 We will seek the right dose of exercise today The Myth of ModerationEverything in moderation," is something I hear everyday and it makes me crazy. This ridiculous and illogical saying has gained traction in our culture of, "I deserve it," and today I'm calling bullshit on the myth of moderation.
The problem with "everything in moderation," is that it's a moving target. There is no objective, one size fits all, definitive Moderation. What we consider moderate today, while we're 15 days into our 75 (Not so) Hard, taking names, just crushed our workout, and doing our 75 push-ups a day, Thank-You-Very-Much is VASTLY different than what we will consider moderate in just a few weeks from now, in that last week of December between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Right? Think about that for a moment. If there wasn't a huge cavernous span in our decision between what's moderate now versus January 30th, we wouldn't need to be doing, yet another, cleanse, or fast, or diet for the New Year. "Everything in moderation," is a LIE that we tell ourselves to justify a decision we know is not moving us toward our goal. It is the justification we use to allow ourselves to eat the thing, drink the drink, take the days off from the gym, and do whatever we want to do right now, "'Cause YOLO." This simple lie enables us to dodge discipline, avoid accountability, and trick ourselves out of temperance. It is also used by other people to pressure us into a behavior that makes THEM feel better. Far too any times have I been pressured by friends, co-workers, and family to eat the cookies, cakes, pies, candy, etc., because it makes them feel better to see me do it. Why? Because my discipline makes people uncomfortable. Our actions and decisions often are a mirror for the people around us. So many times have I seen people wrestle with the consequences of their decisions once they see me stand-firm with mine. Our culture resolutely accepts that moderation does not work for an alcoholic. Rarely do you see people pressuring sober folks into having "just one, because everything in moderation, yo." Why do we not afford this same consideration to people who don't want to eat sugar? Or grains? Or meat? Or anything else about which they have personally decided that abstinence is their moderation? Everything in moderation is a myth because some things, even in moderation, will kill you. Everything in moderation is a myth because some things we need in more than moderate amounts, like 78% nitrogen and some in less than moderate amounts, like 21% oxygen. Everything in moderation is a myth because some things we want to achieve, i.e. our goals, require discipline. Everything in moderation is a myth that keeps us bound to the hell of our own status quo.
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 Today is our last heavy day until Podium Week! LFG!! Myth: Winter Holiday Weight Gain is InevitableThanksgiving starts the 6 weeks winter holiday eating season. You don't have to gain weight this year. Weight gain is OPTIONAL, and to opt out successfully you need a plan. If you really want to avoid gaining weight this winter, you MUST have a plan. Failure to make a plan is planning to fail. Or, in this case, planning to gain. What does a plan look like? It's includes knowing ahead of time how you will respond to predictable situations. For example: Do you know how you will politely say no when your mom offers you a third slice of pie? Do you know how you will navigate your fourth holiday party of the weekend without consuming your 15th alcoholic drink in 2 days? How will you eat the rest of the week after a weekend bender of egg nog and Christmas cookies? How much water should you drink? How much protein should you eat? Lucky for us all, Working Against Gravity has published a holiday survival guide. You don't need to eat every single holiday cookie to enjoy the season, nor do you need to keep a bag of baby carrots hanging around your neck. You can have your fruit cake and eat it, too. The WAG guide will show you how. The winter holidays are fun and stressful. This year why not create a plan that will help you navigate the churning seas of eggnog and pumpkin pie? The smart folks at Renaissance Periodization also have a good article on navigating the holiday eating season. Here are the key takeaways from RP. What’s Your Holiday Game Plan?   Matt gets strong overhead Myth: Rest is the Same as RecoveryEvery Sunday is a rest day from the gym. We encourage everyone to take it easy, get outside and play, and take a nap. While a rest day is super important to prevent over-training, rest alone is not enough in an effective recovery program. CrossFit is the sport of fitness, meaning it is more than just an exercise program, it is a sport in its own right. Ask any athlete about rest vs. recovery and they'll tell you rest is the absence of of effort, movement or exertion, while recovery is a set of specific actions that aid the body, mind and spirit in recuperating from current training and prepares us for our next training session. We all have heard about the deleterious affects of over-training, e.g. fatigue, weight gain, performance decline, sleep disruption, pain, and a lack of excitement for training. In reality, over-training is really under-recovering. The folks at Whole9 Life describe recovery as, "the restorative process by which you regain a state of 'normalcy'; health and balance. (If your 'normal' is not 'healthy,' perhaps you should spend some time considering that.) Are you actively and deliberately recovering from your CrossFit workouts, competitions, and other physically stressful events? Answer these 10 questions from the Whole9 Life folks to see if you're under-recovered from your CrossFit workouts.
10/14 Myth Busting Monday - How to Think Critically About Things You See on the Internet...10/13/2024  It's not a myth, exercise keeps you healthy as you age. ...or, How to Spot Bullshit.It's Myth Busting Monday and I'm exploring how to wade through mis-information and silly bullshit so that you can critically explore the newest magic tonic, shake, or elixir that your Facebook friend is trying to sell you. This week I want to share the 9 most common sales tactics quacks and charlatans use to get you to buy their magic cure. Do not be fooled. The Supplement industry is BIG BUSINESS. In 2021, the global supplement industry was worth 152 BILLION dollars. It has absolutely no quality control nor third party oversight. Unlike regulated pharmaceuticals, supplement companies have no obligation of testing for safety or efficacy. Literally anyone can make a miracle balm, salve, tonic, powder, or pill and sell it to you using all the language shown in the graphic below and it is not against any law. I think you, and I, deserve better. I think we deserve to know if the magic miracle balm, salve, tonic, powder, or pill actually works. Fortunately for us, we do have some resources so we can "do our own research" and we can use our fantastic critical thinking skills. Thinking is Power is one such resource. It's a project develop by a science educator at a Massachusetts community college to help her students learn science literacy, critical thinking, and information literacy. Having been a science educator myself, I appreciate what Thinking is Power is doing. Here is great information on the sales tactics used by many supplement companies. Do you recognize this type of wording and language? I've seen it on almost everything sold by quacks and charlatans. The graphic graphic below specifically uses 9 tactics to sell you their miracle cure. Can you identify them?  Click on the image to learn how to spot silly bullshit How many did you identify? I'm sure all of us have seen products with one if not all of these claims. Here's a rundown of all 9 tactics for bamboozlement and swindling. 1. They ask you to commit - "Try it for 30 days free!" Critical thinking skills are fundamental to being able to successfully navigate life and not fall prey to charlatans, quacks and snake-oil salespeople. Want me to explore a myth? Suggest one in the comments.
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