I Must Be Doing Something Right

Forget about scales, measuring tapes and all kind of calorie counters, clothes are pretty good at telling you if there have been any drastic changes in your body.

This summer I haven’t been to the gym as often as I would have liked (because of the all the travelling), my eating habits have worsened (say hello to LOTS of carbs) and wine has become my second best friend. Imagine how surprised I was when I managed to squeeze into a pair of pants that was way too small just before we went to Spain. My weight has not changed but my bum is apparently a lot smaller… score!

Does this mean that carbs and wine are the way to go?

The other day, when I was on my way back home from the gym, I was thinking about this whole fitness-thing. How can something be so much fun? Why do it? And what is the ultimate goal with it?

My top 3 reasons for going to the gym (and trying to be healthy) are the following:

1) Focus. My mind is usually in a constant state of chaos (in a good way), there is so much to think about. At the gym my mind goes blank and I focus only on what I’m doing at that very moment. The tougher the session, the more relaxed and energized I feel afterwards.

2) Experiment and pushing borders. I like planning and working towards goals. I also like trying new things. Training and nutrition are perfect in this sense, because they provide a framework in which one can experiment and try different ways to be even better. It is also easy to see the results from the various experiments. Furthermore, I’m a sucker for food, and I think it is great fun to experiment in the kitchen, while keeping it delicious and healthy.

3) General well-being and health. This is probably a very common reason for training and eating well. Not only do people want to feel good NOW, but there is a desire to guarantee (to whatever extent it is possible) future well-being. In my opinion each individual has a certain responsibility to live as healthily as possible: it may not always be fun, but we are living in a society where many illnesses could be avoided, or at least be less common, with better eating habits and higher levels of activity.