When it comes to your nutrition, where do you draw the line between tidying it up and full blown obsession? Char left me an excellent comment last week pertaining to this, when I wrote about de-junking unhelpful thoughts.
She wrote:
“The whole reason that I don’t do all or nothing challenges like no junk food for a month is exactly because of this.I know that one failure would have me abusing myself mentally to the point where it would all fall apart. So focussing on fuelling my body well and trying to improve my self-talk is a lot more productive for me personally. It’s taken me almost 50 years to learn this about myself but I’ve got there eventually.”
Then, concurrently, it seemed, I was getting multitudes of varying eating themes on my Facebook feed – Paleo, “Eating Clean” (gawd I hate that term), the Ashy Bines debacle (she’s the bright soul that tells people to avoid lettuce because of its high sugar content) and so forth. Interspersed amongst all this “information” were well meaning people posting Fitspo pictures for “inspiration”.
I decided to take some time to read these articles and links and the further I went on the more depressed I began to feel. At one point I began to wonder whether I was taking enough steps to “de junk July”. According to the self proclaimed “fitness experts”, apart from Ashy ( you can’t really take her seriously), I wasn’t eating clean enough, I was eating too much fruit, I was eating gluten and I was eating highly processed food in the form of cannelloni sheets – and I wasn’t eating the right sort of fat etc etc. Apparently, in the world of Facebook ‘fitness experts’ , I’m a dirty carbohydrate lover, who’s making a poor example of herself by eating white flour. Never mind that most of what I ate on that day quite obviously came from animals and plants.
Then it occurred to me that I’m an expert – when it comes to making the correct choices about exercise and nutrition for myself. I’ve been hanging out with my body for the last forty two years every day. You could say that I’ve learned a thing or two. And like Char, above, it’s essentially the same deal – fuelling myself well and focusing on positive self talk.
Yet often the diet and fitness industry don’t wish you to see this. They prey on your self belief by convincing you that you need to be engaged in a specific nutrition and exercise plan to see “results” – the kicker is that it’s usually “their” plan – be it nutrition or exercise regimes that are “the only way”.
The amusing thing is that all of this nutrition b.s just gets recycled in one form or another. The books that I photographed above are a sample of 70s diet books that I was perusing at the Lifeline Book Fair earlier this year. Today’s offerings – same old b.s – just packaged differently.
Most clients that come to me for health coaching know what they need to do to improve their health, to the point of having an encyclopaedic knowledge of weight control, yet haven’t mastered the art of moving into the right headspace (thought control) to get there. Moving into the right headspace is often about moving away from what the “experts say” and listening to the whisper of our own intuition. It is all too easy to become disconnected from your true inner voice in the face of all the flotsam and jetsam of Social Media.
YOU, yes, you, are your own best expert – so park in your comfiest chair and steer your own ship! In regards to nutrition, I wrote my own “Eating Manifesto” last year – in the spirit of keeping it real. As for “Nojunk July” – I’m all about honouring my self belief in how I do things. Healthy eating for me means eating cannelloni for dinner sometimes and enjoying a dessert. That said, some eating styles are worth further perusal – as an example, I’m reading a book with a Paleoish approach called “It Starts with the Food”. I’m enjoying the emphasis on fresh, whole foods. Does it mean I’m going to adopt Paleo style eating – nope, but there a few suggestions I’m going to experiment with (as I’m my own best experiment).
All this might sound a bit funny from someone that does health coaching (including customised menu plans), but the truth of the matter is a good coach or teacher makes themselves progressively unnecessary – and should encourage you to explore and experiment. If you’re going to seek help from an “expert”, make sure they have the appropriate credentials for the job. In the exercise arena, look for an accredited Exercise Physiologist or Exercise Scientist (that would be me) with experience in your chosen sport.
It’s also worth looking at your motivations as to why you’re perusing all of this online material in the first place. Mid way through last year, I felt fleetingly tempted to join a popular “challenge” , then quickly came to realise that I’d go slowly mad on the nutrition plan and would want to change the exercise schedule around to suit myself and it occurred to me that I wasn’t actually seeking a “challenge” as such, I was feeling a little bit lonely and wanting to seek connection with other people that love keeping fit.
