Consequences: The Fit Life vs. The Fat Life

I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine about the consequences of our very different life styles. As I have chosen the path of wellness, fitness and mindfulness of my food choices, she has chosen the path of obesity, fast food and no exercise. In an attempt to explain myself and comfort her I had a realization, one lifestyle isn’t “right” or “wrong” because each of us have consequences from our choices.

Case in point, the “it’s hard” argument. I say it’s hard to be fit and it’s hard to be fat, you have to choose your hard. It’s hard to be fit because this lifestyle is time consuming, it’s limiting at times, it is frustrating and it is expensive but it has a big reward. It’s hard to be obese because of restraints in getting in or out of vehicles or seating, to be winded going up one flight of stairs or to have rashes form in your skin folds but the reward is you can eat what ever you want.

Being fit has no guarantees; there isn’t a waiver I signed with God that said working out five plus days a week would grant me a long healthy life. I could spend the next fifteen years at the peak of my fitness level and fall victim to a tragic accident, a homicide or it’s highly possible I could die from ALS. However, I chose this lifestyle for the quality of life I can have up until my demise.

Some people think living a life of quality means eating everything you want, drinking, smoking and not working out. If that makes you happy, that is not my place to judge but if you seek me out for my opinion (oh look you’re on my blog!) then I will tell you that you have no idea how good you are meant to feel and function.

The consequences I face from working out are (but not limited to, I’m sure I will forget something): injury, soreness, bruises, an insatiable need for Lulu, better aerobic capacity, better sleep, lower levels of stress, body fat reduction, increase in lean body mass, higher bone density, gains in strength, reduction in depression and or anxiety and a boat load of confidence. There is also a chance I could die while exercising but I could also get hit by a bus or die in my sleep, so be fair when you consider a healthy life.

The consequences faced from living a life of obesity (same disclaimer as before and being overweight does not guarantee any of these things): struggles with day-to-day balance, excessive strain on the body (muscles, bones, joints, heart, etc.), higher risk for: Diabetes, Hypertension (high blood pressure), Osteoporosis/Osteopenia (lower bone density/mass), Coronary Heart Disease or CHD (plaque formation in arteries), Restrictive Lung Disease, Metabolic Syndrome and anything unpleasant I mentioned previously.

When I look at the fit life vs. the fat life (I’ve lived the fat life) I can not understand how someone would choose obesity over fitness. Yes there was a time when I was horribly unhealthy, very overweight (BMI said I was obese), I smoked, I drank and I felt like shit. Ten years ago me wouldn’t recognize the me I am today. If you think that starting over and living a healthy life is “too late” or “too hard” or “too expensive” please, take a step back and re-evaluate your hard.