02/04/2022
Go Fitness is a place where we can just be ourselves and get better, no matter what that means to each of us. This was posted by a colleague, Michael Gray. He approved reposting. It is worth the read and pondering over.
We can all get better at something. If that's your aim, our gym family may be the place for you to train, share and improve. Good luck and good read. If you have questions, feel free to reach out.
"At a young age I adopted the belief that my body determined my value. And that my body looking a specific way was a direct reflection of how much I cared about my health and myself.
This only got worse when I became a trainer.
Once I started training clients, I felt on display. I remember hearing some trainers that I looked up to say things like, "your body is your business card".
Now, not only did I believe that my body was the thing that determined my worth, but I also believed it had a direct impact on my ability to provide for my family.
The pressure to be and stay lean was very high. And guess what happened when that pressure got so high?
I became even more willing to be unkind to both myself and my body in an effort to be healthy, be a "good example" to my clients, and be successful in my career.
I weighed myself daily. Sometimes more often. And the number on the scale determined how I felt about myself each day.
I went hungry, sometimes for hours, because it wasn't time for me to eat. And eating when I "shouldn't" meant I was weak, and would result in undesirable weight gain.
I would punish myself with exercise for overeating, and make room for going out to eat by exercising extra hard beforehand.
I exercised out of obligation rather than out of a love for moving my body.
I would frequently eat past comfort and fullness because I was only operating in extremes.
And I would belittle myself in an effort to keep myself "motivated".
This is why I'm so big on self-kindness. I know how hard it is to try and be healthier with unkindness as a foundation. I've experienced first-hand how it continually falls apart.
I can confidently say that the only way to step outside of that vicious cycle that leaves you exhausted, empty, desperate, and hopeless is to build your goals on a foundation of kindness.
If you've tried getting healthier by being unkind to yourself, expecting perfection, and have discovered that this approach never works out, it's time to do something different. It's time to chase health out of love for yourself instead of desperation.
If you're ready, I'm here."