This year, I have been really fortunate to find that in real life with many of my fitness pals from the gym. On Sunday, I went road riding with three girlfriends from the gym as Mr B is on holidays. I had such a good time – it was beautiful outside and having tea/coffee and chats afterwards was right up my alley ! We’re hoping to make it a regular occurrence, especially with the Brisbane to Gold Coast 100km ride coming up in October. I’ve also met some really nice health and fitness bloggers in the last few months and am enjoying connecting with them too – and the yogis I’ve been training with are also a nice bunch. Interspersed between all of that have been my introverted treadmill runs which have provided the perfect balance.
Have you ever been filled with self doubt about how you should be eating, training, sleeping…living?
When I’m full of doubt, I’ll turn to the brilliant Dr Seuss to straighten things out!
“You have brains in your head, and feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go”
{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Liz,
you are an expert – I turn to you and tune in as much as I can.
And yes you are right – we have so much knowledge already – it’s all about the implementing and actioning that gets results.
time for me to get back into action
x Loulou
So who is an expert? …presumably those who are qualified in their field of expertise. I am a qualified Dietitan-Nutritionist, no longer practising, but I still have my knowledge base from my 5 year Science and Nutrition and Dietetic degrees at Uni and 10 years of hospital and private practice experience… and I keep up with the scientific literature. I have a voice, based on scientific data, not here-say or half truths. I have been accused of being a ‘know it all’ (every time I voice, in social media, what genuine specialists know are the scientific facts) by those with no qualifications in my field of expertise. Perhaps they’ve read a book or two, by fringe dwelling, un peer-reviewed ‘specialists’, and feel this is an adequate substitute for 60+ exams in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, organic and inorganic chemistry, medicine, nutrition, pathology, histology, endocrinology ….and experience gained through working in renal, liver, paediatric, gastro, inborn errors, intensive care and oncology medical teams. I read your nutrition ‘advice’ and your critical twitter responses to my opinions with great interest LouLou. As Liz says, “If you’re going to seek help from an “expert”, make sure they have the appropriate credentials for the job”. Understanding also that things do change, as knowledge increases, it’s important to seek information from those up to date with peer reviewed advances in the literature, which reflect widely head, mainstream specialist views. Because these views save lives and they are evidence based. We ALL need to keep this in mind when we are espousing nutrition, dietary and health advice in the public arena…. and looking for the real truth. A-M xx
Hi A-M,
I have found that over the years dietitians have received a bad rap from the fitness industry, particularly in the bodybuilding world. When I prepared for my first bodybuilding competition my fellow competitors were incredulous that in my preparation, I ate sandwiches (isn’t bread supposed to be a “no no?”), fruit (“isn’t sugar meant to be evil?” )and dairy products (“don’t they cause bloating?”). I stepped on stage with a body fat percentage of 12% and a minimal loss of menses (I went six weeks without menstruating) using the knowledge that I too gained over eight years of study in the clinical settings that you mention. And not only did the science based approach ‘work’ for myself, it was to ‘work’ for everyone I coached for a show.
Thus I naturally think that tertiary study in this area is mandatory for those who work in this area – for the very reasons you mention above. I get so frustrated when I see unqualified, unprofessional idiots plying their wares on the unsuspecting public, so I expect that I will be calling bullshit on many an exercise plan or diet for years to come
Thanks Loulou – I’m a work in progress as we all are
Hi Liz
Just thought I would say thank you for the honest, no nonsense words. It really is quite simple, listen to your body and eat fresh, whole, unprocessed foods ( well, except for the occasional chocolate .. ) .. when will everyone stop making it so hard and complicated! Oh, except for lettuce too cos that’s just got to be a disastrous choice for everyone!
