The Difference.
There is a difference between the following terms:
Healthy
Unhealthy
Although it may seem obvious, so many people are completely lost.
Healthy is being mentally and physically happy. Fit. Content.
Achieving health is complicated and difficult, yet not a hard concept to understand.
You need to eat healthy foods. Fruits, veggies, lean meats...
You need to eat unhealthy foods in moderation. You shouldn't rule them out, but just keep them in moderation.
You need to move your body. Whatever way you choose to, move it. Go for a walk. Jump up and down. Join a gym. Jumping jacks + pushups. Online videos. Go for a run. Who knows? You do.
You need to be generally happy. But I am not getting into that here.
In my opinion, unhealthy can go in many different directions-- in terms of diet and exercise.
1. You are eating too much, and not working out.
To break it down, you are essentially intaking more calories then you are burning, turning those calories into fat. This will make you gain weight, slow down your metabolism, give you crappy sleep, harder breathing, and many other health complications.
2. You are eating too much, and not working out enough.
This is essentially the same as the previous one, except here you aren't working out enough and you are still eating too much. If you work out, but you still are eating a lot, nothing is going to happen. Essentially you will either gradually lose weight, maintain weight, are gradually gain weight. Depending. If you go for a 20 minute run then reward yourself with a chocolate bar, you are going to gain weight. For a person around 125-130 pounds, a 20 minute run will burn approximately 200 calories, more or less. A chocolate bar is going to be hitting upwards of 300 calories- 800 calories. Do the math.
3. You aren't eating enough and you aren't working out enough.
Depending on your body shape, this can go many ways. But in general, this is terrible. If you are not eating, you are not giving your body the nutrients it needs to function. You are going to be fatigued, unhealthy, and disrespecting your own body. If you are simply on a crash diet, diet, with no exercise, it will not work. Your body needs calories and such to process. Honestly: sometimes people who don't eat enough, GAIN weight. Your body won't be gaining any strength or endurance what-so-ever if you don't work out. Essentially your body is just trying to survive here.
4. You aren't eating enough and you are working out too much.
Again, with the unhealthy, disrespecting your body, etc., by not eating your body isn't getting the nutrients it requires to function. If you are working out too much along with not eating enough, I can almost guarantee that you will lose weight. But what is the point of being skinny if you have bags under your eyes and are too tired.
You will ALWAYS be tired, even if you sleep 10 hours. If you aren't eating enough and you are working out a lot, you are likely going to pass out often. You need calories to function.
Its like trying to run a car with barely any gas. It will try to run and function for a bit, and may break down a bit, but eventually will stop running.
You need food.
If you can learn to eat healthy, and if you can learn to exercise appropriately, you will see results. Healthy results.
I would rather be 150 pounds and exercising often, and eating healthy and feeling GREAT than be 100 pounds and eating junk food and being lazy.
Move your body. You will feel better. Feeling GOOD should be your ultimate goal. Looking good is just a bonus.
There is also a difference between being healthy and being anorexic.
I am SICK AND TIRED of people (no matter what body shape) looking at me or people with identical lifestyles of eating healthy, and thinking we are anorexic because we eat lettuce, drink milk, eat apples and blueberries. Because we eat things like quinoa and drink healthy smoothies. I am not anorexic just because I haven't eaten ice cream in over a week, because I am choosing to eat HEALTHY. That is not anorexia.
I hate when people say things like "Do you want to be a twig?". No. I do not. I want to feel good physically. To feel good physically I must eat and exercise. I am gaining weight currently. Muscle. I am losing fat slower than I am gaining muscle, but I am doing both. I do not want to be a twig.
Also, that is offensive to people who are "twigs". That is actually really offensive and I am about to be, but there are people at the gym that are probably 100 pounds, with barely any muscle. But they go to the gym. They work out. They are healthy.
Just because someone is skinny doesn't mean they are healthy. We all know that one person who can eat whatever and still be skinny. They are no healthier than the over weight person doing the same.
Back to my point. Anorexia has nothing to do with being healthy.
I hate when I hear somebody saying something like "You need an ice cream! You need a chocolate bar! You can use it!".
Oh, I can "use" taking years off my life, and I can "use" the day after feeling less energetic.
Let me tell you, let's say today I ate a chocolate bar, didn't drink enough water, had 2 ice creams and a handful of jelly beans. In addition, I had my usual healthy things I eat (apples, cereal, yogurt, etc). Tomorrow on my run, I would feel it. Hardcore. I can feel these unhealthy things in my body.
This is my lifestyle. No you don't have to eat healthy all of the time. But it certainly does help.
No, just because I will not eat that fried Mars Bar, or I don't want to skip my workout today, that doesn't mean I am anorexic. I am doing it for health purposes. It doesn't hurt to eat that mars bar or skip my workout, but actually no, it does in the long run.
How many times have you said to yourself "I really regretted that work out" and how many times have you said "I should've worked out" "I should've started this early".
Exactly.
So next time your friend or co-worker or family member or fellow member of society, chooses a head of broccoli over a hamburger, don't call them anorexic.
Thank you.
