Am I healthy? Yes. Am I fitness star? Not yet.
I became a Pilates instructor because I wanted to help people live better lives. I had a core group of about 30 clients and they were doing great, but I wanted to help more people. I was always being asked questions about new studies or other news items and I wanted to help people cut through the hooey and get to real fitness. So I started this blog.
Thankfully my blog has grown beyond my wildest dreams and I’m once again feeling the urge to expand my reach. I’ve been playing around with some workout videos on my YouTube channel and received some positive feedback. My goal is to get effective, safe, and fun workouts out and available to folks. So on or about September 26th, I’ll be walking into a TV studio in a very fitted outfit and talking to the camera with authority, hoping you’ll follow along.
Yup, I’ll be filming for a fitness DVD. But here’s the thing … right now I’m a size 8/10. Healthy, yes, but NOT fitness model size.
Fitness Industry Reality
The hard truth is that if you’re going to be successful on camera in the fitness industry, you have to look the part. Every inch needs to be sculpted. I’ve seen over and over again people with barely any skills except for a bad ass body who are all over the media. Every time I post a question on Facebook or Twitter asking my followers “Does a fitness instructor have to look fit?” the answer is a resounding yes! ”Who wants to be inspired by someone with cellulite?” or “They need to walk the walk for me to believe them!” are the kinds of replies I get. (Trust me, I’ve done it.)
Truth be told, I’d like to lose 10 pounds before I go in front of the lights and I’ve been struggling with this weight for months now. I lose a little, I gain a little … I’ve been playing with the same five pounds forever. It’s driving me crazy, and when I look at my body, I definitely want to see a few changes. Actually when I look at my “before” photo, I see my Mom (who I love dearly). But oh my God, I’m not ready to go there yet.
Body Image Issues
I do not run with the hard body crowd. As a 45-year-old Mom in a Boston suburb, hard bodies are as rare as unicorns. (OK, not quite, but you know what I mean …) I’m way more likely to encounter a muffin top than a six pack. Do you need to be a hard body to be healthy? Absolutely not! Are there lots of normal-sized women out there who are making a difference to their audiences? Yes! Do any of them have successful DVDs that help them get the message out? Erm, no … and therein lies the rub. If I want to say something positive to a group of women trying to live healthfully, I need to get down to the hard body.
60-Day Countdown
So I’m through week one of a 60-day countdown to get in DVD shape. I’ll be sharing videos on YouTube regularly, one a weekly confessional, and one a workout that you can do along with me. Some of these workouts might make it into segments of the two videos that I’m filming (one is Pilates-based and the other’s “theme” is still being finalized) and some of them will just be for fun.
For those of you curious, I plan to follow the guidelines included in “The Smarter Science of Slim” to get to my goals. I’ll also be doing this entire process without the use of protein powders or supplements. This is all about eating real food and being active to lose weight and stay fit.
I’ll also be exploring issues of weight loss and body image here on the blog every week. I hope you’ll follow along. Please feel free to comment below. I know this is a loaded topic, so I request that people just keep it respectful.
Also, check out my YouTube channel to follow my progress. Here’s my first short clip where I talk further about the what and why of what I’ll be going through over the next two months.
Cheers,
Lisa
Read all the posts on my journey to becoming the star of a fitness DVD.
Twitter
I like that you are doing it without powders and supplements – I have about 15 lbs to go before my “goal” and I’ve decided I’m over the mystery powders – even the most natural are highly processed. Anyway – looking forward to your story, I think people have a mis conception and think well if you’re already healthy etc its just easier for you – uhhh no – why do you think those last 10-15 lbs are the hardest to loose – b/c you’re already eating well and working out and it’s hard to take it to that next level at that point.
Yep, that’s pretty much where I’ve been for the last year! Thanks for putting it that way … it makes me feel better. L–
Hi Lisa
loved the Hollywood arms, will be trying it out. So pleased to see it’s not another set of those chair push ups for your bingo wings.
My favorite instructor on yogaglo.com is Felicia Tomasko. She does not have a Lululemon body — but she is a fit, amazing woman! Hopefully more people can see what “real” fitness is. :)
First of all, yay for you!! That’s exciting. :)
Frankly, I appreciate your honesty and transparency. I have some pretty extreme body image issues and it’s something I try to tackle slowly, day by day. So, I get it.
I wish you well and look forward to following along and seeing the final product (10 lbs lighter or not!).
Sh, lol, bingo wings … haven’t heard that one in a while. I do try to stay creative. Plus the Pilates training really helps with the diversity. :)
Lisa thanks for pointing out others who aren’t “Hollywood perfect” but still out there showing people how to workout right.
Staci, thanks so much for the comments, transparency is what will keep me honest. It’s amazing how motivating weekly videos can be!