Vic x
Hi Vicki, I think when you’re bombarded with all this stuff, it’s all too easy to fall into a negative mindspace if you’re not careful – which is what happened to me when I delved into it long enough….down with the lettuce
Awwww Liz, I lerrrrrv the Dr Suess quote!!! That is sensational
You nailed it when you wrote about making right choices about exercise and nutrition. We are the drivers even though I was a passenger for a very long time until I realised YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. So if you see your belly bloated after a big bowl of pasta, reduce the serve size next time or eliminate the actual pasta and have the bolognese sauce over some grated zucchini’s AKA courgette ~ I’ll have to show you mine
This food and fitness biz is an ongoing battle for a lot of women but thankfully with your good self (I’m slowly getting there) you can help and guide us all. So glad I found your site xx Dani
Thanks Dani! Actually guess what I had for dinner tonight? I whipped out my new veggie spiralizer and we had meatballs on zucchini spaghetti! And the kids thought it was the most awesome thing ever! So thank you for the inspiration!
Hi Liz
Well as you know from my emails that is exactly where I’m at. I have become so confused with what food to eat i.e you should eat low fat yogurt, don’t eat too many carbs, don’t eat good fats with carbs, eat protein at every meal, limit fruit, the list goes on.
It has become an obsession worrying whether I’m doing the right thing or not!! The guilt of not eating clean when you have a chocolate!!
I guess I look at people like yourself as experts because you have studied nutrition and exercise and you don’t seem to be like other fitness experts who live on chicken and broccoli!!
I look forward to the day that I trust my own choices and listen to my body, I don’t think it is too far away.
Must remember to throw out the lettuce tomorrow!!
Siobhain
Hi Siobhan,
Yes, damn that lettuce. I agree that there are too many people making up all these “rules” but they’re not necessarily in our best interests. Everything I eat is also served to my family. And a bit of chocolate every now and again is one of life’s great pleasures. There’s more to eating than just the food. Yet it’s often presented in this one dimensional way.
x
I’m constantly filled with self doubt about what I should be eating and how I should be training.
Also love the Dr Seuss quote!
Deb
Use a bit of science and first principles and you can’t go wrong – and get those vegetables in your tum!
LOVE this. There are trainers at my gym who go around telling their clients they HAVE to be paleo, and luckily some of those clients have come to me for my advice. I always tell them that paleo is not the answer: it’s all about eating whole, unprocessed foods. Getting someone who has a a pretty poor diet to begin with to become super restrictive with foods is a recipe for disaster. It’s much better to start with small, simple changes and not be afraid to indulge in some of those naughty foods like white flour (!) occasionally.
Exactly
This is gold, Liz. My favourite bit is where you state a good trainer will make themselves progressively unneeded. And the Seuss quote.
The body is infinitely smarter than we.
I agree that most of the issues are not about food per se, but about head space. The food ain’t making us fat, unhealthy etc; it is the thought that entices one to pop it into the mouth. Easier to blame the food than to do the hard work of looking into ourselves.
Thanks Kate, I would like to draw a big Venn Diagram with a circle around it with an arrow that points to “headspace”
I agree that they are way too many contradictory messages being sent out there and it is confusing for the consumer. Since reading Big Fat Lies, I find myself even more confused and lost (i couldn’t even finish reading the book, because I was starting developing some sort of paranoia! Ie: who can be trusted? Government, nutritionists, diet industry, local farmers? Haha!).
Personally I think what matters is what feels right to you. People need to take responsibility for what they put in their own body. In my opinion, excessive behaviour is a real problem: binge eating, eating only one type of food, not eating carbs etc.
I think the other issue in our modern society is portion control. A lot of people (even the ones eating the ‘right’ food eat more than they need.
Hi Ms Slim – the portion control is probably the biggest thing for me. I eat my salad out of mixing bowls
Thanks for this post Liz – it is just what I needed to read. You are so right – we have so much knowledge ourselves, we just need to be sensible about what we do. Sometimes it goes get confusing with so many different approaches out there – with each of them saying “this is the way to do it” – when really I just need to listen to my body. I learned that a few months ago and it worked for me then – not sure why I stopped listening !!!
Thanks for the reminder about the Brisbane to Gold Coast ride – we have wanted to do that for a few years but have never managed to get our act together early enough to get sufficient training done – I may have to cut back on my running and increase my cycling (my knees would probably love me for saying this !!!).
Have a great day !
