Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Too Sexy for Fitness

Seems like everywhere I look there are incredibly seductive adds that make your eyes pop out of your head, your heart race, and stop men in their tracks and drool. I'm not talking about a Victoria's Secret infomercial. I'm talking about the endless barrage of fat-oozing mouthwatering bacon triple burgers, fries, chimichangas, and flaming everything elses that bombard us from every angle from the minute we wake up until the minute we try to close our eyes with visions cinnabons dancing over our beds! Admit it, the only word to describe these adds and their approach is "sexy". They penetrate all our outer defenses and strike right at the nerve centers of survival, pleasure and comfort. Let's not forget self esteem either. After all if you're a real man you're supposed to stuff your face with sausage and buffalo wings on Sunday ( or Saturday if you like College football!) and then saturate yourself with gallons of beer to fill in the blank spaces in your stomach in case the pounds of fat you've gobbled at the speed of sound have left any air pockets. 

What about you ladies? You've had a hard day and definitely need a mocha latte grande with whipped cream and some extra caramel drizzle to go with your toasted buttered scone on your way home from picking up a double stuffed double crust pizza with extra cheese and pepperoni. 

Hey, this is what America is all about! The land of plenty and, hey, what's wrong with treating yourself? Lighten up!

Sort of reminds me of the casino joke: they stuff you full with a $6 buffet take your money then drop you out the back door with a hangover. 

I don't begrudge anyone trying to promote their businesses. Companies have every right to sell their products and let the buyers beware. After a while, though, the hype and the pitch starts to actually sound like truth, and many over the years have become iconic symbols of affluence and the prosperity of our country. 

...But it's going to leave us with an enormous hangover.

So, how do I propose we can resist temptation in the face of such sensual marketing shenanigans? Well, let's take a page out their book. 

First: What's sexier than a burger that lasts 5 minutes in your hand and a lifetime on your belly? How about one of the hundreds of excellent recipes from the Beachbody website or many others that allow you to enjoy tasty foods in large quantities without the morning after guilt? This is 2010 for Pete's sake! Log on, and you'll see incredible recipes that aren't that hard to prepare and not that expensive considering the benefit.

Second: What's sexier than 18 consecutive hours in a comfy chair in front a wide screen? How about getting your kids or your friends to join you in a game of Frisbee or football outside, or 9 holes of golf, or a Kenpo workout, or maybe even an Ashtanga Yoga series followed by a walk to the nearest park?

Finally: What's sexier than a ripped/ toned spokesperson trying to convince you to celebrate with them and join the party? 

HOW ABOUT BEING A RIPPED/ TONED PERSON YOURSELF!!

Ok, it's not Madison Avenue caliber, but you have to admit that unless people begin to see the subtle (maybe not so subtle) conditioning we are being subjected to, generations will be lost to a new model of what it means to be an "average American", and the price tag will be enormous. We need to encourage each other to resist the trend towards immediate or impulsive or temporary "satisfaction" at all cost and take a longer view of where we are going and how we can get there. 

Don't end up physically broke and out in the cold after a lifetime of empty calories and being a spectator! What will you be left with after the sexy adds have done their work on you?

Call your best friend, get your sneakers on, and get in the game.

Now THAT'S something too sexy to resist!

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