Fitness. Fitness. Fitness. Are you shuddering yet? I think it's indicative of our general attitude towards exercise that once I decided what I was writing in my next post, rather than get on and write it, I spent 15mins researching 'Fitness' images on Google. I'm still lethargic, and now I hate my abs. Good work Google.
I have fought for years with an extremely unhealthy way of eating and body image, which I can probably pin point to being raised seeing snacks as something terrible and bad for you, and having to ask permission for a packet of crisps, which was usually given but with a disappointed look and a warning about getting fat. My brothers would constantly tease me about me being overweight, when I wasn't at the time, and every time I looked in the mirror I would see a fat girl, so I stopped looking. When I went to boarding school, we were given a weekly allowance, which invariably would be spent on snack foods or fast food, and our 6th Form Centre had snack machines which would take the place of lunch more often than not. I would kid myself that I was dieting because I wasn't eating proper meals, but 6 packets of crisps and 3 chocolate bars carries a lot more calories than a balanced meal, and I quickly began to pile on the pounds.
Exercise wasn't really my bag at school, but I did love swimming, and swam for my county and my country on occasion; I loved hockey and was team captain for a couple of years, but somehow managed to make up in aggression what I lacked in movement. Horse riding was another favourite, but it's difficult to shed weight when you're only going once a week; this changed when I started being more active at university and going almost every day, even leading up to training horses myself. I became a secret snacker, hiding in my room or a toilet, devouring junk food quickly and then claiming not to have eaten anything that day. My friends would try to reassure me, but I could never eat in front of people. I would pick at meals in the school canteen, longing to go back to my room and eat in peace.
University was helpful for me - not enough money for snacks, and the halls of residence provided food if you could drag yourself out of bed to go and fetch it. The problem was the drinking - when you're out every night until 5am, and then sleep until 5pm, it's not the healthiest of diets. I lost some weight, but not nearly enough, and I still wasn't really exercising, unless you count dancing of course.
I think you can tell where this is heading, but the thing that changed both my body image and my method of eating, was diving. It is very difficult to deal with being in a bikini when you are unhappy with your body, and luckily I picked the right place to work on it!! Utila was a haven for me - 5 dives a day with almost no time to eat in between, and when you do eat it's in front of everyone or not at all. The shops weren't exactly stocked with snack foods, and a tan makes everything look better. I dropped from a size 16 to a size 12 in 3 months and when I went back to the UK the first thing I did was join a gym. I'm not saying I used to go all the time, but it definitely made my wallet lighter.
Now I'm still a long way from perfect with my eating or exercising habits, but I'm a hell of a lot better than I used to be 15 years ago, even 5 years ago. I'm 30 now and everyone used to tell me that that's the most difficult age to jump on the exercise bandwagon but people, don't believe them, I'm probably in the best shape of my life! Age has absolutely fuck all to do with it - if you have the right mindset, you can exercise until you're 100 if your body is willing. As my friend, our new personal trainer, was telling me the other day, Sir Steve Redgrave claims that your body can continue until you throw up and pass out, it's your mind that tries to stop you.
I still snack in private, but in much smaller quantities, and my meals are regular and balanced. I try and do some physical exercise every day - an example, this week I've done Pilates, snorkeling, a core session, aquarobics, a cardio session, and tonight I'll probably get in the pool again. My advice is to mix it up because I get bored very easily, and the only thing that stops me is losing the motivation. I'm now a respectable size 10, but I have a lot of muscle, thanks to diving primarily, and a strong body is the key to a strong mind.
As the lady's ass above says - if you want it, work for it. Don't expect good health to come in the mail, because that is a package that will never deliver. Keep diving, remember your students look to you as a fitness professional (unfortunately guys, that is what you are), but diving alone is not enough - moderate your alcohol intake, moderate your carbohydrate intake, get in that gym, swim some lengths, run a mile, run cross country, RUN FORREST RUN!! And I'm off to ice my abs and stab the medicine ball so she doesn't make me use it again...