Me
You must let me know if you ride so we can meet up somewhere along the way
I love your approach to healthy eating, Lizzie…because it closely matches mine. If you can wade through all the crap, the fads, the terrible advice and tune in to what works for your mind and body, I think most of us would find that what’s left is a sane approach based on good wholesome foods. Bingo!
Of course, seeing through the bullshit masked with glossy brochures and air brushed photos is the big challenge.
That Ashy is a unique individual….
Yeah, she’s a charmer all right. It’s quite shocking that these people can get away with it. Being sensible definitely isn’t sexy – maybe it’s time to break that stereotype next time I do some photos!
I’ll happily admit to being a dirty carbohydrate eater too – happily and without guilt. I run and need to fuel my body with carbs. I also need good protein, fats and lots of vitamins and minerals. Honestly, some of the diets out there are so restrictive they’re not compatible with a normal life. I’ll continue to eat as naturally as possible and have my home-made cookie every night with a cup of tea as my reward for getting through another day.
My problem is that I never desire carbs when I should have them – on a long ride. We were served sticky buns on my Ippy ride and I just couldn’t handle the thought of riding with that in my belly. Bananas work pretty well though and match my jersey!
Have you been reading my mind Liz? I have been filled with self-doubt with regards to my diet and especially my training program. There seems to be so many ‘experts’ with conflicting advice but I have to learn to believe that I know what’s best for me.
Don’t doubt yourself my friend – the ones in the know will have very good reason and science to back up their claims xx
Great post Liz! In the end, it’s about getting exercise and nutrition ‘right for you’. It’s such an individual thing, and it can take some time to find the right balance of both. But as many have said in previous comments, it’s mostly about eating wholesome foods which are unprocessed. For the majority, that’s a great place to start. Of course, there are some of us who like to get into a bit more detail, and I think that’s okay too. It’s a matter of tempering that with ‘balance’ and listening to your body. Though some people are more connected to their bodies than others. And as you’ve said, and I think you’ve hit the nail on the head….getting your headspace right is the key! My journey of self-experiment has been interesting and I’ve grown in knowledge, not just from a perspective of ‘knowing stuff’, but actually application and most importantly, evaluating and adjusting my course as I find what really works for me and allows me to live a balanced life, without the stress of worrying about whether I have things perfect. I’m still self-experimenting, but I think I’m pretty close to finding what really suits me. Life has been so ‘not stressful’ since not having to obsess about food and training. Mind you, my fascination with nutrition has definitely influenced how I eat, but again, it’s become more about eating the best quality, unprocessed foods, and enjoying a variety of food when it suits. Thanks again for the great post. Always guaranteed to get us thinking.
Hi Kerry, I’m so glad your experimentation has been a good learning experience for you – that’s what it is all about – self knowledge and awareness + good scientific principles xx
I’m reading It Starts With Food also, and you are right, you just have to take what you need. I like the idea of paleo, but I’m not sticking to it 100% as I know that dairy isn’t a problem for me, that rice isn’t a problem etc. Through trial and error I now know what causes inflammation in MY body. I’ve fine tuned the ‘idea’ of paleo, to suit me
Hi Frankie, it would be a very sad world for me if there wasn’t a slice of brie and some quince paste on the menu every now and again
xx
Great post Liz!
Thanks Charlotte
I generally dismiss, instantly, anything that is extreme, cuts out whole food groups, or makes eating so restrictive that you have to go live on your own and make everything from scratch. The truth is that research on these different eating styles is so scarce – and often so misinterpretted in the media anyway – that there is no way anyone can say that approach X is the ‘right’ way to eat. Aside from anything else, we know that X might suit you but Y might suit me! I love this post and all of your points, they are so true and I hope you have inspired a few others to step off the self-critical, over-vigilant eating approach to one that is more flexible.
