On Losing Weight and Your Mind

As a Personal Trainer and fellow Human Being, I tend to wonder about the mental state of people. Look! I get it! Everyone wants the "hot and perfect" body(as if that exists) but what I don't get is subjecting our children to these crazy, unrealistic expectations.  Why are parents hiring Personal Trainers for their pre-teens? Nine and ten year old children with Trainers? Really!? Unless they are some type of sports prodigy; I don't get it. Shouldn't outside be their gym? Whatever happened to playing outside? or if it is too cold, playing INSIDE!? When did this become passe'? I actually heard a group of twelve year old's and I knew they were twelve by the class they were in, discussing how they try not to eat carbohydrates! At twelve I didn't know what a carb was. I knew meat, vegetables, fruit, rice and potatoes, I didn't even know those were starches! Now where did those children learn this? The Parent(s)! Body Dysmorphia and myths regarding food are usually passed down from mother to daughter like a family heirloom; an ugly family heirloom at that! Not trying to throw us Mama's under a bus, but the negative things we say about ourselves, in front of our children, can be very harmful to their psyche. The constant barrage of negative self-talk teaches daughter's and son's that good enough really isn't good enough; you must be perfect or kill yourself trying. As one teenage Client said to me regarding her mothers attitude toward my client and her weight gain: "She doesn't have to say anything to me verbally Dawn. It is how she looks at me and how she talks about herself that tells me how she feels about fat!" Enough said. We all know children are sponges, most times sucking up all the negative stuff and forgetting all the good that you have said! I know how it goes.. but it is hard to remember the good stuff when they see our lack of confidence in who we are, our disapproval of our bodies and the constant dieting or the obsession with dieting and weight loss. Obsession is the key word here. I have been out with a group of women, supposedly to have a good time and the whole time they are discussing exercise and dieting and how they shouldn't eat this(but they do!) but they are for sure going to work it off the next day. I sit there, listen and my buzz is now killed! I am in the Fitness Industry and I don't even obsess like this. But did I when I was overweight? Yes! I did and drove myself half crazy. STOP! Our children are watching and listening and picking up all of our bad habits. Body Dysmorphia, anorexia and bulimia are no jokes! These illnesses require professional help and doctors that specialize in this are out there. If this is you or anyone you love; get help. Wishing you peace and Love, but mostly love for yourself:)