We’ve all heard the stats and hear about how everyone overindulges at Christmas, feels bad by New Year, and then tries to mitigate it by starting an exercise regime in January which they will give up within a few weeks. Surely people would learn that it’s probably better to not overdo it over December and then they wouldn’t feel the need to start trying to desperately lose weight in January. Has the fitness industry brainwashed everyone into feeling guilty to make them sign up for gym memberships and buy new clothes and equipment? Are we all just slaves to the cycles of consumption that drives the seasons of business?
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I definitely do this every year, even though I get so annoyed that it always happens. I think sometimes coming up to the end of the year and Christmas I get so tired that I just want an excuse to indulge, and I explain it by saying I’ll get fit and burn it off in Jan. But it’s always so much harder to actually shift those few pounds when it comes to it.
Many people overindulge at Christmas and try to fix it in January. It’s not brainwashing that does this, it’s normal to treat yourself during holiday periods and then cut back afterwards. Plus, most people are relatively bad at long-term goal setting and following through which is why so many people end up giving up after a little while
Doing a few weeks exercise in January is still better than not doing any exercise all year.
I for one thank you for keeping the cost of my gym membership down.
Overdoing it is part of the fun of Christmas. It’s a season of ridiculous excess.
Lots of people *do* take it easy at Christmas, but they’re not the ones signing up for new gym memberships in January.
>Has the fitness industry brainwashed everyone into feeling guilty tomake them sign up for gym memberships and buy new clothes and equipment?Are we all just slaves to the cycles of consumption that drives theseasons of business?
Absolutely.
Because ultimately ‘eat something healthy, lift something heavier each week, run/swim/cycle a bit further each week’ doesn’t sell. Everyone put’s their own spin on everything, ranging from exercise to nutrition to clothing.
In my gym, people spend way more time worrying about designer gear and Instagram posts, and forget to actually do anything that makes them sweat.
This post just reads like “Why isn’t everyone as smart as I am? I, who makes only smart decisions every waking day.”
r/iamverysmart
Christmas is about overdoing it. Even historically it was a feast time and today we have we can throw in tons of processed food, sugar, fat and tons of excess calories. It has always been a winter festival of plenty and there is nothing wrong with that. ALso you tend to sit on your arse as it is dark and cold! It seems perfectly normal that people might want to do something about that and a new year is a perfect time to make changes – it fits mentally even if it makes no real sense. It isn’t brainwashing and we are not all slaves to the machine, it’s just perfectly normal behaviour to want to make changes when we have a symbolic change of Jan 1 to hang it on.
I know it happens, I do every year.
But I think Christmas is a time to indulge and eat and drink whatever you want, then by January I’m fed up of rich food and am craving healthier foods and vegetables.
> Are we all just slaves to the cycles of consumption that drives the seasons of business?
Honestly yeah, pretty much.
It’s not just fitness either but all kinds of shit, fashion is probably the biggest culprit. It’s a grossly wasteful industry that is built on this model.
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We ARE all slaves to meaning.
We try to make our lives meaningful, and certain dates, e.g. birthdays, are seen as significant to the individual.
The start of the New Year (c.f. NY resolutions) is likewise used in this way.
Yes, add to that the overindulgence, and there you go.
Do people learn not to over-indulge? Well…..typically, IMHO the problem is that the circumstances are different over Christmas. Work dos maybe where work provides some of the food and drink free, other get-togethers beforehand, family and other gatherings over Christmas, the need to buy more food than usual because the shops are shut (even one day makes a difference as we are used to shops always being open). Food and drink are often used as ‘safe’ i.e. acceptable Xmas gifts, that means even more food and drink are around in houses. Then there are two occasions, Christmas Day AND NYE, that are traditional for celebration. I would say it is VERY difficult to consume normally over this time.
I like overdoing it. I wouldn’t say a calorie deficit and a few weeks of running is “crazed”.
Some people continue to use their gym membership, some will fail to. It’s better than zero.
I’d say this is one of the least significant capitalist exploitations to get your knickers in a twist over.
There’s nothing wrong with having a blow out at Christmas. If people need to learn something I’d suggest they get themselves a bit healthier in advance so they can cope with it. Think of it like saving up for Christmas instead of paying off debts afterwards.
No brainwashing required. I WANT to overindulge at Christmas. I enjoy it and it’s great having a nice time-limited excuse to eat and drink whatever I like. I don’t feel “bad” or “guilty” about it but I am aware that it’s a good idea to counteract the excess so I make an effort once the festive season is over.
I’m 60, have always overindulged at Christmas and have never felt guilty or joined a gym
While a lot of it is consumerism as others have said there’s more to it than that – Christmas is a time when you see a lot of people you only see infrequently, reflect on the past year and many have more time off than usual (I got 10 days but even just the number of bank Holidays near each other is high). Last year was a bitch for me for many reasons and I have fallen into bad habits such as not eating or sleeping properly which are hard to kick – using the extended holiday period to rest and reset and then trying to return to a slightly healthier everyday life is far easier than trying to change things up when you’re in full swing.
All of us started from somewhere and if the New Year is what motivates them to start, I don’t see the problem at all.
I usually wait until february when it gets lighter. It’s basicaly still the darkest part of the year right now and being sedentary, eating kebabs and smoking cigarettes seems like the natural thing to do.
Maybe calm down and enjoy your life, stop worrying what other people are up to.
It’s not the same people every year doing it. Some learn their lessons, some are not bothered, some fall for the January gym membership thing.
This post exhibits the common fallacy of treating people as one lump all the same.
I always take the first three weeks of January off my regular gym trips until the crowds clear.
There’s something to be said about your mindset when a new year starts and you’re trying new things or resolving to do things differently. New starts of all kinds have this effect on us. Maybe it doesn’t all stick but it’s better than not trying at all. I don’t think it’s evil capitalist gyms brainwashing us, it’s that we already have these tendencies and they’re taking advantage.
Lots of people feel fat and also take stock of their lives in the post Xmas slump so want to get fit and change their lifestyle. And everyone thinks that this time they’ll stick with it. I was like that for years and then one year I managed it, haven’t looked back.
Because it’s different people..?
Because there are new humans that have moved into the space that the previous humans have left.