The other day I was getting ready to teach a group fitness class when one of my regular students came up to me. She wanted to give me a heads up that if she seemed a little “off” or looked like she wasn’t trying it was because she was trying a new “lifestyle change”: intermittent fasting. For her that meant that she was only “allowed” to eat during a 6 hour window throughout the day, and she hadn’t eaten in 14 hours. I thanked her for letting me know. Then to be honest, I kind of thought about it for the whole class. After it was over I asked her how she was feeling. Then took a deep breath and followed it with:

“Hey…why are you doing this thing if it’s not making you feel well?”

I often wonder when my students tell me stuff like this. If you aren’t feeling up to a workout, why are you here taking my class? She went on to tell me that she just started it because she read that there were some great health benefits to intermittent fasting. She then suggested that I look into it, and try it for myself.

Oh, girl. I did that.

Yep. About 3 years ago I was all in with it. It worked out about as well as the Whole 30 , which is a story for another time. I too had heard about the joys of intermittent fasting. It was supposed to stop my sugar cravings, give me all of the energy, prevent type-2 diabetes, lower my body fat percentage to that of a fitness model, and make me smarter. I drank the Kool-Aid (or in this case, the butter coffee), and all I got was messed up hormones. Oh, and I saved a little $$ on breakfast food too.  I finally stopped because I realized that just because it was right for some people didn’t mean it was right for ME.

Friends, we need to start seriously considering the things that we are doing for the sake of our “health”.

Or at least come to understand that behaviors that promote a certain aesthetic look and behaviors that promote health are not always one in the same. Then have a serious conversation with ourselves about our true motivations when we adopt new health related behaviors. I don’t have a problem with people who wish to change their appearance per se. It’s a normal thing to want. Especially because society rewards you more when you are thin and pretty (and also white, and cis, and straight, and young, and able bodied. . .).

The problem is when we think that the only way to be healthy is to look a specific way.

Because the truth is this: everybody’s healthiest size/weight is going to be a little bit different. There are many factors that contribute to health besides food and exercise. Not everyone has the choice to be “healthy”, especially when dealing with a chronic illness. If another person’s health is not their #1 priority, they still deserve to be treated with kindness and respect. Yes, good nutrition can aid your health. But all the kale is the world is not going to heal certain medical conditions. It’s just not. (Trust me, I’ve tried.) It’s ok to take medication if you can’t or don’t want to try to heal your ailments with green juice. You can find a study to support almost anything being “good” or “bad” for you. There is also good and bad science out there. Unless you are an expert at understanding medical journals, don’t believe everything you read.  Just because something worked well for someone else, doesn’t make it right for you.

Well.

Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, here’s what I want to ask you:

If you’re trying something new in the name of health, how’s that actually working out for you?

I’m not trying to be a smart-a$$. I’m serious. Because I don’t want you to wait until you almost pass out in a hot yoga class to decide that maybe you should have taken me up on that carb-alicious banana I offered you at 10am. I don’t care if it’s intermittent fasting, low carb, paleo, vegan, keto, a juice cleanse, or any other sort of “lifestyle change”. Just because it works well for somebody else doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

You might want to reconsider it if:

Its Making you feel Less healthy

If you’re starting to develop health issues that didn’t exist before you made the change, that’s a good clue that it’s time to let it go.

You’Re not seeing any improvements in the problems that it claims to fix

No, you don’t need to do it stricter or longer or harder. If it doesn’t feel right for you, it’s probably not for you.

You never had those problems to begin with

Dairy free might be a great option for people who have digestive issues when they eat it. If you don’t, those rules  don’t apply to you. Eat the cheese.

it’s causing you major stress to maintain it

If you’re stressing out about how to smuggle coconut aminos in your purse when you go out for sushi because someone told you soy sauce was bad, it might be time to reevaluate where you’re spending your mental energy.

You’re obsessing about food all the time

Obsessing about food is a good sign that you’re hungry.

You can’t get through your workout (or your day)

If you don’t have the energy to get through your usual activities, that’s a good clue that something’s missing. Is it breakfast? Carbs? Sleep?

it’s lead by some sort of cult-like guru who thinks their way is the only way

People who swear their way is the only way are usually trying to sell you something.

But they don’t live in your body or know what’s best for YOU.

These days, health and fitness advice is everywhere, and everyone seems to think that their way is the way. If there’s something new you want to try for the sake of your health, consider what that might look like in the grand scheme of your total health. Not just the physical, but also how it might affect you mentally, emotionally, and socially.

I’m never going to advocate for diets. I also happen to think that many “lifestyle changes” are actually diets in disguise. AND I know that we all have our own path that we need to follow to learn what’s best for us. So if you do decide to adopt something new for your health, whether it’s related to food, supplements, fitness, or anything else, remember that you know your own body better than anyone else. It doesn’t make a difference what anybody else says is best for you. If it doesn’t make you feel good, it’s not good for you. End of story.

Wanna get better at push-ups? Whether you’re trying to get your first one without using your knees, training to beat the entire patriarchy in a push-up contest, or just create better memories around push-ups than 5th grade gym class gave you, this program will help get you there.