The Six Pack

or just a visual thing

I never had the urge to track everything that I ate or plan my workouts at the gym. I felt good as long as I moved my body and ate in moderation. But since going to the gym regularly 3x a week and tracking my calories, protein, sugar, fiber, etc. I've acquired a notion to have visible abs. Has this happened to you?

Maybe not.

A student of mine answered this question. Dieting means no longer having your favorite treats, agree or disagree?

She adamantly disagreed. Her logic was that we only have one life. Enjoy your chocolate, enjoy your ice cream, as long as you don't overdue it.

I must also note that God had blessed her with great genes and a fast metabolism. Her words, not mine.

For me, in some ludicrous fashion I started wanting to see what I saw so many others had, minimal fat around their stomachs and visible abdominals.

And the other day after my shower, in front of the mirror, I pondered the question, but why? Why did I want this?

The answer wasn't a simple, singular one but they did all lead back to feeling underestimated and overlooked. That I was exhausted with having to explain my physique, my diet, or my routine to others. I hated the feeling of someone's stare sizing me up for health, even doctor’s.

I was upset whenever assumptions were made about my body's capabilities as if being small or thin, or even having a 6 pack immediately qualified someone as physically fit.

And so I thought, maybe if I achieved a six pack, a toned body, then finally the preconceived notions would end.

And though I could look at this in a, well the world will always judge you for something or other, and you should disregard and be happy, kind of way…

Any yes I totally agree with that but where my mind went was…

Abs, a six pack, aren't always a measure of strength. Visible abs can be seen in those malnourished, underweight, depressed, poor, alcoholics, and even drug addicts.

I'm built like my ancestors, who so happen to have been Peruvian mountain farmers. I come from a long line of sturdy, industrious, hard working people!

Before I left the mirror and got dressed, I had answered my question, but not only that.

The answer led me to the realization that why I wanted something was purely visual, a sort of personal billboard that shows everyone else, that I eat healthy, that I work out, that I care about my body and fitness.

And I responded…Who the fck cares about what others presume. At the end of each day, each week, and each month, I have a list of evidence that proves otherwise.