Incidentally, I do think you can have a flexible, balanced, non-extreme approach but still try to reduce ‘junk’ (whatever that might be for you)
Yes, I agree Kari – it’s defining what ‘junk’ actually is. I know I’ve eaten really closely to my own personal manifesto this week and feel so much better for it
Very interesting and so up my alley right now. As I embark on a new challenge for myself I’m taking this post and storing it in my back pocket xx
Hi Emma, store it in our new bike knicks
Hi Liz,
I LOVED your blog, a friend posted the link on facebook and I am so glad she did. I can completely relate to what you are saying here as I too have felt this pressure. The main issues I have found are:
1) The set diet / menu & exercise plans are so regimented that if you fall outside of that, even for just one day and even if you have trained your butt off, you are still criticised which creates further negative self-talk, the type that you already have and are trying so hard to get rid of.
2) I have found personally (have seen many friends fall into the same trap) where if you deviate from it anyway then you have ‘failed’, and that sense of failure can set you up for the rest of the day and for some people the rest of the week. I know what I need to do as I’m a nurse who currently is just within my healthy weight range but would still like to lose 5kg’s to improve my overall health & well being.
3) The lack of emphasis on balance and the reinforced ‘talk’ by ‘professionals’ that you are not good enough, you need to improve no matter where your weight or fitness level is at. How can one move forward, or accept who they are as a person, believe in themselves if whatever they do is never quite good enough?
The knowledge for me wasn’t enough, I had retired from elite sport due to injury and over time the weight piled on. I knew for myself, still do, that for me I needed a challenge and a social way to connect with other like-minded people. What I have found however particularly with these challenges or groups to lose weight with specific diet / exercise plans that it becomes more than a challenge but an obsession.
Almost everyone is trying to beat the person beside them despite it’s your own personal journey. Each person is trying to ‘one-up’ the other by taking on bigger more extravagant challenges or experience as if to validate their worthiness to the group, maybe even to themselves. I left a group because of this, I admit initially I got caught up in this competition, after all it was one of the things I missed the most with my once extremely competitive lifestyle at an elite level.
It got to the point that I lost track of who I was as a person. Sure I lost the weight, yes I cleaned up my nutrition BUT I also burned myself out to the point I was sick for several months. My biggest competition was and has always been myself, comparing myself to how I used to be my entire life until a few years ago where everything fell apart. I don’t regret joining this group as I made many friends and it gave me the initial motivation I needed to get back on track. Unfortunately however instead of comparing to myself to how I used to be, competing against who I once was, I was also competing against every single person participating in this group.
Almost everyone fell into this trap, a small achievement didn’t seem ‘enough’ to be valued or for your work to be appreciated. Instead of the journey being about you, changing your circumstances and bettering yourself it turned into doing better than the person beside you. What is more scary is that this group (like many) it became about impressing, improving your sense of value / worth not to yourself but to those in the group. Once that happens the journey is no longer about you, it is about impressing others, doing it for other people, to belong when the journey needs to be about you.
It took me a few months to realise this (I lost 22kg’s in just over 3 months) and because of working so hard to keep up with everyone else, people who I admired and respected, I failed myself because I didn’t honour who I was as a person nor did I honour my body’s needs. I got way too obsessed with my training and nutrition.
I left the group (although still keep in touch with friends I have made) and that has made life for me a lot easier. I was able to concentrate more on my school work, my grades dramatically improved and so did almost everything else in my life. I had no balance at all when I began my journey back to good health because it was all about the challenge, the competition, keeping up with everyone until I realised there was no way I could with my serious health conditions.
Once you see people do 100km treks to 500km bike rides and other things, you realise that nothing you can do can amount to that level of ‘success’ or sense of achievement in the ‘groups eyes’. I realised that I needed to move on without the group as my ‘crutch’ focus on what my body needed at the time to restore especially after being hospitalised needing a couple of months due to my immune system being compromised dramatically. I was pushing myself beyond my limits, which is what they want you to do, it is something every trainer emphasises but for me who was an elite athlete, sometimes you just don’t know when to stop or pull the plug where it isn’t about failure or giving up, it’s about protecting your health.
I stopped training for several months and once uni finished for the year, I did the same thing, I trained like a mad woman. I got results and got to my goal weight. I however did this very very quickly where instead of getting sick, I ended up seriously injured. My muscles were so fatigued that I put further strain on my joints and past injuries where I now need several major surgical procedures purely because of the approach I had taken. I wasn’t ‘in the group’ but I had surrounded myself with group members where I focused all my efforts on turning back time to be where I used to be.
