, almost every sports supplement store I’ve ever stepped foot in has a guy behind the counter who is on a significant amount of steroids.

  6. Goro Says:
    May 11th, 2010 at 1:42 pm

    Hey,John in one of your articles you said you are going to make a documentary about exercising programs.As much as i remember you said you will trey different exercising programs in it.I’m just interested when it’s going to be done cause i’m really looking forward for it.
    thanks.

  7. johnbarban Says:
    May 11th, 2010 at 2:08 pm

    Goro,

    I don’t recall such an article, I’m not going to be testing out any other exercise programs. I might be testing out new programs that I’m designing, but never a program designed by someone else.

    JB

  8. Jason Says:
    May 11th, 2010 at 5:23 pm

    John,

    This applies to body composition as well.

    Ever since I cut down a significant amount (and I’m still carrying some fat mass) I always get the seemingly well-meaning, “You’re far too lean” or “You have no fat…you need to eat” as if my life and well-being are dependent upon simply being chunky.

    These are the same people (including many family members) with diseases of excess and are ironically always trying to lose fat. They’ll see me eat something, and ask “is that all you eat?!” as if what I happen to be eating at the moment is my entire diet.

    Sorry if I sound a little pissed off, it’s just a side effect of being lean (yet when a heavy object needs to be lifted I’m always the go-to guy).

    Do you think the “permission to be light” should conclude that muscle-to-fat ratio should always precede absolute size?

  9. James Says:
    May 11th, 2010 at 9:04 pm

    I have been told on several occasions that fasting was “bad” for me or that it will slow down my metabolism and make me fatter. I just smile and chuckle. Because I’m losing fat and their not.

  10. Bart Says:
    May 11th, 2010 at 9:25 pm

    Jason,
    i get same experience. People keep telling me that i dont eat enough and that i will get sick. HA HA HA love that. I love telling them that i fast and then they think that i am totally sick.
    Who cares, took me 3 years to get here and i like it this way.

    thx John for excellent posts

  11. Jason Says:
    May 11th, 2010 at 11:24 pm

    Bart,
    The irony is that the only times I get sick are when I overeat or eat a significant amount of less-than-optimal foods, not from fasting or being lean.

  12. Michael Says:
    May 13th, 2010 at 11:57 am

    Nah doesn’t shut them up as they start to spout what they heard on t.v., radio, or read somewhere. You know the usual eat 6 times a day, don’t skip ANY meals (especially, heaven forbid, breakfast, exercise for hours on the treadmill, stay away from sugar and processed foods, and on, and on, and on.

    Even my wife gets very upset when I do ESE and tells me how it’s not good for me, etc., etc.

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