What Makes You Special? Hint – It’s not Your Body
You’re unique, just like a snowflake…you’re one of a kind…just like everybody else! So here is your special bear to make you feel good about being so special.
Just for you, cuz you're special!
Ok so now that we’ve all stroked our ego’s enough and reminded ourselves that we’re ‘special’ lets get down to the business of exercise and diet.
I hate to have to be the one to break this to you (actually no I don’t, I love bringing stuff like this up), but when it comes to diet and exercise, you’re not special…you’re not even unique…in fact you and me and everyone else is very easily measured and categorized into general and predictable groups.
Fitness/nutrition marketers will stroke your ego and tell you that not only are you special, but so is your metabolism and your body, and that you need a special diet and exercise program…they’ll go on to say that the only reason you’re not satisfied with your body (if you’re in fact not satisfied with it right now) is because nobody has come up with a diet or workout that addresses your specific unique needs.
I find it rather ironic that this marketing message of unique one-of-a-kindness is trumpeted to a mass audience…
This marketing strategy plays right into each of our personal stories that we tell ourselves on a daily basis. It allows us to validate all of our shortcomings and fears and it removes the responsibility from us for the way our bodies look…this sets the trap that leaves us highly vulnerable to fall for the next fitness/diet item that is designed ‘just for us’.
There are lots of things that make you truly one of a kind; where you grew up, how you were raised, things you like and don’t like, your specific personality traits and quirks, your finger prints, your voice, even your gait (how you walk).
So don’t worry, you really are unique (just like everybody else! ha…sorry I can’t help but add that part in because it’s just so ironic)
So this is where reality sets in and the uniqueness ends and the commonalities begin.
This is the list of just some of the things that you and everyone else have in common:
1. There is a finite and predictable amount of muscle you can build based on your height and somatotype (assuming you’re not using steroids)
2. Your metabolic rate is determined by your lean body mass and is pretty much fixed within a tight range (see point 1 for explanation)
3. The only way you can lose weight is eating less calories than you burn (for real, this actually applies to everyone)
4. Your body digests and reacts to food just like everyone else’s (give or take a couple items you might be allergic to or a congenital bowel disease)
So in general, your body isn’t as unique as your personality is.
And that is a good thing. That means you don’t need to search high and low for exercise and diet advice that will work for you. In fact what worked for most other people will work just fine for you too.
So have fun during your special day today, but remember that we’re mostly the same when it comes to exercise and metabolism.
John
24 Responses to “What Makes You Special? Hint – It’s not Your Body”
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January 27th, 2010 at 9:01 am
So true John.
Even after all the weight I lost by just eating less, I still have people telling me I am wrong and it does not work. The usual I get is ” Dave it is not a simple as calories in and calories out ” but in reality it really is, and my weight loss proves it. John, do you also hear the ” Yes but that won’t work for me ” excuse too ?. I guess saying we get fat because we eat too much is not as good marketing wise as blaming the problem on a macro nutrient or slow metabolism.
January 27th, 2010 at 11:09 am
I appreciate your emphasis on the fact that one’s metabolism is set within a very defined rate. The “your metabolism will slow down” or “get your metabolism revved up” rhetoric of the mainstream fitness industry makes me want to vomit! It’s calories in, calories out. It won’t change your metabolism to have fewer calories during a specifically defined period of weight loss. It won’t change your metabolism to “skip a couple meals,” per ESE. Yet the whole fitness/nutrition world is obsessed about metabolism!
January 27th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
I forgot to unsubscribe to a couple other fitness newsletters. One of them is telling me to jumpstart my metabolism by eating an excess of calories every 3 days. So not only will that not help you lose weight but you will get fatter…cool.
January 27th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
HAHA!
Hey Paul, don’t forget… that’s our rule
(actually, it’s Pilon’s rule – we thought it was a good one)
B
January 27th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Hey Dave, you mentioned macronutrients and slow metabolism. Don’t forget leptin and thyroid!
Those are the hot topics right now. It seems like every other diet blog I visit, somebody is talking about leptin or thyroid.
