Whenever I log onto my personal sites lately, I get a lot of ads for gay exercise sites. But they’re not really concerned about my health, it seems. Mostly, they read “Want to look at pictures of hot guys while you work out? Then join now and get an exercise routine along with an issue of ‘Men’ today!” Great going, guys. Why don’t I just hire an escort to slap me in the face with his dick while I do bench presses, too? Honestly, when I work out, I try to keep my body in the back of my head. Not literally, silly. I mean I try not to think about how my body looks while I’m lifting weights or swimming or whatever. Why?
So, I have a little secret to reveal. I had an eating disorder in high school. A bad one. Basically, I wouldn’t eat for days at a time, and then I’d finally end up bingeing on Geneva cookies from Pepperidge Farms. Damn, those are tasty. You see, I know what it feels like to have an extreme problem with my own body image as a gay male, so I know what it’s like to be hypersensitive to media pressure in terms of the body beautiful. And I also know that nutrition is one of the primary components in that quest for the ultimate beach bod. Oh god, I just sounded like an article in Cosmo.
Continuing on, I’d like to encourage any of you out there with an eating disorder to stop. Sounds easy, right? It’s not. And I know it’s not. From personal experience, I can tell you that no matter how skinny I may become, I will always see some chunkiness when I look in the mirror. It’s a symptom of an eating disorder. And there’s a reason it’s called a “disorder.” Mental filtering, image distortion, it all goes by the books. If there’s one thing I have learned from my high school period, it’s how to be healthy.
I know, it sounds rather contradictory, right? But once I hit college, I realized that there were some major problems with my life, and a good bit of it was stemming from my eating and exercise habits. I was tired, depressed, and just…well, shitty. Then I started to make some changes here and there, progressing gradually to the amazingly happy (most of the time) person that I am today.
Yes, this has all been a “me, me, me” post so far, so let’s get to the part where I give you the advice, and you (hopefully) at least listen to it. So today’s advice column is not about how to be pro-ano or pro-mia as the title may suggest; instead, it is a post about how to go about getting your eating and exercise on track in a healthy way. I’ve decided that since I’ve been using too many numbered lists, I’d just do a bulleted Do’s and Don’t’s (that’s not a word, huh?) list for healthy living.
DO
Do pick up good eating habits and incorporate them into your life slowly. I’m not saying that you should decrease your calorie consumption or eat celery because it burns more calories than it contains (which is not true, by the way). What I’m saying is that in order to be healthy, you should make certain changes to your intake that are healthier. This means eating whole wheat bread instead of white bread (same goes for pastas), getting at least a few fruits and vegetables in your day, and eating enough that you’re able to maintain your energy levels.
Do take a multivitamin. While this little pill will provide several nutrients that you may miss out on during the day, keep in mind that it is a supplement. That means that it is supposed to supplement your diet. Your primary source of vitamins and minerals should still be food.
Do start exercising. Whether it’s taking a walk in the evening after dinner or running a marathon once every few years, exercise is great for you and will make you feel great. Personally, I do ballet and swimming, and even though I’m not that talented at either one of them, I still come out of those classes feeling a little bit brighter for the rest of the day.
Do check with your physician or healthcare provider before doing any strenuous exercise or before picking up an exercise regimen in general.
Do find a fantastic group of people to support you. This is crucial. If I didn’t have a fantastic swim group working with me, I wouldn’t be able to finish a single lap, but their encouragement really pushes me to try to succeed.
Do lift weights. Even if you’re a female, lifting weights benefits you. And, no, you will not ever get bulky unless you decide to take steroids. In which case…I’m hoping you expected to get bulky? Lifting weights, while not necessary for good overall health, does improve the strength of bones, which is always good for preventing major injury.
Do find a form of cardio that appeals to you. I don’t do running because it can cause major joint damage later on, but I do walk regularly, and swimming is a fun no-impact form of cardio. Cycling is awesome, and it gives you an excuse to spend time with the kids, and possibly instilling in them that exercise for fun and for health is more important than exercise for image.
DON’T
Don’t fear carbs. Seriously, a well-balanced diet is composed of proteins, fats, and carbs. Yes, I said that fats and carbs are good for you. Just make sure that you’re getting the right ones. A bunch of fats with high cholesterol levels probably won’t benefit you much unless you’re ingesting HDL cholesterol which helps to rid the body of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Good forms of fats include extra virgin olive oil, peanut oil, peanut butter, canola oil, and nuts, all of which have high amounts of unsaturated (“good”) fats. Good carb sources are, of course, fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
Don’t join a gym where the trainers throw cupcakes at you and call you fat. This isn’t going to make you enjoy the fitness portion of your life at all. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’ll contribute to a learned aversion to exercise.
Don’t diet. As cliched as it sounds, diets don’t work. A change is lifestyle is necessary for permanent good health, and that only comes with gradual immersion. You’re not going to wake up and suddenly be in perfect health with fabulous abs. Well, not unless you’re Tobey Maguire in “Spiderman.” Take it slow, make your changes stick, and you’re much more likely to be healthy for a longer time.
Don’t make yourself sick. Take a break every once in a while if you need one. Just remember that your break should have an end, and you need to get back in that proverbial saddle. Don’t give up, but do give yourself time to adjust. Otherwise you’ll burn out within the first week.
Don’t let others define your reasons for working out or eating healthier. If you want a six pack or if you want to lose weight or if you want to be the longest-living person on earth barring any unfortunate incidents involving falling pianos, then those are YOUR reasons for doing this. Just remember to do it for yourself and not for others.
Okay, so I’m sorry if all of this sounds really preachy. But body image is one of my big “things.” And since I don’t have an actual big thing, I needed to get one. Oh! Maybe we can discuss penile extension surgery next time! Woot!
