American Fitness Professionals & Associates

By Laura O’Reilly

What: Having a healthy image of our bodies and accepting ourselves in spite of our imperfections.

Why: Women’s magazines tell us that we can have it all- a perfect life, a perfect mate and a perfect career if we just lose those 10 or 20 pounds we so desperately need to drop. Advertisers bombard us with products to sell to help us lose our unwanted pounds. The reed thin models in clothing and cosmetics ads fuel our desire to be as sleek and lithe as they are. According to recent research, fashion models are 23% thinner than the average woman. The ideal body type presented to us in women’s magazines and on television often has a negative impact on women, young and old, by making them feel dissatisfied with their own bodies. Trying to have a body that resembles an ultra young and ultra thin model (with, in many cases, poor eating habits) is unrealistic and unhealthy. According to a research group, Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, 1 in 4 college aged women uses unhealthy methods such as, skipping meals, over-exercising, laxatives and self induced vomiting to control their weight.

A lifetime of health: Our eating and exercise habits of today will determine the health of our bones, tissues and organs in later years. When our immune systems become compromised from malnourishment we are prone to illness and infection. Getting regular exercise and meeting our body’s requirements with nutrition (without overeating) helps us to reach our ideal healthy body weight to keep us looking and feeling good.

Weighing in: Weighing ourselves too frequently may lead to obsession about our weight. Women’s weight tends to fluctuate slightly due to hormonal changes and water retention. If you are strength training and building muscle, your weight will increase slightly because muscle mass weighs more than fat. Increased muscle mass also increases the metabolism and keeps the body burning fat around the clock. Don’t let the numbers on the scale dictate your life. If your body fat percentage is in a healthy range and your body mass index falls within the norms (a BMI chart usually found in a doctor’s office explains what your weight should be according to your height and frame), there’s no need to weigh what you did when you went to the junior prom. Weigh in once a month after menstruation, or once a week if you prefer to monitor more frequently. Weigh yourself in your underwear at the same time of day on the same scale.

Work it out: Working out helps to balance the appetite, burn calories and improve overall fitness. The sense of accomplishment that comes from regular exercise gives you confidence that carries over into how you feel about yourself and how others perceive you.

Accentuate the positive: Look at the big picture and give yourself a break. Being less picky about the body parts you do not like allows you to look at the whole amazing person that you are and can be.