For the longest time, I have wondered why showing up to the gym and working out is easier than eating a balanced diet.
Most of us, myself included, focus on energy output (working out, walking, being active) instead of the more efficient means of eating less, drinking more water, and getting more vegetables in our diets when we want to lose weight.
I thought it must be the environment. The gym is an environment that signals us to do work. The home is a place to relax and enjoy food. Working out, you feel accomplished, while diet focus feels like it’s all about what you can’t have.
These are a part of the equation, for sure.
I was catching up with an old friend I had not seen in almost a year this weekend. Unfortunately, there are no breakfast places anymore that open up for early morning, which meant we were limited in selection and had to pick the IHop.
Quick sidebar (I promise this is going somewhere): I was baffled that they listed the omelet at over 1k calories, so I ordered it for research. The eggs and veggies were not the problem, but the half-pound of cheese they put on it was.
As we talked about stuff and things, the conversation turned to weight gain and nutrition. I said something like, “Working out produces endorphins which makes you feel good, and so does eating sugary, fatty foods. That is why working out is more enjoyable than eating healthy.”
Bingo!
What do we do with this information? Know that eating a healthy diet will not produce as many endorphins and now live a life devoid of endorphin-producing meals?
No.
Here is what we do with this information:
Rely less on food to make us happy and more on social interaction around meals. Know that all things that produce endorphins are not created equal. For example, screens make us happy but often leave us sad and depressed when we turn them off. But good social interactions can leave us feeling inspired for days.
And now you know.
Your Fitness Sherpa
Josh