My first break from the rigorous training schedule, I didn’t put on any weight, in fact I lost small amounts each week BUT I had good sleeping habits and 90% of the time ate well with very little sugar in my diet (if any) and no caffeinated beverages such as V to sustain my energy levels (even if for a short time). I had balance in my life and despite not training as hard, really dialled it right back especially after being so sick, I did really well. So well that I figured after my exams I would get straight back into where I left off and that was my mistake.
My second break from training was forced upon me through a combination of serious injuries timed with starting my final year at uni (the most full on semester to date) did not allow me to train to the same extent I had previously. I had dropped my training schedule right off because I needed to spend my time focusing on my studies and my health. It worked, I received great marks and have remained out of hospital (still an outpatient but not in hospital). I did what I needed to do for me.
Yes I did put on weight, especially in my last month at uni with the poor food / drink choices (sugary foods & energy drinks like V to keep me awake in class) since some nights I was only getting 1-2hrs sleep. It really illustrated to me, especially over the last 5 months that what nutrition, exercise and everything else (including losing weight / gaining muscle mass), it’s about balance.
If one doesn’t have balance in their life then everything else will fall apart. If a person chooses to focus solely on their exercise and nutrition where it becomes an obsession, other parts of their life will suffer. I found this with my grades, ability to support friends / family, my health and even my own downtime. All of this is important and it became more evident to me in the last month than ever before. I thrive on challenges because without them, I don’t see the point in what I am doing because there has to be a reason for it, to excel, to win (that’s probably my athletic brain talking) and without it I become lost.
I feel these groups can help initially, to help instil the spark that you need to kick start your life as long as you don’t let it rule your life. You need to be adaptable, listen to your own body because everyone is different but most of all, you need to not compare yourself to others and I feel this is a common trap that many people fall into. I have seen many ‘give up’ where it becomes ‘too hard’ purely because they don’t feel their successes can match up to those around them. Maybe it would help if the fitness industry focused on these issues, the mental blocks people have and the struggles in overcoming them.
Most people know what they need to do in order to get to a health weight range, but the problem is, they don’t trust themselves enough with the knowledge that they do have. The trust is instead put into organisations, groups selling a product for their benefit, or personal trainers (not all are bad
) wanting people to be all they can be as long as they follow the strict regiment then they will be successful, not just in weight loss but as a person. When a person doesn’t follow this regime or ‘falls off the wagon’ or just simply thinks for themselves then they are not only beaten up by their own negative thought patterns but it is reinforced by those around them, especially group organisers (who tell them to grow some balls, suck it up and all of that stuff). It only reinforces the failure people feel inside so maybe if this is addressed, where individuals focus on their own journey rather than being lumped into a category, things will change for the better.
I know for me I struggled with everything I mentioned above, it took me while to figure it out but thankfully I did. The hardest thing for me now I think is to accept that I am no longer an elite athlete where I could achieve exceptional results or keep up the rigorous training schedule where it is no longer viable for my physical and emotional health. I am not saying these groups, organisations or pt’s aren’t great for society because they have helped many people along the way, even myself to a point. The problem arises when it is no longer a tool that you use to challenge yourself in a healthy way where it becomes an obsession and invades every part of your life (even those around you). I think there is a line and many do not know where to draw that line.
People still want to feel like they belong (I know I do, it’s human nature) so they continue with these groups, no longer thinking for themselves, allowing others to dictate their lives and become so obsessed with this way of living, that they are unable to see anything but the tasks others put before them. I do want to point out some are great as long as you remain in control and not fall into the common traps as mentioned previously.
I know for me I need to find a happy medium and balance in my life where I keep myself healthy without focusing on what other people are doing / achieving or on how I used to be. I think sometimes we are our own worst enemy and that can be made worse when we compare ourselves to other people doing the same training / nutrition program where the challenge turns into an obsession. I know I am my own worst enemy and that is something I am working on, yes I have put on weight again, but I did what I could with what I had and I did that well. I still weigh less than this time last year, even October last year so that’s a positive where once my semester finished, my nutrition dramatically improved because I was getting sleepy. I have been exceptionally busy but not to the point I was during the semester and now I am about to have a break (next week), I can spend some time working on an acceptable, reasonable non-obsessive training schedule that will improve my health but not override my own intuition.
