When 'Clean Eating' Becomes Unhealthy

Summary

The video script narrates a personal journey of an individual who, initially motivated by a desire to gain strength and confidence, becomes engrossed in the world of fitness and bodybuilding. Starting with a basic workout routine, the individual progressively adopts more extreme measures to achieve a muscular physique, influenced by social media and the portrayal of idealized body types. This obsession leads to the development of orthorexia, an unhealthy fixation on 'healthy' eating, causing a significant impact on the person's physical health and social life. The narrative underscores the importance of moderation, self-awareness, and the dangers of comparing oneself to others or unrealistic standards. It concludes with a call for a balanced approach to fitness and nutrition, advocating for the enjoyment of the process rather than the pursuit of an unattainable ideal.

Takeaways

• 🏃‍♂️ The individual started with a passion for sports like karate and football, seeking structure and control rather than the sedentary nature of video games.
• 💪 Becoming more conscious of his physique led to a desire to gain muscle, influenced by online personalities and societal perceptions of body image.
• 🚫 The pursuit of an ideal body led to unhealthy comparisons and an obsession with gaining muscle, which overshadowed other aspects of life.
• 📈 Initially, progress was made by following a teen workout video and doubling the number of push-ups, but this was followed by an unhealthy fixation on body transformation.
• 🍗 The individual began to follow extreme diets, cutting out entire food groups and focusing on consuming large amounts of protein, leading to orthorexia.
• 🔥 There was a period of unsustainable practices, such as eating food just to spit it out, and using an electric shock as a deterrent to cheating on the treadmill.
• 😓 Despite physical setbacks like shin splints and fatigue, the individual continued to push themselves, mistaking the negative effects of overtraining for dedication.
• 🚫 The individual realized the negative impact of comparing oneself to others, especially those who may be using enhancements or not being honest about their practices.
• 📉 A shift in mindset from exclusion of certain foods to focusing on nutrient-dense foods was needed to achieve a balanced diet.
• 🧠 The importance of science-based advice and professional help was highlighted as a way to avoid falling into the trap of unhealthy and unrealistic body standards.
• 🌟 The individual advocates for a balanced approach to fitness and nutrition, emphasizing that health and fitness should be enjoyable and not detrimental to one's well-being.
• ⚖️ The message concludes with a reminder that moderation is key, and that even health can become unhealthy if taken to an extreme.

Q & A

Why did the author initially start exercising?

The author started exercising at a young age due to a desire for structure and control, which he found in sports like karate and football.

What led the author to change his perspective on his body image?

The author became more conscious of his thinness as he grew older and started receiving passing comments, which motivated him to become stronger.

Who influenced the author to start weight training?

A guy named Scooby on YouTube influenced the author to start weight training with a teen workout video for ages 10 to 17.

What was the turning point that led the author to become obsessed with gaining muscle?

The turning point was when the author saw a series of images on Instagram that portrayed long-distance runners as sickly and cyclists as praiseworthy, which led him to a bodybuilding forum.

How did the author's approach to fitness change over time?

The author's approach to fitness became more extreme, focusing on gaining muscle rapidly by following various fitness YouTubers, adopting restrictive diets, and incorporating fad diets.

What was the author's initial diet strategy?

The author's initial diet strategy was to consume high amounts of protein, minimize fats and carbs, and exclude foods considered unhealthy, like bananas and white bread.

What were some of the unhealthy habits the author developed?

The author developed habits such as wearing ankle weights around the house, missing social events to avoid bad food, and even attempting to eat food for taste and then spitting it out.

How did the author's performance in sports and his health suffer due to his extreme fitness routine?

The author's running speed dropped, he experienced shin splints, colds, sleep trouble, severe fatigue, and increasingly poor performance in all sports due to his extreme fitness routine.

What realization led the author to change his approach to fitness and diet?

The author realized that his initial goal of gaining confidence and a sense of routine had turned into an obsession that was controlling him entirely, and that he had developed orthorexia.

