Can You Quit This Abusive Fitness Habit?

We are all very familiar with this bad fitness romance.

Here’s a secret: you don’t need to be a panting, sweaty mess just because you decided to eat a second taco.

Romeo and Juliet

Chris Brown and Rhianna

Ross and Rachel

Ike and Tina

Go figure; the most famous romances of all time burned bright and fast and were completely dysfunctional. Like, bad dysfunction. Like...someone winds up hurt or dead dysfunction. Like a train wreck, we can’t help but watch their relationships unfold. Then, from a distance, we are all left wondering how anyone could let such toxicity into their lives from a distance. 

And here you are, thinking you need to do another hour on the elliptical because you had a slice of birthday cake. 

Here’s another toxic couple you might be personally familiar with: Calories and Cardio. 

We all have that girlfriend who is dangerously codependent on whoever they are dating at the moment. When she says, “let’s do a girl’s night,” you can set a timer because you know exactly when the meltdown happens. You know what it looks like: she’s angrily texting her other half, screaming into her phone, re-installing Tinder, only to have the evening end in a mess of drunken tears, broken heels, and a whole lot of “I’m never doing that again.”

Clearly, her relationships are dysfunctional. Are you going to tell her? 

Sort of like when you count up the calories you ate so you can burn them off with cardio. I’m here to tell you: it’s dysfunctional thinking. It will only end in messy tears and compromises and you getting a whole lot of what you don’t want. 

Dysfunctional, toxic thinking about food and cardio puts so many people into the shame and punishment spiral. It’s not a fun ride. I’m here to tell you to delete their number and forget about them; you deserve so much better. 

I’m here to tell you that exercise shouldn’t be a punishment! 

I’m here to tell you what you are “allowed” to eat doesn’t depend on whether you ran a marathon or took the stairs instead of the elevator. Keeping score only means someone will eventually lose.

I’m here to tell you: eating food should make you feel good. Period. 

A lot of people struggle to lose weight and manage their fitness goals because they’ve been living with a dysfunctional mindset. When they join Lift To Get Lean, it’s a jarring experience to establish a loving, supportive relationship. I’m like the friend who comes over with the box of Kleenex and the crappy McConnahegy romcom and helps you come to grips with your dysfunctional relationship. 

No more eating less and exercising more. No more dysfunctional, punishment spirals. You deserve better. You deserve the results you want without feeling like you need to punish yourself to get them. 

Not less calories, but proper nutrition.

Less cardio, more strength training.

You’ll eat the same types of food on workout days as you are on rest days.

Also, you’re resting. There are rest days. Period. 

You’re going to enjoy the food you eat without having to worry about “earning it.”

Girl, you’re going to live.

Forget the dysfunctional relationships you’ve had in the past—no more Ike and Tina. Instead, we’re Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. We’re George and Amal Cloony. We’re the kind of relationship that feels good to fight for because it leads you to be the person you’re meant to be!