Practice what you preach

The ideas floating around my head lately are driving me crazy. I have so much I want to say, but I am not taking the time to write about it.  Let’s start with this title though.

As both a member of the health and fitness industry for a number of years and being fully immersed in a disordered eating ridden industry I think this is a subject worth bringing up.  And as the title says, practice what you preach.

This came to me while I was entering the gym the other day. Of all places the gym would be one where you expect to see an environment that encourages healthy behavior. But to my dismay, not all the staff are on board. As a matter of fact walking through the entrance the manager and of the personal trainers were smoking, and eating a chocolate bar.  Now as I have previously mentioned if you want to cheat do so within reason.  This is a league of its own though creating an image contrary to what you are selling. 

Tell me if I am wrong, but would you like to see the person training you partaking in such activities? These vices are human, but choose a time and place to do this. 

It’s well known and documented that the modeling industry is chock full of eating disorders and obsessive eating habits. While this is changing it is still in a brutal state. Korea is no exception to this, as a matter of fact looks and your waist size are very important to people here. So these habits are likely more pronounced here. 

Most of this relates to terrible agents saying terrible things. The result: Half a tomato for breakfast and a chocolate bar for dinner. I kid you not this is the diet of some models.  I cringe when I discover this and put in huge efforts to help educate these girls (many of which come from uneducated backgrounds).  For men its frequently cutting carbs and working out tons with an end result the same, malnourishment.  Of course malnourishment will lead to a number of health problems, but the tell tale signs are chronic fatigue, brain fog and moving forward with women amenorrhea (loss of or irregular period).

I hope to do whatever I can to help change both these images. Sometimes the message gets across and other times its ignored. Usually its because some friend lost 10 lbs (which didn’t need to be lost) drinking cayenne, lemon juice and maple syrup or some other ridiculous snake oil. 

The best tool that I use and we can all use is leading through example. Frequently I will share experiences of new recipes or new foods (my next post will be a total Korean culture explosion). Creating a healthy relationship with food through example I personally feel is one of the best methods to stem change. Activity is crucial to long term health but no one needs to lock you into the gym to achieve that, we all find something fun be it boxing, ballet or yoga, your method matters not.

Let’s take a look at goals once again, I like looking back at my progress as you should as well:

-       well I am sitting in a coffee shop in Seoul drinking an incredible tea (it tastes like Swedish berries, my favourite candy and I can’t even buy it here.)

-     -   I managed to get my hikes in and even ventured through a park here in Korea

-      -  My body fat didn’t get to where I set my goal. That’s okay though, I will strive to improve because evidently decreasing the food wasn’t the smartest move (altered eating habits turned thing negatively)

Weight loss can and is without a doubt a challenge. Sometimes because we are trying to unnecessarily lose something that need not bed lost. Other times, we aren’t ready for change and sometimes we just don’t have the tools yet.  Of course if you don’t have the right tools for the job, you can always ask.

There are always hypocrites out there, ones that will tell me I don’t know what it’s like. Well you are right, I have never struggled with being over weight myself.  But saying I don’t know is completely false as I have put in the time to understand and motivate close to a thousand people towards the changes I feel so strongly about. Many of them check in or even this this blog themselves.

The reason I don’t struggle could be a good metabolism, but could the biggest reason be, I practice what I preach?