What advice does the author give to others who might be experiencing similar issues?

The author advises against comparing oneself to others, focusing on unrealistic perfection, and following unsustainable diets. He recommends seeking professional help if needed, and following science-based advice.

What is the author's current approach to fitness and health?

The author's current approach involves enjoying a mix of running, strength training, and MMA, while following more experienced fitness channels and considering the relativity of health and fitness goals.

How does the author define 'body positivity' in the context of fitness?

The author defines 'body positivity' as taking care of one's fitness, which includes a balanced approach to health and fitness without obsessing over an unattainable physique.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♂️ The Journey to Gaining Muscle and Overcoming Insecurities

The speaker, at 14 years old and weighing 49 kilograms, was very active but felt extremely skinny. Initially engaged in sports like karate and football, they sought structure and control through physical activity. However, as they grew older, the desire to appear less skinny led them to follow workout routines from a YouTuber named Scooby. Despite initial progress, exposure to images and comments on social media about the appearance of athletes influenced their perception of body image. This led to an obsession with gaining muscle, which they believed would solve their lack of confidence. The narrative details the speaker's transition from a balanced approach to an extreme fitness regimen, influenced by social media and unrealistic body standards.

05:03

🍽️ The Downfall of Orthorexia and the Struggle with Unrealistic Dietary Goals

The speaker describes how their pursuit of an ideal body led to orthorexia, an unhealthy obsession with 'healthy' eating. Initially, they attempted to improve their diet by eliminating certain foods and focusing on high-protein meals. This extreme dietary approach led to binge eating and feelings of guilt. The speaker also incorporated additional weight training and avoided social events to maintain their fitness routine. Despite these efforts, they experienced physical setbacks like shin splints, colds, and sleep troubles. The narrative highlights the speaker's realization that their dedication to fitness had turned into an unhealthy obsession, leading to a decline in their overall well-being.

10:04

🚫 The Misguided Beliefs About Diet and the Importance of a Balanced Approach

The speaker discusses the misconceptions about diet and health, emphasizing that no food is inherently bad and that moderation is key. They reflect on their past mistakes, including comparing themselves to others and excluding certain foods based on misleading information. The narrative points out the unrealistic expectations set by influencers and Hollywood actors, who often follow unsustainable diets for short-term goals. The speaker also addresses the issue of orthorexia in men, which is often overlooked but can affect anyone. They share their personal journey towards a more balanced approach to health and fitness, advocating for science-based advice and professional help when needed.

15:06

🏃‍♂️ Embracing a Balanced Lifestyle and the Role of Fitness in Body Positivity

In the final paragraph, the speaker stresses the importance of a balanced lifestyle and the role of fitness in body positivity. They clarify that being a fitness enthusiast and being body positive are not mutually exclusive. The speaker encourages viewers not to follow extreme diets or fitness routines just because they are promoted by celebrities or influencers. They suggest that everyone should find a fitness routine and diet that works for them personally, and that they enjoy. The narrative concludes with a recommendation for further reading on sports nutrition and a reminder that maintaining health is a lifelong commitment that requires moderation and balance.

Keywords

💡Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding is the sport of developing one's musculature for aesthetic purposes, often with a focus on size, symmetry, and proportion. In the video, the speaker discusses their journey into bodybuilding as a means to gain muscle and confidence, which eventually led to an unhealthy obsession.

💡Orthorexia

Orthorexia is an eating disorder characterized by an unhealthy obsession with healthy or 'clean' eating. The speaker developed orthorexia after becoming overly fixated on consuming only nutrient-dense foods and excluding others, which negatively impacted their health and well-being.

💡Social Media Influence

Social media influence refers to the impact that social media personalities can have on their followers' behaviors and attitudes. The video describes how the speaker was influenced by fitness YouTubers and Instagram posts, leading to extreme and unhealthy behaviors in pursuit of an idealized body image.

