Not necessarily. Hard core training is catabolic in nature so being fit doesn’t guarantee wellness. It stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which releases glucocorticoids (i.e. cortisol) and actually promotes the storage of fat. Eating foods our bodies don’t recognize to utilize can cause cravings and inflammation.
Overconsumption of carbohydrates, whether or not they are simple, complex, conventional, or organic prompt the pancreas to release insulin to clear the blood of the excess carbs the body can’t use. Insulin’s only job is to make and store fat. When insulin goes up, cortisol and estrogen do too. The more estrogen dominant you are, the harder it is to lose fat. These are three powerful hormones that we simply don’t want too much of in our bodies.
When fitness enthusiasts and their trainers are stumped by a client’s inability to lose fat, the immediate tactic is to cut calories and increase the levels of cardiovascular exercise. To their collective dismay, more fat is layered on. So more calories are slashed, aerobic exercise is increased, but fat stubbornly stays.
The message being sent to the body is that it’s in a crisis state of starvation coupled with increased activity. “I’m dying!” is what it’s trying to tell the brain of these misinformed, mislead bodies. “Stop running around, feed me plenty of nutritious calories that contain the fats and amino acids I need for protein synthesis, drink pure water, and REST!” We are still ancient survival machines; this input is telling the body to eat the muscle and store the fat for survival.
And we simply aren’t listening.
Not only are we turning a deaf ear to the wisdom within our cells, in the ridiculous quest for ripped rectus abdominus, bulging biceps, chiseled chests and flashy flanks, we have forgotten what happens when the flexors of the spine are over-trained to obtain that look.
With each and every step during an hour long run, for instance, seven to ten times our body weight is jarred through every single joint in our bodies. That’s OK if all systems are operating optimally on an upright, functional spine. I weigh 175 pounds at 21 percent body fat. I have a high performing inner unit in spite of three ruptured discs and a spine thickened with arthritis (which, by the way hardly inconveniences me because I don’t follow popular protocol to be “fit”).
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