January 27th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Re: not having to search high and low for diet and exercise advice. It’s so hard not to! Seriously, it’s like a compulsion. I feel like I have to check out a lot of different blogs and sites to see what’s out there, so that I don’t miss anything, etc. Occasionally I come across something that’s actually useful. For example, recently I came across a plank variation called the “buzzsaw.” I really like it. My abs were sore for a couple of days after I did it the first time. And, of course, it was from some other blog that I heard about Brad Pilon’s blog, and then this one.
But a lot of noise comes along with the little bit of good information. It can be a bit demotivating to settle on a strategy, and then Boom! Someone tries to scare the sh*t out of you about it. Intellectually, I know I shouldn’t worry about most of this stuff, but there must be some part of my “reptilian brain” that still responds. I’ve gotten better at controlling my response, but it’s hard to remain totally and completely unmoved by this daily cacaphony of conflicting advice, fear, anxiety, etc. I hope I’m not complaining too much. It’s just something that I’ve been thinking about. And I suspect that there are a few other people who have the same problem. It can’t be just me! lol.
January 27th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
John,
This is all so true, yet contrary to what the muscle building magazines and supplement companies would want us to think (sure, anyone can look like the Incredible Hulk and eat anything they want; just take our new Muscle Xtreme Growth Fat Burning Serum XF-10!)
Chris Cannon
FreeMuscleBuildingTips.com
January 27th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
This was great. And that’s all half of it is: Marketing. Eat right, exercise and you WILL see the results.
January 27th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
I do not agree with your number one. That comment is simply discouraging.
January 27th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Jassi,
Why would you think that is discouraging?
JB
January 27th, 2010 at 6:31 pm
Well it just goes on to say that “ok you got 15 pounds of muscle thats it man you not getting anymore.” it steals away the motivation for improvement.(Dream the impossible) May be all you fitness people who work together eg you and vince can come up with whats what. Last year vince claims he gained 20 pounds of muscle(you might wanna head to his blog to check out the pics.) May be its another confused theory just like many other theories in fitness. But I am not going to buy the no. 1, all the others I accept. May be the muscle gain is not going to be that dramatic but still I’ll try and keep trying.
January 27th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Jassi,
No disrespect, but I think you are actually underestimating how huge 15lbs of muscle really is. If you’re talking about pure, lean muscle, and not water and fat, there’s no way you would ever need to build more than 15lbs of muscle. Unless you’re like 6′ 6″.
January 27th, 2010 at 7:08 pm
great post buddy.
January 27th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Paul, I just want to comment that I used to follow the typical diet , “eat less calories” what I understand all the time was eat less food, of course it did not work for me actually make it worst, because once in a while I eat big meals and as you may know my body try to save all it can as fat… now I’m eating every 3 hours and drinking at least 1.5 litters of water and I’m starting to see big changes like, I go more often to the bathroom, I’m not holding water and feel my belly flattening….
thanks
January 27th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
John at 184 is bigger than Vince…
http://johnbarban.com/2009-weight-loss-review/
They are roughly the same height. See for yourself.
January 27th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
The simplicity is amazing. Well said.
January 27th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
Who is this Vince guy?
January 27th, 2010 at 10:19 pm
Wait, wat??
Are these just junk supplements, or are people genuinely trying to ‘rev up’ their T3/T4 to lose weight??
Hyperthyroidism, ‘real’ or ‘induced’, is no joke!
January 28th, 2010 at 12:06 am
You mean “skinny vinny” is still skinny vinny
January 28th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
DUDE……this…..is……HILARIOUS!!!!!! and so full of truth! lol
January 28th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
ERV, no, I didn’t mean that. I was just referring to leptin and thyroid being hot topics right now. A lot of people would rather focus on those topics than simply eating less and creating a calorie deficit. Of course there are people with thyroid problems and other issues. But it just seems to be an obsession on some of these blogs and websites. That and leptin.
January 28th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Whew!
People do stupid stuff to lose weight, but I was hoping people werent *that* stupid!
January 28th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
ERV,
Some guys actually buy thyroid hormone on the black market and take it in order to burn more fat! I know, they’re freakin’ crazy but this is common in bodybuilding circles.
JB
January 28th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMqPyzY2lCQ
The 2 standing beside each other…