All the obsession of exercise does is replace the other obsessions in our life to begin with, why do we need this obsession? What are we running away from? When is it enough to be happy / satisfied with where we are at physically in our lives? I am seeing more and more now of new training programs even for the fit / health person so they can be a better person inside and out. At what point do we draw the line and say enough is enough? I know for me, it was because I needed a challenge because I was already excelling in all other areas of my life, I couldn’t do any more than I was and I missed my competition days. I just need to channel that in a different way and thankfully because I now have a good group of friends, I no longer feel the need to belong or be accepted and this has dramatically changed the way I approached group activities / organisations or the need to ‘beat’ others at challenges or achievements. I have gone back to basics and to focus on meeting my own needs rather than what I think others want me to achieve.
If we ‘need’ these programs to be a better person because we aren’t fitter or strong enough, then at what point do we become the person that these companies tell us to be? When do we think for ourselves and say, hang on, I am at a healthy weight, I have a balanced life where I am happy with where I am at. At what point does thinking in this manner seem as detrimental to our overall sense of well being because we are in denial since we can always improve on our physical body and this in turn will make us a better person.
All of these things and advertisements by companies, assist in ensuring they get more sales because people will never be happy with where they are at in their lives or with their own bodies because they are constantly being told that you can be better, do better and if you don’t then you are failing yourself. It is as if we need to validate why we deserve to be here validate who we are as a person and that we are important when all we need to do is focus on ourselves rather than strive to achieve acceptance by others through accomplishing achievements, not for our benefit but for those around us.
Great article and I am impressed that a fitness professional is advising their readers to use their own brain, trust themselves with their journey unlike many organisations / groups out there. The moment we stop thinking for ourselves where following their line of thinking becomes an obsession is the moment that we lose who we are as a person and is the one time that we will disrespect our body, mind and soul.
Thank you for an awesome and enlightening article, speaking of sleep, that’s exactly where I am going to head right now!
Hi Chloe,
I am really honoured that you took the time to share your experiences with me (and my blog readers). You make some excellent points and the word that really stood out for me is “honour” – in the sense of honouring yourself – and nourishing your body, mind and spirit. I believe that ‘self honouring’ should be the cornerstone for a healthy, happy life – the training and nutrition are simply mechanical means to an end – and of course you know you can ‘skin a cat’ any which way you choose. But the path to self honour is about seeking truth and being true to yourself and your values. Then that leaves you far more freer to enjoy any training opportunities that come your way – I have to admit to being pretty competitive but moreso in a loving way towards myself – I celebrate when I’ve improved and have learned not to sweat it too much if I go backwards – which happens if I am unwell or injured
Thank you for sharing yourself and experiences so freely and beautifully. I hope you stick around
Cheers
Liz
Great post Liz and thanks for the reality check. I too have been getting really overwhelmed by my Facebook feed and actually find myself wondering if it’s worth studying so hard to be a dietician when the people who are getting listened to have no qualifications and I’ve seen dietitians being mocked. People don’t seem to understand that dietary guidelines are based on the best possible current evidence so it takes time for this evidence base to build and shifts to occur. Time for a cull I think! xx
Hi Steph,
It is worth it and now you’re studying dietetics, it’s probably heightened your awareness of the b.s factor. However if us well educated ones stick together and be quietly insistent about our way then we may just start a revolution.
xx
Hi Liz,
I personally don’t eat a lot of carbs, mainly starchy carbs pre and post workout but interesting to read another viewpoint. Thanks for sharing, saw your blog through a facebook wall post. I have bookmarked it
Fiona
Hi Fiona,
Thanks for bookmarking my blog – I hope you enjoy it. Cheers, Liz 
I’m of the ‘moderate carb’ school of thought with most carbs coming from vegetables and fruit. I do eat grains but probably only 1-2 serves a day depending on my mood and how hard I’m training
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