KAAAAAAAAAANG!

As a fitness professional, I have a front row seat to a lot of psychology. People and their bodies are a fascinating phenomenon to watch. They really are. People have entirely different reactions to the same things.

It's amazing, how the same thing can either inspire a person or cause them to lash out.

Take a look here for instance.

Maria Kang's kind of gone and made herself a lightning rod for this phenomenon. She posted this picture to her Facebook, and immediately got regaled with a lot of people's excuses. Many of which are actually pretty legit - fibromyalgia ain't no joke, and neither is the impact of pharmaceuticals or lack of access to good food.

And as for my thoughts on the matter?

Well. I don't really know.

I mean, on the one hand, I get having excuses. Boy, do I. I've lost my job, and I haven't found a new one yet. My unemployment isn't kicking in for probably another couple of months, if it will at all. I go for the cheapest cuts of meat and bags of veggies, even though I know that pasta and processed foods are way cheaper and really tasty with only a tenth of the effort to prepare.

But on the other hand, I make the most of my circumstances. I may suffer for eating real food by not having a smartphone and not being able to go to concerts and things. But I still eat real food. I still do my chin ups, I still do my burpees, I still run my miles on Sunday and work to bring the time down lower.

I guess what I mean is that I sympathize with people who have a lot of problems that they're working to surmount. I really do. But I don't think that excuses anyone from doing the best they can with the situation that they have. And maybe that doesn't mean a six pack or an hourglass figure - maybe it just means walking one step further than you did before, or lifting one pound heavier than you did before.

I ultimately do what I do because it makes me happier to be this way and gives me hope that I'm not washed up, that there's more I can do and that this isn't the end.

I think The Militant Baker put it best: "when the end goal is happiness... the importance of body shape fades away, doesn't it?"

Ah, but what the hell do I know? Have you ever put off your fitness goals because of an obstacle? What became of it? Was it a legitimate obstacle or was it an excuse? If it was just an excuse, what made you decide you didn't accept it anymore?