I used to do Krav Maga five days a week. After I moved, I worked out for five days a week. But I eventually realized that this wasn't sustainable for several reasons:
- I wasn't giving my body time to rest.
- I was hungry all the time.
- I developed an unhealthy relationship with food. I'd count calories obsessively and work out to punish myself for consuming too many.
In the end, though, I'm glad I went through that phase because now I can recognize and avoid unhealthy ways of thinking about food and exercise. I learned that more activity isn't necessarily better activity.
Now, I go to the gym when I feel like I have extra energy, and I focus on activities that I enjoy. I work out to feel good, not to look good.
In the end, everything I do is about making sure that my body feels as good as it can feel. I stay active in a way that's both enjoyable and sustainable. I eat that way, too.
I fully believe that fast food can be part of a healthy lifestyle in the way that cereal can be part of a complete breakfast — in careful moderation and supplemented by exercise and other more nutritious plant-based foods.