💡Diet Fads

Diet fads are short-lived, sensational, or unproven weight-loss diets that promise quick results. The speaker tried numerous diet fads, believing each new one to be superior, which contributed to their unhealthy relationship with food and exercise.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability in the context of fitness and health refers to maintaining a routine or lifestyle that can be continued long-term without negative consequences. The video emphasizes the importance of sustainable practices over the quick-fix approaches that the speaker initially pursued.

💡Genetic Variation

Genetic variation is the natural differences in genes among individuals. The speaker mentions that they compared themselves to others without considering genetic variation, which can significantly influence one's ability to gain muscle or achieve certain body types.

💡Performance in Sports

Performance in sports refers to an individual's ability and achievements in a physical activity. The speaker's extreme focus on bodybuilding negatively affected their performance in sports like running and karate, illustrating the adverse effects of an unhealthy focus on appearance over function.

💡Eating Disorder

An eating disorder is a mental health condition characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits. The video discusses the speaker's development of an eating disorder as a result of their unhealthy relationship with food and body image.

💡Moderation

Moderation is the concept of maintaining a balanced approach, particularly in relation to food and exercise. The video concludes with a message about the importance of moderation, advocating for a balanced lifestyle that supports both health and well-being.

💡Professional Help

Professional help refers to seeking assistance from experts, such as doctors, therapists, or dietitians, to address health concerns. The speaker recommends seeking professional help for those struggling with eating disorders or unhealthy body image issues.

💡Fitness Enthusiast

A fitness enthusiast is someone who is passionate about physical fitness and engaging in activities to maintain or improve their health and well-being. The video clarifies that being a fitness enthusiast is not contradictory to being body positive, and that caring for one's fitness can be a body-positive act.

Highlights

At 14 years old and 49 kilograms, the individual was very active but extremely skinny, which motivated them to get stronger.

Engaged in karate and football regularly, appreciating the structure and control these sports provided.

Began following a teen workout video by Scooby on YouTube, which led to quick progress in push-ups.

Influenced by social media, started to focus on gaining muscle to combat perceived negative comments about being skinny.

Developed an obsession with bodybuilding forums and unrealistic body transformations, leading to an unhealthy mindset.

Followed fitness YouTubers and mimicked their routines and diets, which were both poor in quality.

Struggled with consistency and began to study extreme diets, leading to a restrictive eating pattern.

Started to modify meals to be extremely high in protein and low in carbs and fats, even resorting to a tuna protein shake.

Experienced binge eating episodes, feeling guilty and awful afterward, indicating disordered eating.

Added weights to school bag and wore ankle weights at home, further indicating an unhealthy fixation on fitness.

Missed social events to avoid exposure to 'bad' food and the guilt associated with not training.

Developed shin splints, colds, sleep trouble, and severe fatigue due to extreme fitness routines.

Regretted the sacrifices made in other areas of life for the sake of getting leaner.

Realized the importance of sustainable fitness practices after the fitness icons they followed were called out.

Developed orthorexia, an eating disorder characterized by an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating.

Learned the hard way about the importance of moderation and not comparing oneself to others in fitness.

Advocates for a balanced approach to fitness and nutrition, and against the glorification of unattainable physiques.

Suggests that anyone struggling with similar issues should seek professional help and educate themselves with science-based advice.

Recommends Rini McGregor's book and the muscle and strength pyramid for comprehensive information on sports nutrition.

Stresses that being a fitness enthusiast and being body positive are not mutually exclusive.

Reminds viewers that just because someone is famous doesn't mean their health practices are right for everyone.

