One more article, about removing the word "fat" from our conversations with ourselves and others. But here's the interesting thing. When I spoke with Marilyn Wann about fat, she talked about removing any stigma from the word and of being proud to use it.
Here, then, is the opposite approach. Their intentions are good but their approach is incorrect. Just because you don't say that you hate your body doesn't make you stop hating your body. It certainly doesn't make you love it.
It would be better, instead of erasing fat from our vocabulary, that we added the phrase "I love my body, including all my fat" to our own internal dialogue, as well as in conversations with everyone else.
Perhaps if repeated enough times, we will begin to believe.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
"I don't like celery. I like sandwiches."
I read a review last month in the San Jose Mercury News about the new TV series Drop Dead Diva.
My favorite part is the quote from the creator of the show:
"The show's creator, Josh Berman, said he wanted the series to make a statement about diet, weight and beauty. 'I don't believe it's about willpower,' Berman said in an interview. 'If it were, then the assumption would be that if we all wanted to be a size zero, we could be a size zero. Everyone has different needs and desires. If someone finds a doughnut to be comforting, who are we to judge them?'"
Go Josh Berman!
My favorite part is the quote from the creator of the show:
"The show's creator, Josh Berman, said he wanted the series to make a statement about diet, weight and beauty. 'I don't believe it's about willpower,' Berman said in an interview. 'If it were, then the assumption would be that if we all wanted to be a size zero, we could be a size zero. Everyone has different needs and desires. If someone finds a doughnut to be comforting, who are we to judge them?'"
Go Josh Berman!
Craving Chocolate? Eat Nuts!
I am always interested in the body. I found this chart from Natural Solutions magazine. I'm astounded by the fact that I might be lacking magnesium when I crave chocolate. I'm also astounded that the suggestion of what to eat when I want chocolate is raw nuts and seeds. There is absolutely NO substitution for chocolate.
Check it out. Tell me what you think!
Check it out. Tell me what you think!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Losing My Way
I said I'd be honest in this blog, so here it is. I lost my way. I started thinking all those self-doubts, and they just got bigger than my vision until I could no longer see my way out.
I didn't like the pressure of having to eat like a personal trainer, having to have the body of a personal trainer (and it was pressure I created without anyone's help). I started thinking that if I worked as a personal trainer, my colleagues would think I wasn't really qualified.
I trained my friends twice and absolutely loved it. And then I broke up with my Chilean boyfriend and lost my way.
Now, I'm slowly picking myself up by my bootstraps and starting again. I can do this.
There is this quote on "The Secret" I love. A philosopher says, "When the voice and the vision on the inside is more profound, clear and loud than the opinions on the outside, you have mastered your life."
I don't know how one continues moving forward even when they lose their vision and motivation. I don't know yet how to fortify my vision against opinions from the outside. But if and when I find out, it will be the way I will help my clients get past their own fears. Sometimes we just need at least one supportive person to tell us, "it's okay if you're afraid. It's okay to take baby steps. Just as long as you keep moving."
I like this idea of just moving. And I mean it in all ways--to move ahead with your dreams without fears, to move physically, to keep the soul churning and bubbling with the razzle dazzle of the world, to keep the heart pumping with love for friends, family and lovers.
No wonder Finding Nemo is my favorite movie. "Just keep swimming..." resonates perfectly with me.
So, I will borrow from Finding Nemo and add a little of my own. My new motto will be simple. "Just keep moving."
I didn't like the pressure of having to eat like a personal trainer, having to have the body of a personal trainer (and it was pressure I created without anyone's help). I started thinking that if I worked as a personal trainer, my colleagues would think I wasn't really qualified.
I trained my friends twice and absolutely loved it. And then I broke up with my Chilean boyfriend and lost my way.
Now, I'm slowly picking myself up by my bootstraps and starting again. I can do this.
There is this quote on "The Secret" I love. A philosopher says, "When the voice and the vision on the inside is more profound, clear and loud than the opinions on the outside, you have mastered your life."
I don't know how one continues moving forward even when they lose their vision and motivation. I don't know yet how to fortify my vision against opinions from the outside. But if and when I find out, it will be the way I will help my clients get past their own fears. Sometimes we just need at least one supportive person to tell us, "it's okay if you're afraid. It's okay to take baby steps. Just as long as you keep moving."
I like this idea of just moving. And I mean it in all ways--to move ahead with your dreams without fears, to move physically, to keep the soul churning and bubbling with the razzle dazzle of the world, to keep the heart pumping with love for friends, family and lovers.
No wonder Finding Nemo is my favorite movie. "Just keep swimming..." resonates perfectly with me.
So, I will borrow from Finding Nemo and add a little of my own. My new motto will be simple. "Just keep moving."
Friday, August 14, 2009
Self-Esteem Campaign
We need a self-esteem campaign nationally. Here's why I think we need one:
--one person with an eating disorder is one too many--and it's estimated that 7 million women and 1 million men have one
--they have tons of ads on TV for how to hate your body, for example, when did not having a lot of eyelashes require medicine? I learned what things were bad to have from magazines and TV (unwaxed eyebrows, hairy legs, hairy armpits, any yellow cast to your teeth, etc.)
--since TV has taught me this, I demand TV to teach me as well how to be happy with who I am, regardless if I do or do not meet the many requirements of beauty.
--almost every woman friend I have ever met thinks they're too fat, regardless of size
This ain't healthy! Sharing how much we hate our bodies is a discussion I will not take part in anymore. No more body hating.
