Happy Marvelous In My Monday!
Let's start the week off right! Today, I share my opinion on something very prevalent in society...
There's really no question that the pressure to be skinny is quite clearly evident in our society. All we see these days are statuesque models who are so svelte, or extremely shredded people on billboards supporting this new fad diet.
I recently saw this on Pinterest and it just boggles my mind:
This is not an ad promoting how to look like the girl on the left. It is promoting looking like the right. Back in the day, the 'curvy' look was all the hype. Women deemed too skinny didn't really get the jobs (or the men, for that matter) as much as their curvier counterparts. A round booty and a 'thicker' look in general was favored. Marilyn Monroe, a curvy and gorgeous women, was the epitome of beauty back in the day. Fun fact: she did strength training.
The proof is in the picture:
Fast forward 50 years and now all we see is skinny women. My heart breaks when I hear about another supermodel or person in general die of anorexia or any other type of disorder simply for the sake of being skinny.
And I should mention how disgusting and repulsive I think the work "skinny" is. It's just my opinion, but I think it is better to be fit than "skinny."
In my own personal history, I would've died to be "skinny" about a year and a half to two years ago. My thought process was that if I was "skinny" I would be accepted and boys would like me more. I would have more friends and be popular. I did hours upon hours on the elliptical because I thought cardio was the only way to be "skinny."
This is not abnormal thinking for a pre-teen, unfortunately. It is truly my belief that girls suffering from eating disorders or poor self esteem in general should use weight training to recover.
What?
Hear me out. When I went through my phase of desire to be skinny, I would look at women who had the slightest bit of muscle disturbing. I would never see a single woman step into my gym's weight room and that empowered me to do more cardio. If other women aren't doing it, why should I? The only women I saw back there were my trainer and her friend, and at the time I thought they looked way too muscular.
I didn't want to eat much and exercised all the time. When I realized I was just heading down the wrong path, I decided to do my research. I looked all over the web for numerous studies on what was the best way to work out. What I came across shocked me. With informative websites, a big one being bodybuilding.com, I read hundreds of studies and articles promoting lifting weights. It built lean muscle that torched calories all day. That intrigued me.
I decided to add some weights to my crazy cardio routine. Yes, that's right, I was still doing the cardio. I still believed it would help me on my adventure to fitness. I could barely shoulder press 10 lbs. in each hand or curl 7.5 lb. dumbbells. I would lift weights for about 45 minutes, and then do another hour of cardio on the elliptical. I was basically in the gym for an hour and 45 minutes each day.
When I realized my body was not functioning properly, I decided to take action. I contacted my trainer, Mary, and before long I was lifting weights with her. She told me no more than 2-3 days of cardio a week. I was shocked. That little cardio? But doesn't cardio make you fit? That's when I learned that there are different components of fitness, and cardiovascular exercise was just one piece of the puzzle. I had to do strength training, and I had to do it right.
Ever since then, I am learning something new about strength training each and every single day that empowers me to keep lifting, build muscle, and stay happy. I have been so much more happy doing more strength training. I'm not saying not to do cardio, because it is still important, but my outlook on cardio has definitely changed.
For this reason, I think girls (and boys) diagnosed with any self esteem problems or eating disorders need to be put on a strength training plan. It seems ridiculous as it is really hard to change the mindset of people suffering from this. But if they learn what it's made up of, they will change. They will learn that food is FUEL and to eat the right amount. They will learn the importance of muscle and why people should have it, instead of letting the muscle waste away. They will learn how the endorphins of weight training cannot compare to anything, instead of being miserable on some ridiculous cardio machine. They will learn that their body is their temple, and when they put good in, they get good out (both mentally and physically). They will learn so much that will completely alter their views.
I plan on speaking to a big group of girls and boys about this. Stop mentally and physically killing yourself. Start learning the facts.
It has helped me, and I know it can help others. Who's with me? :)
Question: If you started weight training after suffering from self esteem issues or an eating disorder, did it help you? If you love lifting weights, why do you love it? And if you don't strength train, what is your reasoning not to?
