How hard does it have to be?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-15-2004
How hard does it have to be?
4
Wed, 04-27-2005 - 10:40am

This question/topic is inspired by one of the previous posts regarding diet/exercise and how complicated everything has to be. There are a couple of other fitness forums that I read and participate on and the level of detail that these people put into their diets and exercise programs blows my mind. They keep elaborate spreadsheets to track their macros and use complicated ratios to make the maximum gains from lifting. My question is... does it really need to be this complicated?

I am certainly not knocking anyone for being so meticulous but I think for the average person (even a gymrat), it's just too much. I do my best to eat lots of fruits and veggies and get a decent amount of protein along the way. I exercise in a way that challenges my body but it's not always planned out. I am always trying new things and my strength training sessions are never the same. You will never see me doing ANY kind of math that relates to my strength training. :) (I hate math.)

The people on these forums are very results-oriented and while that's absolutely respectable, I think it can be discouraging for newcomers to read those sorts of things and think, "Wow. I need to track every morsel I eat on an excel spreadsheet to make sure my macros are sufficient." Who could blame someone for getting discouraged and giving up?

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-31-2003
Wed, 04-27-2005 - 10:52am
I can totally relate to that. I think it just depends on your personality type. Some of us just aren't that meticulous and never will be. It's like some of the runners I know. I have friends who carefully log each run they do -- the shoes they wore, the weather conditions, how they felt during the run, and the exact distance. Then you have people like me, who just dash out the door whenever we get the chance, and never write anything down. I don't believe that careful tracking makes a person more successful, unless that person is just predisposed to doing that sort of thing. But it's just not me. :-)
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-01-2003
Wed, 04-27-2005 - 11:23am
I agree. A lot of it does have to do with personality types and goals. Another part of it is the company you keep. If everyone else is charting, calculating, and measuring, then you may put pressure on yourself to do the same thing. No, for one person to reach his/her goal, then the charting may not be necessary. But if another person has the goal of perfection, then it's probably necessary to keep track of a lot of things. And if the only exposure to healthy living that you have are the ultra-athletes, then it's very easy to be turned off and think that being healthy is too complicated.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Wed, 04-27-2005 - 12:14pm
Hi!





iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Wed, 04-27-2005 - 12:16pm
I agree that it depends on personality. In terms of functional fitness and lifestyle, it would be overkill.