by Laura Gordon
Get this. I just went online on one of social media accounts today and I scrolled through my feed just to look at random updates. I didn’t really have a specific motive for opening my account; I just wanted to do something to refresh my mind. You see, I was writing at the time and I was looking for something to inspire me. Then, an ad randomly showed up on my screen and – wouldn’t you guess? It was about fitness. It was my medium and it came up at just the right time. So I’m going to tell you all that I remember seeing from that 15-second advertisement:
There was this girl doing push-ups with her already muscular arms and another girl doing sit-ups with her already toned abs. Then, they show like a calendar that sort of jumps to two weeks later and they show the girls again enjoying a salad, looking happy with all the “progress” they made.
So, that’s about everything I can remember about the ad but one thing I will never ever forget was how that 15-second vid made me feel. Well, to cut the long story short, the whole thing made me upset. Why? Just for the sole reason that it feels foolish. I mean, why on earth would the ad show two muscular and well-toned girls’ fitness journey? Was there a journey to begin with? I don’t think it works that way – and the magic especially doesn’t happen in two weeks. Well, in this case, I guess it does. There was nothing to lose to begin with!
I know that the goal here is to provide some motivation. To show an actual person who looks a little too perfect and allow people to dream that they can achieve the exact same thing. However, how do companies expect people to get motivated when they’re already pushing the bar too high by showing unrealistic body goals? When a 150-pound woman goes with that workout and finds out two weeks later that she just lost a little over 5 pounds after doing so many workouts and dieting, wouldn’t she feel betrayed and hopeless? Wouldn’t she think it’s futile and just give up on the change of lifestyle completely? They will think it’s not working and that all their efforts are for naught because they’re not beginning to look like those skimpy girls shown in the advertisements.
Instead of motivating, I think the ad accomplishes the exact opposite. Instead of showing “size two” models who look like they haven’t eaten anything but carrots in over two years, I bet it’s about time we show something a little more realistic – something ordinary people, like myself, can relate to and resonate with. Yes, we need to show the world some realism.
But hey, going on social media and seeing that ad was not a waste of time for me. At the very least, I was able to get some inspiration. I knew right then and there what to write about today. I may not have come across the idea normally but it sure got me thinking about the big things. So today, let’s be real. From one person struggling with keeping fit to another, let me share to you diet and fitness advice I learned the hard way. Don’t worry though; I got my happy ending – special mention to Diet Fitness King for helping me out.
How To Diet When You’re Hungry All The Time
It’s a struggle – I should know. I’m the type of person who’d eat 6 times a day if I’m allowed to. And no, none of those meals can be classified as snacks. They would all be heavy meals because, you know, that’s just who I am. So, cold turkey diets don’t really work for me. You know those diet plans that hardly even classify as a plan since you just give up eating overall? That’s what I’m talking about. Those never work for me because I just give up three days later and head to a local ice cream shop to get 12 scoops of ice cream to comfort myself. This makes things worse for me in the long run.
So if you’re hungry all the time, like me, I suggest that you don’t cut back on eating and instead, be more selective with the kinds of food you eat. This way, you can keep munching to no end but still maintain your weight. Think fruits and greens – you can never go wrong with those.
How To Exercise When You’re Tired All The Time
As for exercising, one of my biggest problems is getting tired before I even begin to do anything – at all. Just thinking about sit-ups, push-ups, and jumping jacks is enough to exasperate me to death. So I end up hurting my morale and I quit trying. If you’re like me, the best way to handle this is to create a schedule that works for you – like a rhythm, perhaps. It could be a simple 30-minute routine before going to bed or a 15-minute fast jog soon after you get up in the morning. It doesn’t matter if you start with little exercises. What matters is that you start somewhere; all the other details can follow.
How To Diet When You Love To Cook
If it seems like your inner chef isn’t letting you have your way with dieting, simply divert your passions to healthier ingredients. It’s hard to “not eat” when you’re the best cook in town so instead of refraining from your kitchen duties, you just have to make compromises. Who knows? You might even get to discover a world of food that’ll captivate your heart all over again. Try vegan cooking or pescatarian creations. You might find yourself liking it. If not, there are still many other things you can try like soya dishes, vegetable meat, and hey, maybe get into Vietnamese cuisine. They’re heavy on greens. Anyway, just go mild or go wild!
Laura Gordon is a full time writer and fitness fanatic. She is currently working on her first book (a 30 day fitness plan) and is also known for her crazy fitness routines that get awesome results.