By Farrah Zweig, a fitness professional studied in health and fitness. Instagram- @farrahfitness
When I was 12 years old, I weighed 180 pounds.
I am always going to remember this 12 year old girl.
I am always going to have the same challenges that led her to get to that weight.
I am also always going to be the same 12 year old girl who made a choice one day to live a healthier lifestyle and never looked back.
I ate alone in my room
I ate until I was stuffed
I didn’t like to move, be it exercise, sports, dance, etc
I spent a lot of time alone at home
I was unhappy but didn’t know or understand the emotions I was feeling at the time
BUT then I woke up one day and decided I didn’t want to be that person anymore or live that way any longer. This was back when we found all important information from magazines. Folding corners, ripping out pages and saving them for future reference. Well, I grabbed one of those magazines and found a workout. It was a bodyweight workout consisting of 4 exercises. It was easy, it was manageable, it was going to become my new way of life. I also decided I would make better eating choices. I would only eat dessert when I really wanted it, drink more water, and stop eating when I was satiated. I’ll be honest, I do not know how I came upon these decisions, no one in my life was into health and fitness.
I made these changes and never looked back.
I started playing sports in school, joined a kickboxing class with my best friend and our moms and eventually, even had the opportunity to work with a personal trainer.
While I got a handle on the workouts pretty quickly, the eating was still a struggle. I ate sugary cereal in a cup on the way to school, a bagel and cream cheese and an apple everyday for lunch, and usually pasta or chicken or even breakfast for dinner. Growing up in the 90’s was a struggle with “diet” food everywhere. It was believed back then that calories were to blame for everything so they made 100 calorie pack snack bags of cookies, crackers, etc; low calorie cookies; meal replacement drinks; and diet everything. It was also a time when frozen dinners, spaghettios, and chef boyardee were popular dinner options. If you don’t know what these are, great! But they’re basically highly processed and sodium filled foods.
Little did I know that this life decision would launch me into my life’s passion - health, fitness and nutrition.
Here’s what I learned as an adolescent making these changes and choices:
I am more than the size of my clothes
I love being strong
Moving my body makes me happy
Challenging myself physically and exceeding my own expectations is the greatest gift I can give myself
Eating good food makes me feel good, inside and out
I don’t care if my definition of beauty is the same as society’s
Wearing clothes that are comfortable and flattering, not necessarily following “trends” if they don’t work for me and my body makes me feel happy and confident
Fast forward a few years... I got a degree in Kinesiology (the study of body movement) with an emphasis in fitness, nutrition, and health, becoming a personal trainer at 19. Years later, I find myself working in play and youth fitness.
Now, with all this time having passed, fitness choices and life adjustments here’s what I know:
I am more than the size of my clothes
I love being strong
Moving my body makes me happy
Challenging myself physically and exceeding my own expectations is the greatest gift I can give myself
Eating good food makes me feel good, inside and out
I don’t care if my definition of beauty is the same as society’s
Wearing clothes that are comfortable and flattering, not necessarily following “trends” if they don’t work for me and my body makes me feel happy and confident
Now, let’s check out some commonly asked questions and myths but most importantly, facts and truths…
Food
Carbs are not bad, they are your friend and the preferred energy source for your body
Focusing on calories is really hard and in the end, listening to your body is going to be the best way to know how much you need to eat.
Gonna repeat that one.. listening to your body is going to be the best way to know how much you need to eat.
Listening to your body is also the best way of knowing which types of foods are best for you to eat.
Eating fewer calories than your body needs can negatively affect and slow your metabolism
NO food and I mean no food is the enemy
Some foods may lead you to feel unwell, bloated, tired or a number of other uncomfortable words… try to enjoy foods that give you energy, pleasure and satisfaction.
Don’t demonize any food
Stay away from “diets” (yes, this includes keto, paleo, lo carb/hi protein, etc…)
There is no need to “detox,” that’s what your liver does all...the...time…
Just say no to juice cleanses
Dietary fat does not lead to excess body fat, an excess of calories contributes to increased amounts of fat tissue. Go back and read the line about listening to your body.
Eating after a certain time is not bad, there is no magical time to stop eating
DO THIS!
Drink water!
Eat fruits and vegetables
Enjoy your snacks and meals
Eat foods that make you feel good, give you energy, and make you happy
Eat a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat
Try adding variety to your eating and try new foods or new ways of eating the same foods.
Try new spices and explore different cultures to find new ways of experiencing food
Have a plan of what you want to eat, this will help you not get stuck with limited choices
Be YOU! Eat what you like and how you like it.
Working out
You do not have to work out for a certain amount of time. There is no magic number, however much time you can dedicate to moving every day is great.
You do not have to do your whole workout at one time. You can break up your activity throughout the day (for example: 10 minutes in the morning, afternoon and night) and it acts the same as one 30 minute workout
You can move and it doesn’t have to be a “workout.” Taking your dog for a walk, going on a bike ride with a friend or walking back and forth across your room while talking to a friend are great ways to just move more throughout the day.
You do not have to workout a certain number of days a week
You do not have to do certain types of workouts
You do not have to feel like you're going to die while working out.
You do not have to be sore the next day
You do not have to exercise at a certain time of day
Listen to your body to know whether or not it's best to eat and what is best to eat before you workout.
DO THIS!
Get up and move as much as you can. It will improve your attention, mood, and energy levels.
Find activities you enjoy.
Have a plan of the activities you have time to do and want to do and figure out when you can fit those in each day.
Do activities with friends/family
Do activities with your pet
Do activities by yourself
Do activities that make you happy and that you’re excited about
Try something new
Try something out of your comfort zone
Be YOU! Do things for the amount of time you want on the days that work for you and participating in activities that bring you joy.
Social/Emotional/Behavioral considerations
Sleep is good! It is when your body recovers and repairs itself from the day
Food will NOT make you feel better, less stressed, or happier
Working out WILL lower stress, increase energy levels and happy hormones
Feel confident about your food choices, in private and in social situations
If you’re bored, lonely, stressed, upset, concerned… talk to a friend, family member or counselor
Be in control of what you need and want. It is challenging when friends are making other choices, but being confident in your decisions is the best plan for your health and happiness today and long term.