Walk down any magazine aisle & take a look at most of the fitness or beauty magazines. Do any of the women on the covers look over 110 pounds? Probably not. Skin & bones attract most women to pick up that magazine with hope to find the answer of how to obtain that “signature look.” Health & Fitness magazines usually promise you the answers on “How to Stay Healthy & Happy” in one of their articles yet right below that headline in a much bolder font you’ll find “Easy Steps How to Lose Weight.” Many of us don’t even realize these headlines & magazines are like drugs to us, we just can’t resist. We all long for that perfect body, but even if we achieve “perfection,” will it really make us THAT much happier?
Airbrushed photos, mislead information, impossible physiques… for $3.99 we are pretty much paying for an eating disorder. Page 18 of magazine ABC says Jennifer Aniston only eatings vegetables, Cameron Diaz works out 4 hours a day, Adriana Lima can live off only coffee, such dangerous measures taken & some of us would believe this information & try these fads. It’s obvious that these myths are not healthy for our bodies & are hurting us physically. Looking your best doesn’t always mean looking your skinniest & a lot of women struggle with this. Sometimes I think women are only confident if they are skinny, what makes skinny so empowering? If you are only drinking coffee because Adriana Lima does it to stay thin, do you really feel THAT much more confident? Because I can promise you will feel light-headed & dizzy as well. They don’t mention in the article how she (& other celebs) probably struggle with their own body image, do they? We live in a very warped world where celebrities have a huge effect on our lifestyles. We only hear the writers side of the story, we seem to forget that these are humans too & probably suffer the same problems we do, nobody thinks they are perfect… not even Jennifer Aniston.
It’s very sad that writers & editors don’t think about the women who have survived diseases such as anorexia or bulemia who are trying to stay on a healthy path yet they are constantly surrounded by the medias obsession with skewed body images. Survivors of such an addicting disease are no longer focusing on their bikini or waist size. How can they continue their path if every entertainment channel or back page of a magazine is questioning “Who Wore It Better?” You know the winner is usually the skinnier one. #SAD
When you think of an eating disorder, it’s usually characterized by abnormal eating habits which are either insufficient or excessive food intakes which could be a huge disadvantage to an individual’s physical and emotional health. These disorders are more likely to affect women than men & the causes are not yet fully understood. There are many types of eating disorders but the most common is binge eating followed by bulimia. To be honest, for a long time I had a hard time accepting my body & always tried new tricks to make it more lean, more cut, more toned…(so on & so on). Yes, I gave up meat, I don’t indulge on junk food & I watch my portions but I don’t consider these lifestyle changes to be an eating disorder. It’s my way of life that most people frown upon. I hear comments constantly about how I eat TOO healthy, questioned constantly on how I could eat so much salad, rolls of the eyes from many when they hear how much I work out… could it be that these people need my help but make jokes to make themselves feel better? Would it make them feel better if I ate a candy bar in front of them? Because I will if it will make them stop….dark chocolate milky way please.
Once I became a personal trainer, my mind switched gears. I met men & women with problems far worse than my little belly bulge. Overweight & unhealthy people who needed more help than I did & all I wanted (and still want) to do is help. It had taken me some time to realize that these clients not only needed a fitness coach but someone who they hoped had the answer to help them live a longer & healthier life. The only thing I could do is guide them in the right direction, give them the motivation to see past the imperfections & show them that anything is possible with hard work. I want them to be able to look in the mirror & see the positive side of their weight loss rather than the remaining weight that needs to come off. I have changed my lifestyle where I work out to stay healthy, I eat to fuel my body & I look in the mirror to make sure I look presentable. I no longer stand in front of the mirror & analyze the imperfections. I am at a place in my life full of love & happiness & I want for myself is to be healthy. All I hope for is for all of the hard work I put in at the gym & at the dinner table will help keep the body parts that need to stay strong, be strong & keep me alive as long as I can.
Here are some ways to prevent an eating disorder or to help others around you-
~Keep in mind that you are beautiful no matter what size or shape you are. You are on this Earth for a reason, be the BEST version of yourself, not the second version of someone else.
~Surround yourself with positive energy, positive people. A positive attitude will help build you up rather than tear you down.
~Use food as your fuel to keep your body moving throughout the day. Food should not be used as a reward or a punishment, you are not a dog. Nutrients in food help keep you alive.
~Educate yourself, if you don’t understand why eating microwaveable dinners all week long is not healthy for you, research. Why are donuts for breakfast such a bad thing? (Answer- your breakfast revs up your metabolism, eating sugar & fat first thing in the morning slows it down for the day… eat oatmeal instead!)
~Just because someone around you eats healthier than you, that doesn’t give you a reason to bring them down. Learn from them, you need them more than they need you right now.
~Everything in moderation… 1 diet soda a day is better than 4 diet sodas a day. Think of a goal & work towards it.
Eat for your body, exercise for your mind & remember… living without any health problems is a much better reason to take care of yourself now than doing it to drop a dress size.