Transcripts

why do people not go to vidium to me the

reason for going was obvious

I was 14 years old and 49 kilograms very

active but extremely skinny and I didn't

used to mine much because that's simply

how it should be for the sports I did

around most days the karate two to three

times a week and then football twice a

week for most of my childhood

I really like the feeling of structure

and control that I gave me which you

couldn't get from video games it was

always nice to have a sport to look

forward to when sat in the back of a

boring English lesson but this slowly

began to change as I got older and

naturally became more conscious of just

how skinny I was you see when you're

thin you don't tend to get brutally

bullied for that alone it's more just

the passing comments which still

provided enough of a motive for me to

try and get a bit stronger so as

instructed by a guy named Scooby on

YouTube I began doing some basic

exercises this was a teen workout video

for people ages 10 to 17. I doubled my

push-ups pretty quickly and everything

was progressing fine until I remember

seeing a series of images which changed

everything

there were a few likely but from the

comments on Instagram the message was

clear people were focused on how sickly

the long distance Runners looked while

the cyclists were praised I could just

imagine myself being in one of those

photos when I was older I didn't realize

this is what adults fought so out of

curiosity I investigated further and

found other similar images which brought

me to a weird part of the bodybuilding

Forum it was basically Jim Facebook on

each profile you could see their age

stats and how much they can lift in some

of the conversations there were guys in

their twenties complaining about only

being able to bench 225 pounds talking

about things like how you should only be

allowed to wear a vest if you're over

200 pounds and lean meanwhile I could

barely bench press the bar even though I

gained a bit of muscle with Scooby I

became hyper aware of how I looked and

felt skinnier than ever I fully now

believed that the reason for my lack of

confidence was because I was skinny and

as soon solution to all my problems was

to gain muscle and I really latched on

to this idea the way that adults spoke

about it was like a pack of wolves you

were either a skinny unsuccessful beta

or a successful muscular Alpha and most

of this was determined by your

appearance and as much as Scooby's slow

and steady advice made sense his talks

about sustainability and realistic

expectations I now thought he was being

too cautious as older people tend to be

gaining muscle is an extremely slow

process besides that were all of these

insane body Transmissions popping up on

social media where teenagers would go

from extremely skinny to almost a

different person that's what I wanted so

I began following as many as possible

every channel I watched on YouTube was

now Fitness based and I was ready to go

for my goal as if my life depended on it

and after the memorably painful

experience of recording myself for the

first time I was ready to begin the

journey

thank you

[Music]