I'd love to hear some opinions!
***DISCLAIMER: I am not saying that unless you put someone struggling with these issues on a strength training plan, they will never recover. There is no magic recovery process. One suffering ALWAYS has to find what works for them.***
This is a great post! I took a class where we looked at all those ads that said female bodies were more desired not being stick thin.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, it's amazing how there were products back then to PUT ON pounds for vanity and these days it's about stripping them off!
DeleteYESSSS!!!! Weight training definitely helped me get into a better frame of mind when I was recovering from my ED. I gained the mentality of food being fuel for the muscles I so desperately wanted-- no longer was it the enemy. It made the weight gain process so much easier, and it boosted my self-esteem because I realized I was stronger than I gave myself credit for (mentally and physically). I wish more people had your view, imagine what the world would be like if healthy bodies were uplifted and skinny was looked down upon!
ReplyDeleteSuch a great post Britt, you rock!
Yes! We're kind of brought up to view food as something to celebrate with, or console oneself with, when in reality it is FUEL for your body, but that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed. :) You are so strong; your picture on Instagram this morning was incredible. My eyes were popping out looking at how awesome your muscles have developed! Thanks so much :)
DeleteMarilyn worked out in jeans, eh? Haha, well this is really interesting - I wish the shift would happen where it's better to be curvy (mainstream) than skinny. Although I believe there is a slight shift toward being more fit than skinny, I can see that there is still an overwhelming focus placed on being skinny. sigh.
ReplyDeleteHehe, you're so right, this was probably for a photo shoot ;) But she did strength train nonetheless! And yes, I completely agree. Skinny skinny skinny. I wish I could've lived back then. I'm sure the trend of eating disorders was not as prevalent!
DeleteStrength training has definitely helped ME with my self-esteem issues. I'm glad I found your blog, because I'm 15 years old, too, and more buff than some people at my gym. Ever since lifting and getting stronger, I've started to feel more empowered. I realized that MY desire to be skinny (like you said, the want to be skinny isn't rare in adolescents) was founded on false assumptions that THAT was beautiful and healthy.
ReplyDeleteI admit, though, that I have a problem with going overboard on cardio until now. I do about 10-20 minutes of cardio even before a 45 minute lifting/circuit session. What do YOU do on those days that you lift for a warm-up thing, then? Do you just stretch and then move on to the lifting? Do you run, bike, go on the elliptical at all when you lift? Thanks a lot for this great post! :D Thanks for blogging! You make me feel like I'm not alone in blogging about this stuff at our age! :)
Oh my gosh there is light at the end of the tunnel. Another blogger my age! Hoorah. :D I could not agree more with you. I feel so much more confident when I strength train. I am so glad that you realized that being 'skinny' doesn't necessarily mean you are healthy and happy! You rock girl!
DeleteWhen I lift, which is primarily what I do these days, I typically do a 5 to 10 minute warm-up simply just to get the blood flow going to my muscles. My goal is not to get sweaty; it is simply a strategy used to prepare my muscles for the hell I am about to put them through. ;) I do exercises such as jump squats, jump lunges, regular or reverse lunges, bodyweight squats, mountain climbers, etc. Occasionally on leg day I will hop on the elliptical just to get things moving, but no more than 5-10 minutes. Believe me, I know once you get going you just want to keep on it. But remember your goal!
Thank YOU for blogging with me :) There needs to be more girls our age talking about this stuff!
Great post! There are some studies coming out recently about how strength training is effective for treating moderate eating disorders. I think lifting can change everyone's life. That's awesome you want to speak to others about all this because people just need the knowledge!
ReplyDeleteYay! I am so glad that there is research going into this. Strength training prevented me from diving head first straight into a black hole. Lifting gives me so much happiness! I want to hug all the people spending hours on cardio machines and hand them a dumbbell. But it takes easing into! Thanks for the feedback! :)
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