There are a couple of buzzwords that I’d like to call bullshit on…
The first one is going to make me sound like a hypocrite.
Balance
You’ve probably heard me preach balance somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred times. And I’ll continue to do so.
Then, why am I calling bullshit?
In the age of social media and only showing what we want people to see, the concept of balance has become increasingly deceiving.
How many times have you seen someone with a physique you desire showing off their burger and fries while telling you that you can still enjoy your life and have abs?
Or a group of #fitspo models drinking fancy alcoholic beverages poolside while you admire their ability to drink and be shredded?
Because I’m naive, I’ll continue to believe that their hearts are in the right place. But the message is severely misguided.
The Balance Reality
Here’s the reality… obtaining a lean physique with a low level of body fat and clearly visible abs takes DISCIPLINE and SACRIFICE and YEARS of CONSISTENCY.
Granted, some people may be able to get away with more “flexibility and balance” due to their genetics but there’s no way around it. If you want to be that lean or that shredded, you’ll have to give up a lot to get there.
Is it worth it? Only you can answer that question but don’t be fooled into thinking that you can still party it up every weekend or eat whatever you want and get there.
The people that make it look easy and show their abs while drinking a beer and eating a donut are showing you the exception. You’re not seeing the years and years of sacrifice and discipline to get there. They’ve earned that flexibility over time.
When I talk about balance, I talk about it from a HEALTH perspective. Let’s not get it twisted.. having abs and being lean AF does not equal health.
True balance to me means your fitness and nutrition are naturally integrated into your life while allowing space to still enjoy the things that are meaningful to you.
For most people, that might just mean you’re not able to walk around with abs 24/7 but you can still be healthy and fit.
A parallel to this concept is another buzzword that is starting to make me cringe…
Authenticity
Every “influencer” (I have to put that word in quotes because, quite frankly, it’s just a terrible word) wants to tell you and show you how “authentic” they are.
Showing a less than ideal picture, ya know like not perfectly photoshopped or edited, and then patting themselves on the back for being “brave” is like the new ab pic with a beer or glass of wine.
It’s the exact same deceitfulness as the shredded AF “balance” crew.
Most of the time these people built their massive followings through perfectly touched-up images, booty pics, or showing off how attractive they are.
And now that they have hundreds of thousands of followers, they want to “keep it real” and “authentic.”
It’s almost become a competition of who can be more authentic but doesn’t TRYING to be authentic defeat the purpose of authenticity.
The Bottom Line
The whole point of this is to just be very aware of what you’re consuming on social media and take it with a grain of salt.
Remember you’re seeing exactly what that person wants you to see. Yes, myself included.
There’s a lot more to the story than just the snapshot and caption… ya know, like a whole lot of context.
Consume what makes you feel good and adds value to your life.
If you find yourself feeling worse or comparing or having negative thoughts from what you’re seeing on social media… take control.
This is a relatively new area of health that we need to create practices around. Cultivating our environment now includes being deliberate about who we follow on social.
Be intentional and remember that you are always in control.
