Over the years I’ve done a number of surveys and polls for people that come to my web site. There are two primary drivers for most people that end up at maintainfit.com and they are to:

1. Lose Weight
2. Stay motivated

The thing that I find so interesting is that they searched for something like exercise log, rather than just searching for lose weight. What I’ve observed is that most of the population wants to achieve these two goals, but only a few are willing to put in the effort to get there. Everyone else wants a free ride.

That’s interesting, but not as interesting as the thing they don’t tell me. The more I dig into what people tell me in my surveys, the more convinced I am that what they really want is a better looking body.

Body image trumps all

What people want is to look beautiful or handsome. They want others to see them as sexy and attractive. It’s the ideal body image that their really after.

That’s why I wrote this post about not believing everything you see. As it turns out, the body image we’re all seeking isn’t always achievable. There are some really skilled makeup and touch up artists in the world.

So I know there is a group of people that want to lose weight and are willing to do the work to get there. The question I have now is whether or not those people have a more realistic attitude about what their body image should be. I know that the more healthy I live, the more my opinion changes. I don’t need to look like the Incredible Hulk anymore. It’s enough to feel healthy and know that I’m doing all I can to avoid an early heart attack.

And when you do meet one of those 1 in a million people that approximate that perfect body image that you want, don’t dwell too much on it. Remember that God gives us each the strengths we need to get through this life. Take it in stride and go for a long run!