Choose Happiness Over the Perfect Body

Getting healthy and in shape is something that everyone should strive for. Getting your weight under control, and living life in a way that you have the energy and ability to do the things you want is great. Strive to get yourself to a healthy weight that will lead to a longer life and let you spend more quality time with your kids. However, do not go overboard with it, and do not suffer because you are trying too hard.

Too often, people equate their self worth with their outer looks. The world likes to push this falsehood on us, and it’s easy to accept. We think that we have to look a certain way in order to be truly worth the most. Your self worth is not tied to how you look. You need to realize that getting in shape is about living a healthy lifestyle, not to look like a supermodel or bodybuilder as seen on the internet.

Whatever look you imagine for yourself, simply be careful if you’re pushing towards it. Having a six-pack or flat stomach isn’t the most important thing in this life - realize that you have a family that wants you to be healthy and happy. Just because you’d like to look a certain way doesn’t mean that you should sacrifice your happiness now for it. Get to a healthy place, and then slowly work towards your imagined body.

A lot of the bodies and images that you see online aren’t real - those people don’t look like that simply from eating and working out. Many of those looks come from taking PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs) and surgery. They don’t tell you those things though - they tell you it’s all the hard work and healthy diet that got them to where they are. They don’t tell you the whole truth of their actual look.

The reason that they don’t tell you about the drugs they’re taking or the surgery is for money - they make money by selling you their merchandise or through sponsorships. They’re keeping secrets to get rich. Making money is understandable, and it makes sense why they want to make more. Unfortunately, the secrecy around getting to such a body is dangerous for those not taking those measures.

Don’t overdo your diet or training to try to attain the body you want. Don’t take things to the extreme - don’t eat so few calories or workout for way more hours than you have time for to try to get a body that you want. Things will only be worse for you in the long run if you do. Eat healthy, and work out for a reasonable amount of time, but don’t overdo it. Make sure that you’re keeping realistic goals.

Your family wants you around for a long time, and they want you to be able to function in your daily duties. If you're so famished from not eating, or you’re so exhausted from your workouts, you’re not fun to be around. You are not performing your parental and familial duties to the best of your ability. Focus on what’s really important and aim for a healthy and realistic goal - you’ll be far happier if you do.

Don’t overdo your diet and training. Keep your goals realistic. In the long run, you’ll be far happier if you do.