Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

In the left corner, weighing it at 105 pounds, you have Vanity. In the right corner, weighing in at 250 pounds is Gluttony. Who will win in this Battle of the Deadly Sins?!

Vanity

My whole life, I was told that being vain is wrong. Maybe vanity was never properly defined for me, because I feel vain whenever I care about my looks. Is merely looking into the mirror a deadly sin? The dictionary defines vanity as an inflated pride in oneself or one’s appearance. Is it just the inflated part that is wrong with vanity or is it any pride in one’s appearance.

Does dieting count as vanity?

Gluttony

Is the fact that I’m fat mean that I’m a glutton? What about all those days that I starved myself? What if I’m fat and I don’t eat today. Am I still a glutton? The definition for gluttony is more simply defined as excessive eating or drinking, but the simplicity doesn’t make it any easier for me. Is drinking fifteen glasses of water a day gluttony? Is gluttony a permanent thing? What if a skinny person eats a lot of food all the time?

The Loser

The true loser is humanity. The seven deadly sins were first coined by Evagrius Ponticus, a 4th century monk. Nowhere are they listed in the bible. Focusing on the sin aspect of pride and eating has been the biggest detriment to humanity.

It’s alright to care about what you look like.

It’s alright to eat when you’re hungry or even eat for pleasure.

It’s when either of those aspects of life start to threaten your health or happiness that they can be detrimental to you.

Don’t worry so much about your looks that you’ll have risky surgical procedures or starve yourself.

Don’t eat so much that it is wasteful or harmful to your body.

We do so much better when we look through life without the coloring of sin. If you are hungry, eat. If you feel attractive, rejoice in it.