The following Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson,

and is narrated by Tina Lehman.

Why saying no is so important?

In the health and fitness arena, taglines often sell the idea of accept no limits.

After all, we're supposed to believe in ourselves, push through boundaries,

improve exponentially, and show them all, right?

Dramatic images, big numbers, and extreme makeovers get the spotlight. And when people work hard for what

they achieve, I think that's great. My own primary focus on MDA is helping people live their

best life with the least amount of pain, suffering, and sacrifice possible. To that end, I offer

ample positive advice for what to do. Inherent to the bigger picture, however,

and just as critical, in my opinion, is the skill of discerning what not to do. Today, I'm talking

limits, and how knowing where to draw the line is essential to living an awesome life.

I know we all live in a culture of more is better. At various

points of my life, I've been tempted by that siren song. I am a former cardio king, after all,

and yet the last few decades have affirmed a very different truth for myself and for others I've

observed. Because of the work I do, I meet a lot of people who are motivated

to live a healthier life. It's one of the things I love most about what I do, in fact. And yet,

as a result, I also see the full spectrum of behavior around, quote, healthy action. Unfortunately,

I watched people exercise their way into illness, ironically

incapacitating themselves or at least impairing their weight loss or fitness programs, because

they couldn't respect their body's need for recovery. I've even seen others move from healthy

eating into destructive orthorexic obsession. I've seen professional ambition consume people's lives

...