Join me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/adventuresofadivinginstructor
I have fought for years with an extremely unhealthy way of eating and body image, which I can probably pin point to being raised seeing snacks as something terrible and bad for you, and having to ask permission for a packet of crisps, which was usually given but with a disappointed look and a warning about getting fat. My brothers would constantly tease me about me being overweight, when I wasn't at the time, and every time I looked in the mirror I would see a fat girl, so I stopped looking. When I went to boarding school, we were given a weekly allowance, which invariably would be spent on snack foods or fast food, and our 6th Form Centre had snack machines which would take the place of lunch more often than not. I would kid myself that I was dieting because I wasn't eating proper meals, but 6 packets of crisps and 3 chocolate bars carries a lot more calories than a balanced meal, and I quickly began to pile on the pounds.
Exercise wasn't really my bag at school, but I did love swimming, and swam for my county and my country on occasion; I loved hockey and was team captain for a couple of years, but somehow managed to make up in aggression what I lacked in movement. Horse riding was another favourite, but it's difficult to shed weight when you're only going once a week; this changed when I started being more active at university and going almost every day, even leading up to training horses myself. I became a secret snacker, hiding in my room or a toilet, devouring junk food quickly and then claiming not to have eaten anything that day. My friends would try to reassure me, but I could never eat in front of people. I would pick at meals in the school canteen, longing to go back to my room and eat in peace.
University was helpful for me - not enough money for snacks, and the halls of residence provided food if you could drag yourself out of bed to go and fetch it. The problem was the drinking - when you're out every night until 5am, and then sleep until 5pm, it's not the healthiest of diets. I lost some weight, but not nearly enough, and I still wasn't really exercising, unless you count dancing of course.
I think you can tell where this is heading, but the thing that changed both my body image and my method of eating, was diving. It is very difficult to deal with being in a bikini when you are unhappy with your body, and luckily I picked the right place to work on it!! Utila was a haven for me - 5 dives a day with almost no time to eat in between, and when you do eat it's in front of everyone or not at all. The shops weren't exactly stocked with snack foods, and a tan makes everything look better. I dropped from a size 16 to a size 12 in 3 months and when I went back to the UK the first thing I did was join a gym. I'm not saying I used to go all the time, but it definitely made my wallet lighter.
Now I'm still a long way from perfect with my eating or exercising habits, but I'm a hell of a lot better than I used to be 15 years ago, even 5 years ago. I'm 30 now and everyone used to tell me that that's the most difficult age to jump on the exercise bandwagon but people, don't believe them, I'm probably in the best shape of my life! Age has absolutely fuck all to do with it - if you have the right mindset, you can exercise until you're 100 if your body is willing. As my friend, our new personal trainer, was telling me the other day, Sir Steve Redgrave claims that your body can continue until you throw up and pass out, it's your mind that tries to stop you.
I still snack in private, but in much smaller quantities, and my meals are regular and balanced. I try and do some physical exercise every day - an example, this week I've done Pilates, snorkeling, a core session, aquarobics, a cardio session, and tonight I'll probably get in the pool again. My advice is to mix it up because I get bored very easily, and the only thing that stops me is losing the motivation. I'm now a respectable size 10, but I have a lot of muscle, thanks to diving primarily, and a strong body is the key to a strong mind.
As the lady's ass above says - if you want it, work for it. Don't expect good health to come in the mail, because that is a package that will never deliver. Keep diving, remember your students look to you as a fitness professional (unfortunately guys, that is what you are), but diving alone is not enough - moderate your alcohol intake, moderate your carbohydrate intake, get in that gym, swim some lengths, run a mile, run cross country, RUN FORREST RUN!! And I'm off to ice my abs and stab the medicine ball so she doesn't make me use it again...
Join me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/adventuresofadivinginstructor
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