Fitness and nutrition are not a zero-sum game.
Years ago, I made a decision to prioritize my health, fitness, and nutrition, aiming to integrate them more fully into my life. During that time, I held a “zero-sum” mindset.
Zero-sum thinking is when we assume one person’s gain equals another person’s loss, or vice versa. We often fall into this trap when deciding to make health and fitness changes.
Examples of zero-sum thinking I had related to exercise, nutrition, self-care, and mental health:
🏋️ Exercise: If I don’t exercise for a certain amount of time each day, I won’t see any benefits. If I take a day off from exercise, it will be at the expense of my progress and fitness goals.
🥦 Nutrition: In order to be healthy, I must completely eliminate all “unhealthy” foods from my diet. If I eat a dessert or indulgent meal, it will be at the expense of my overall health.
❤️ Self-care: In order to take care of myself, I must sacrifice time and energy I would otherwise use to help others. I thought that if they take time for me, it will be at the expense of my relationships and responsibilities.
🧘 Mental health: If I take medication or seek therapy for mental health, I am weak and unable to handle problems on my own. If I admit to needing help, it will be at the expense of my independence and self-sufficiency.
In each of these examples, I was operating under the assumption that there is a finite amount of resources (time, energy, willpower, etc.) and that any diversion from my “ideal” approach will lead to a net loss.
In reality, there are often multiple ways to achieve goals and take care of oneself, and it’s important to take an approach that acknowledges and addresses different needs and priorities.
Fitness and nutrition are not a zero-sum game.
Are there certain tradeoffs we may have to make? Yes, but they’re often not as extreme as we believe.
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Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Unsplash