Health magazines. I used to love them, now I hate them. Kayla talked about this yesterday, and I have to echo it because my hatred has been building up and I’ve learned over the years that bottling things up isn’t good for the soul.
I’m crazy guilty of once being a worshipper of Fitness Magazine. All of the titles on the front, I bought into and really believed that I could walk away every bulge in 3 weeks. Um, I don’t think that’s possible AT ALL, and the only way I can conceive that working is if you sacrifice healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle.
Those fat-melting plans, I followed like nobody’s business because if I just did the moves the models were doing and ate what they ate, I’d achieve the same body as them. Little did I know that the models are hired because they have that body, they’re not success stories. I followed their diet plans, which prescribe like a 1000 calorie-a-day diet, which is NOT healthy for a girl my age and my size. Mind you, this was back in highschool where my body needed proper fueling to grow and mature.
This goes beyond just Fitness Magazine. All of the magazines advertise these gimmicks on “how to lose weight” and “just do these 5 things and you’ll look like Cameron Diaz”. Their information isn’t always false-they do have good recipes and moves to shake-up a workout-but it is obviously not healthy to lose 20 pounds in a month.
I was reading More Magazine a few days ago, and after reading this article, it made me realize how dumb I was for believing all of the scams all these years!
They interviewed a “diet guru” Lyn-Genet Recitas (red flag right there) and from what I understand, her approach to achieving a healthy weight is based on allergic reactions to foods. Some foods will cause a response in your body that will lead to a small weight gain, so all you have to do is recognize that and cut that food out of your diet. This is what got me infuriated:
“I’d estimate that 95 percent of the people I work with can’t eat oatmeal without gaining a substantial amount of weight. It can cause two days’ worth of constipation and particularly affects my migraine sufferers.”
Oatmeal is my BFF and she’s hating on it big time. What happened to oatmeal being the friend that lowers cholesterol, has fiber, helps maintain fullness, and tastes like heaven no matter how you eat it????? If I was still living by the mags, that would mean cutting out oatmeal which is not okay with me.
The problem with the magazines is that they group everyone together, and make us believe that eating these foods and staying away from those activities will make us all clones-115 pounds, 2% body fat, tan, slender, strong. But we’re all different! Obviously it would be impossible for them to individualize everything, and their magazine wouldn’t sell if they said that everyone is different, so not everyone can look like the model. It upset me just a tad that they make so much money off girls who believe they’re not good enough as they are and have to do this and that to look like the covergirl. And if they don’t, then they’re obviously not pretty, fit, or healthy. So false.
Now as I step off my soapbox, here are some food pictures that make me happy. No, I will not stick to a 1500 calorie a day diet. I’m going to eat what I want, when I want and if it’s not a “superfood” that will help me lose weight, who the heck cares?!
sweet tater with almond butter and cinnamon, asian-style veggies with salsa, and a peach-strawberry protein smoothie
birthday dindin-salmon roll & tuna avocado roll, wth a side of teriyaki shrimp
raspberry chobani topped with lots of Kashi and blackberries (i promise there's yogurt underneath somewhere!)
microwave oat cakes topped with white chocolate dreams and apple butter
PS, I accomplished one of my August goals last night. Great success. I stayed out way later than normal even though my skewed mind told me to stay home and get some sleep. After a fun night at the drive-in, I refrained from setting my alarm for the morning to see what happened. Guess who slept until 9:30?! This girl. Honestly, this has never happened that I can remember. But it felt gooooooood, even though I still don’t understand how people do it everyday! I don’t have to feel fat, or lazy, or unhealthy because I did it one night either. Love making progress!
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Do you read health & fitness magazines? What do you think of them?
my Sole will be Satisfied 
GREAT post!!! i hateeeee those fad diet mags!
yes yes yes. I hate them too! it’s all a bunch of BS… I must admit though I still buy them just to read on the treadmill or elliptical, I prefer the muscle and fitness hers and oxygen over shape & fitness… and of course all food magazines > every other magazine.
A-freakin-men girl! Ugh. I used to read those magazines religiously, and while I never followed their plans 100%, they definitely influenced my choices. Lately, though, I’ve ditched them all. I can’t stand all of their suggestions to use 5 lb weights and eat like a bird. I lift heavy and eat like a horse, and I wouldn’t have it any other way 😀
LOVE this post and you and your attitude!
Woo!! High five lady! I’m so with you, those mags can be so deadly, I hate how low cal is worshipped and deemed healthy. I like my nut butters thank you very much haha I think your attitude is phenomenal, keep it up bud!
By the way, your blackberry kashi bowl idea is amazing!!! I just bought blackberries today, so I’m making that for a snack later 😉
This post is awesome. I do read Self magazine, but I can also recognize that some of their tips are complete crap and totally bad advice. I do still like the magazine though, I do feel like that they are way more realistic than fitness and women’s health etc. And, I could never give up oatmeal.
Great post…i tend to steer clear of health magazines.
Congratulations on achieving one of your August goals. Keep at it!
Preach it sister! What a great post, everything you wrote is so true. I read Runner’s world and that’s pretty much it 🙂 Those microwaved oatcakes lok great by the way 🙂
I’ve recently given up “those” magazines, too. The only one I still stick to is Runner’s World, because I do think it has some good running tips and reasonable recipes (i.e. enough calories to actually fuel a run!).
I think magazines can be a tool for starting a healthy lifestyle, but they are a “slippery slope.” It’s easy to get locked in to following a plan that might not be best for you.
sucha good post! sometimes i LOVE magazines that promote being HEALTHY and fit (kina like oxygen) but HATE the ones that promote the 1200 cal diet plans, ugh.. they need to go away!
I was seriously saying “YES” throughout this WHOLE post. Amen sister.