When I was child I would jump at the opportunity to indulge in treats. A popular summer activity of mine was to take a walk with my sister to the local general store and purchase a bag or two of candy, soda, and ice-cream. In consuming all these items in one day we would experience utter bliss and enjoyment of our selfishness. At the time, our metabolisms were unstoppable and the only affect it really had on us was a sugar high.
Today the story is different... My metabolism isn't the same and I would regret having one of those middle school binges I was so fond of. Now more than ever it seems there is a social media influence on what kind of female bodies are deemed "attractive." Millions of female influencers are demonstrating clean eating and their daily work out routines. Everywhere I look there are green shakes, supplements, face masks, creams, workout equipment, and pounds of chia seeds. These influences are selling us a lifestyle, and it's not an easy one at that. Dare I say selfish? Oh I just did...
These people have made health their life. From what I can see they spend hours prepping their meals, counting macros, buying expensive supplements, and working out. To maintain their body and great health it appears they are dedicating most of their daily time and energy to how they physically feel and what they look like. Is this not just as selfish as someone who can't stop at one donut and decides to take the second because they need it? Are these people neglecting other areas of their life by focusing on their physical selves so much? Instead of participating in your second yoga class of the day should you be grocery shopping for you grandma?
I believe this is a complex debate that is holds true only case by case. Of course it's okay to treat yourself on occasion and it's also great to work on being a healthier person. Why is being physically fit and healthy good? If your body is working well you have the means of being more useful, alert, agile, productive, and confident self. Someone who is a couch potato won’t be able to help out as much as they could. So there are definitely great benefits for spending a little time on your health. The question is how far is too far? It's something you will have to figure out for yourself.
I've discovered that I'm my most confident and healthy self when I get 8hrs of sleep, avoid sugary processed foods, and work out four times a week. These are goals I work towards daily. Over the summer I got really into clean eating but with that came an unhealthy focus on body image. In my opinion it's good to have a healthy maintainable medium that one can afford to uphold in their lifestyle.
Sure excessively eating too much can be selfish, but what about fretting over having a perfect six pack?
Food for thought.
So true, and I love the image you selected. It's a razor's edge between health conscious and obsessed, and much of social media preys on this.
Love this post because I find myself asking these same questions. It's so hard trying to balance being healthy physically, and still being healthy mentally...awesome post