after what I thought was good research I

came up with this which was to be my

first routine while it's questionable I

still got results apparently noticeable

results I still couldn't tell if people

were being sarcastic at this point but

it motivated me to become more

consistent with weight training I

reduced the running and followed more

sensible programs the more compliments

and positive feedback I got the more I

was motivated to become more strict with

my routine my strategy for trying to

ensure optimal progress was simple I'd

research the people who had completed

these body Transformations work out a

time frame they achieved their results

and then try and match them myself the

main people I'd follow were a group of

three to four Fitness YouTubers they all

knew each other got great results and

didn't look like a naturally giant

bodybuilders that was all I needed

and this method actually seemed to work

for about a year which is when I began

struggling to keep up despite the fact

that their sleep and diet were both

notoriously poor which confused me

anyway still desperate to keep up I

began studying celebrity diets

bodybuilder diets and anyone who gained

muscle extremely quickly chicken

fish

maybe steak always protein six times a

day protein

steamed vegetables and occasionally some

brown rice or something like that and

just like that no alcohol no sugar

pretty not pretty much nothing that's

fun then I'd watch loads of those foods

to avoid videos in attempt to clean up

my diet as much as possible today we're

going to go over those foods that you

think are healthy that I'm going to show

you today are actually making you fat

every time I felt I was struggling to

keep up we felt I looked skinny and out

of proportion I'd improve my routine a

little more or try the next fad after

many iterations I was eating so clean

that I couldn't chew the kind of plain

tuna which I was supposed to eat as my

meal so I did what an insane person

would do

or used to be a healthy meal consisting

of a tuna sandwich and banana was now a

tuna protein shake because fructose high

carb foods and mayonnaise were all foods

which are considered bad and I tried to

make a lot of my meals in this way

consisting of as much protein as

possible while minimizing the fat and

the carbs but then there were other days

where I'd break and end up binge eating

random things such as an entire loaf of

bread feeling awful for the rest of the

week because of it the meals are cooked

by my parents we'll go from this to this

after I've been the bad parts my gym

routine never felt enough so I began

adding weights to my school bag and

wearing ankle weights around the house

I'd frequently Miss social events to

avoid being around bad food and the

guilty feeling I got from not training

when I was 16 I remember one of the

YouTubers I watched began eating food

for the taste and then spitting it out

and I genuinely thought that that was a

good idea and these unhealthy short-term

habits just kept adding up as a result

of all of this my running speed slowly

began to drop I'd sometimes have to

cheat and hold on to the sides of the

treadmill until one day after placing my

t-shirt on the top of the treadmill it

generated enough status tick to give me

an electric shock so for all future runs

I'd put a t-shirt in the same place to

stop me from cheating and holding on

now you would have liked to afford that

I'd realize things were going too far at

the point where I'm chugging tuna and

electrifying my treadmill

but no in fact despite always having

shin splints colds sleep trouble severe

fatigue and increasingly poor

performance in all sports I didn't see a

problem I just needed to push through it

this was simply the price of dedication

I was now 17 and over the last three

years I'd play such an importance on

getting lean that all other aspects of

my life were sacrificed which I very

much regret what's more is I could have

achieved better results following a more

sustainable lifestyle unfortunately I

only realize this when the people I

watched started being called out for

being probable fake Naturals as their

strength suddenly shot up an insane

amount it no longer fell by the

competition that I created in my head

was there I took a step back and

realized that what had started out as an

attempt to gain confidence something I

used to have a sense of routine and

control was now controlling me entirely

even at this point I felt skinny fat I

wasn't even close to some of the people

I was following despite getting into

what I should have recognized is good

shape for a 17 year old getting my black

belt in karate and doing well at school

I still felt like a massive failure the

worst thing was I was seen as healthy

and is extremely hard to change anything

because it literally felt like part of

my identity even my general doctor said

I was healthy as everyone thought I was

but I'd never felt worse

hopefully you spotted a few problems

before I did while a lot of these

behaviors probably seem odd you have to

understand I was quite young had a lack

of self-awareness and developed an

eating disorder known as orthorexia

which is essentially an unhealthy

obsession with health and I experienced

most of the negative effects

I made so many mistakes the first being

that I was comparing myself to others

even if they didn't take enhancements I

should never have done this as genetic

variation and everyone's response to

training is different a much better

approach would be to Simply see what

you're capable of and compare yourself

with yourself now listen there's nothing

wrong with trying to diet and better

yourself to look better to feel better

there is something wrong with chasing a

look that's impossible to reach

Perfection which is impossible for

everyone and then suffering because of

it your life should not suffer because

you want to look a certain way you

should try to look a certain way for you

and enjoy it and feel good about it but

not take it to the level where it's

ruining your life out of desperation to

