Eat to be Heathly, Don't be Healthy to Eat.

Greetings Fitters,
  On my way back from IHRSA conference, and a three hour flight is a perfect time to reflect and share thoughts. Especially when someone in the seat in front of you is sharing their philosophy on why they neglect their fitness.
He begins talking to the person next to him with some light conversation, the jist of which is in reference to the size of the seats. He then asks his flyer friend, "how much do you think I weigh?", the question often asked as a defensive tactic by overweight individuals who think others might think negatively of them, and thus need to make it apparent that they are aware, perhaps even proud of the fact .(to clear up any confusion, I personally do not think negatively of you, as I think most people don't, although I'm available to help should you prioritize your health more highly). The answer, 285 pounds, and measures in around 6'0.

He then explains the reason why he is overweight. He hurt his back in high school football (he is now I'm assuming in his late 40's early 50's), then he had to have discs removed from his back, removing his ability to control his foot. Because of this, he has become grossly overweight.

The kicker of the entire conversation, and the reason for this post, was his following comment. "I eat healthy, like salads and stuff, but because I can't get the aerobic exercise..."

It is the misconceptions like this that both horrify me and give me hope that I can help the world. To be clear, there is no physical way, in any realm of possibility, to be a 285 pound human being with a "heathly stuff diet."

There are two very vital lessons to glean from this:

1) You can lie to the rest of the world, but you can't like to your body.

2) ANYONE can be healthy, without even an iota of exercise, through proper diet.

No matter what you tell your trainer, your wife, the guy next to you on the plane, you can't lie about calories. What you put into your body is going to have a profound effect on how you look, feel, act, perform, and more. Don't know what "healthy stuff" really is? That's fine! There are people to ask and places to find out (check out this blog post on the magical recipe for health). But lying is not going to tip the scales in your favor.

Nutrition is the base by which our health balances. Even without exercise (which is never the case, there are always options), eating a healthy diet can keep you away from the doctor for a very long time. You can eat your way out of a poor exercise program, but you can NEVER exercise your way out of a bad diet.

80% of your health is nutrition, so make sure you prioritize. No lies, and no excuses. Need help, ask me, I'm all ears.

Stay Fit.