Let me know if any of you know about a self-esteem campaign. If there isn't, then this blog will be the beginning of one.
--one person with an eating disorder is one too many--and it's estimated that 7 million women and 1 million men have one
--they have tons of ads on TV for how to hate your body, for example, when did not having a lot of eyelashes require medicine? I learned what things were bad to have from magazines and TV (unwaxed eyebrows, hairy legs, hairy armpits, any yellow cast to your teeth, etc.)
--since TV has taught me this, I demand TV to teach me as well how to be happy with who I am, regardless if I do or do not meet the many requirements of beauty.
--almost every woman friend I have ever met thinks they're too fat, regardless of size
This ain't healthy! Sharing how much we hate our bodies is a discussion I will not take part in anymore. No more body hating.
Let me know if any of you know about a self-esteem campaign. If there isn't, then this blog will be the beginning of one.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
President's Fitness Challenge is My Challenge
Recently, I have discovered that there is a difference between being healthy (what I am) and being fit (what I am not). I discovered this when, amongst my personal training peers, I was incapable of doing a push up on the floor. By the time we were regressing the exercise to where I could complete 15 reps, I was doing push ups on the wall.
Everyone has to start somewhere, right?
The experience kicked my competitive nature into full gear. I wanted to come back to a personal training workshop in two years capable of doing a push up on a stability ball. I'd show them.
So much focus is placed on weight and diet these days. Everyone I know is on a diet trying to lose weight. But very little is placed on fitness, on cardiovascular and muscular endurance. And even though I eat healthy and am normal in my weight, I've landed in the 5th percentile in my ability to complete crunches and push ups.
My resolution: to take the fitness test on December 15 (cuz that sounds like a good day to me). Since they don't list the numbers I need to reach, I've been looking at data for the version for high schoolers. I'm going to try to reach those numbers. If I do, I will be actually in better shape than I ever was in high school:
These are the figures for landing in the 85th percentile as a 17 year old girl:
Push ups: 25
Crunches: 58
shuttle run: 10 seconds
1 mile run: 8:15 minutes
Pull ups: 1 (I'd love to do 4)
And my own additions:
Jump rope: 5 minutes
Handstand: Hold for 3-5 seconds
Single leg squat touchdown: 10 on the left leg with out my wobbly knee
My initial figures:
push ups: 1
crunches: 19
Shuttle: 13.1 seconds
1 mile run: 12:15 minutes
Pull ups: 0
Jump rope 1.5 minutes
Handstand: so far I haven't really gotten up all the way
Single-leg squat touch: 0 without wobbling
Every two weeks I'm going to retake the test. I'm determined to be fit. That's what this blog is about! Being fit, having fun, and enjoying eating.
Wish me luck! Oh, and if you want to try it yourself here's the links:
Presedential Challenge Teens
Presendential Challenge Adults
Everyone has to start somewhere, right?
The experience kicked my competitive nature into full gear. I wanted to come back to a personal training workshop in two years capable of doing a push up on a stability ball. I'd show them.
So much focus is placed on weight and diet these days. Everyone I know is on a diet trying to lose weight. But very little is placed on fitness, on cardiovascular and muscular endurance. And even though I eat healthy and am normal in my weight, I've landed in the 5th percentile in my ability to complete crunches and push ups.
My resolution: to take the fitness test on December 15 (cuz that sounds like a good day to me). Since they don't list the numbers I need to reach, I've been looking at data for the version for high schoolers. I'm going to try to reach those numbers. If I do, I will be actually in better shape than I ever was in high school:
These are the figures for landing in the 85th percentile as a 17 year old girl:
Push ups: 25
Crunches: 58
shuttle run: 10 seconds
1 mile run: 8:15 minutes
Pull ups: 1 (I'd love to do 4)
And my own additions:
Jump rope: 5 minutes
Handstand: Hold for 3-5 seconds
Single leg squat touchdown: 10 on the left leg with out my wobbly knee
My initial figures:
push ups: 1
crunches: 19
Shuttle: 13.1 seconds
1 mile run: 12:15 minutes
Pull ups: 0
Jump rope 1.5 minutes
Handstand: so far I haven't really gotten up all the way
Single-leg squat touch: 0 without wobbling
Every two weeks I'm going to retake the test. I'm determined to be fit. That's what this blog is about! Being fit, having fun, and enjoying eating.
Wish me luck! Oh, and if you want to try it yourself here's the links:
Presedential Challenge Teens
Presendential Challenge Adults
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
I passed!
You are now reading the blog of a certified personal trainer!
Two of my friends have volunteered to be guinea pigs for the next month. I did an assessment on them and wow, personal trainers are privvy to some very private information. I see that you really need to develop rapport with someone first before you ask them how much they weigh or if you can measure their circumference.
These are such sensitive areas for people (and me too) that I actually didn't ask to measure them because I was so afraid to step on their toes. My mom, who wants me to train her too, won't tell me how much she weighs, so how do I expect strangers to do so too?
This is gonna be a bit squinchier than I thought.
Two of my friends have volunteered to be guinea pigs for the next month. I did an assessment on them and wow, personal trainers are privvy to some very private information. I see that you really need to develop rapport with someone first before you ask them how much they weigh or if you can measure their circumference.
These are such sensitive areas for people (and me too) that I actually didn't ask to measure them because I was so afraid to step on their toes. My mom, who wants me to train her too, won't tell me how much she weighs, so how do I expect strangers to do so too?
This is gonna be a bit squinchier than I thought.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)