keep up with this imaginary competition

I created I developed this exclusive

mindset around diet where I'd look at

all the foods to exclude from my diet

when I should have focused on including

nutrient dense foods the thing clean

eaters often miss is the fact that the

dose always makes the poison and even

water the most essential component to

life will kill you at a high enough dose

it's no different with ice cream and

French fries what really matters is how

much of that junk food you're eating and

what the rest of your diet looks like I

believe those stupid headlines which

claim certain foods were bad when in

reality the people who claim a food is

inherently bad or either confused

themselves or morally corrupt as a 15

year old I should never have been

completely excluding things like bananas

from white bread because of an article

or video I tried a range of diets

thinking this next one will be superior

as the people promoting them would often

claim but the thing is there's no one

Superior diet the one which works for

you is best and it's as simple as that

different people have different

metabolisms activity levels and

preferences so comparing your diet to

influencers who may be enhanced is not a

good idea even as girls got like a

visible six-pack

um and he says 3 500 calories a day bro

which is like the most discouraging

thing all of his fans just read on that

day for sure but the thing is Instagram

models and fitness channels are still

small players the people snatching out

the beginner demographic are usually the

Hollywood actors they're trainers and

people writing articles about them this

is where most of the eyes are on the

people who are heavily incentivized to

exaggerate the extremity of their diets

either to attract attention to convince

you that they're insane results were

purely a result of hard work or maybe an

attempt to make their routine too

extreme to try to cover up

pharmacological assistance even if they

were truthful as some are you should

still never copy them as most undergo

very unsustainable crash diets to look a

certain way for a film sacrificing their

long-term Health which is why it's so

common factors to rebound after filming

will you rap the movie me and I fell off

the wagon completely if they stayed

completely quiet you still have articles

and videos speculating what they did to

achieve their transformation often

hugely inaccurate and I used to take

these seriously because I was so

desperate to make as much progress as

possible I simply thought that the

leaner the better even though in reality

nobody cares that your single digit body

fat outside of competitive bodybuilding

so I shouldn't have made it such a goal

to get there Jeff neighborhood he

doesn't maintain shredded physique

around okay he's probably low teens to

mid-teens Jeremy etier

Scott Hermann Fitness Christian Guzman

Alan thrall Vitruvian physique if you

look at Alpha Destiny Mike Matthews Sean

nalawani they maintain low teens to

maybe closer to 11 to 12 percent most of

the time a few people say the mainstream

glorification of insanely unattainable

physiques is to blame for this common

oversight but to me personally what's

more of a problem is that these issues

don't get spoken about enough on the

male side when I first heard about

orthorexia it was from Natasha OSHA I

remember realizing I basically had all

of the symptoms searching for it on

YouTube and there were virtually no men

talking about her I assume that it was a

problem which mostly affected women but

I now realize it can affect anyone a

study found that 49 of study

participants who followed healthy eating

accounts on Instagram met the criteria

for orthorexia

if your entire livelihood depends on the

way you look your chances are probably

higher than average and this is what

people don't realize my guess is that

some of the biggest names in male

fitness are affected by this to a very

large degree and that's why I made the

videos that I have maybe a little

dramatic because it just seems like

these problems are getting worse but at

the same time you shouldn't have this

victim mentality blaming Hollywood

internet marketers and teenagers who are

stronger than you the fact is they'll

probably always be there and as stupid

as I was myself to fall into many of

these traps it could have been avoided

if I follow genuine science-based advice

use better progress metrics and got

professional help

what started out was trying to become as

healthy as possible turned very

unhealthy I thought how you looked and

how others perceived you was way more

important than it was and I compared

myself to others now I simply do what I

enjoy which has recently been a mixture

of running strength training an MMA with

my University while arming myself with

science-based advice following more

experienced Fitness channels and always

thinking about relativity was enough to

move away from orthorexia if you can

relate I strongly recommend that you

consider professional help as this can

be quite serious if left untreated but

the very least I'd read this book by

Rini McGregor it's the best book I've

read on the topic and a lot of people

would benefit from reading it or if you

just want pretty much everything you

need on Sports Nutrition the muscle and

strength pyramid is where to go this is

not an anti-fitness video and I believe

everyone should care about their health

a common misconception is that being a

fitness Enthusiast and body positive are

different things like this video title

would suggest but the truth is taking

care of your Fitness is one of the most

body positive things to do the message

here is to Simply stress the importance

of moderation too much of anything can

be unhealthy even if that thing is

health

[Music]

Paul chuckle here to tell you that you

don't need to spend your life munching

on chicken broccoli and rice and always

remember just because someone's famous

it doesn't mean that everything they do

is right have a great day but remember

there's always no slacking

foreign

[Music]