Idolisation....

So thanks to my lovely client this morning I have actually come to realise how much the general population idolise the celebrity culture and all that it is worth. 

Let's take a long hard look at our world:

We all have jobs - either working 9-5 or shifts.

We don't have disposable income - living week to week sometimes.

We all have busy social lives and family we don't get to see often. 

We try and fit in at least 1/2 gym sessions a week around work etc. 

We can only have a few days holiday a year because we either can't afford time off or we can't afford to go anywhere expensive. 

We have to make our own food and make sure we are all prepared for the week ahead. 

Celebrities... 

Don't have to work 9-5.

Have LOTS of disposable income.

Their social lives are with other celebrities who all don't worry and work and money. 

Have time to fit in 4/5 gym sessions a week.

Have lots of expensive holidays as they have so much time off. 

Most don't have to make their own food or have to prep for the week. 

So why do we idolise their physiques and try and push ourselves to be like them?

Why do we watch their social media and put ourselves down when we see where they are in the world, how hard they work at the gym, the colourful plate of food they have before them and that quote they write out to give us hope that one day we can be just like them?

In this day and age social media reprints only the fun, exciting, colourful parts of everyone's lives. How many people have you seen taking a picture of them loading the washing machine or doing the dishes... None. 

The "Squat Guides" or "Fitness Guides" on Instagram and Facebook showing glamorous, scantily clad women who are paid to train everyday, given their food by their chefs or nutritionists. 

The glamorised shots of them taken by their PR team in their "Real Life" day to day, it's all for publicity. 

Well known celebrities such as Charlotte Crosby from MTV programme Geordie Shore has recently lost a hell of a lot of weight. (Good on her, it's great to see her do it. And this is not a post to put her down, just to make people think more about trying the achieve a body like hers in 6 weeks or less and striving to be like her.)

Photo from Dailymail.co.uk 

Charlotte has a daily life the doesn't include a 9-5 job, that doesn't have many time constraints... She also has a very disposable income that she can have a Personal Trainer and Dietician to help her lose weight and fast. Yes she still has her hilariously boozy nights out, but she also trains 4/5 times a week with a PT and also eats ridiculously healthy so she can have her boozy nights out and still be they way she is. 

In no way am I being horrible about her, She was merely the subject of conversation this morning as my client was attached to her social media, I'm actually really impressed at what she has achieved and all her hard work has paid off but....

Sadly with all celebrities they are able to have the time to train and work hard, also some are paid very highly to look the way they do. Think of it this way, if you were being paid to train everyday and eat healthy foods preprepared for you, would you be in that gym everyday? Yes you most probably would because you have nothing much else to do. 

People like Khloe Kardashian, Kim, Kendal, Kylie, Lucy Watson and her sister Tiffany from MIC, Millie Wilkinson, Ellie Goulding, Jessica Alba and the likes. They are all able to get to the gym majority of days as they have time to take those few hours to push themselves and they have the means to cook well and eat well. 

Compare that to us, we have cleaning to do, work to do, a full time job, limited time to cook a meal, social lives that we maintain all while squeezing a few quick gym sessions in here and there. And everyone says make time for the gym how on earth there are only 24 hours in the day we can't magic another hour out of nowhere if we are busy with other priorities in life. 

Celebrities aren't having to finish work at say 7:30 and then cook and eat all before going to be at 9/10pm, celebs aren't running a hoover round at 7am because it hasn't been done all week, these people we idolise don't have to lead the same life we do. 

So next time your whining why you don't have a body like a celebrity think as to how they have that body. 

Cheers then, See ya.

Beth xoxo

B.M.I.... WAIT I'm Fat.... NOT!!!!

We've all been to the doctors at some stage in our lives and had to be weighed for whatever reason, but have they ever told you, you need to lose weight. Well they have to me and some of my clients because we don't fit into their specific guidelines that tell them what's heathy or not. 

The funny thing about doctors is they think they know healthy is in a  BMI range of 20-25, well they are wrong by putting it into a select bracket. 

First off what is BMI? 

B.M.I is a persons body mass index, which only takes into account their height and weight and is compared on a scale axis with different brackets that show healthy ranges and stages of obesity. 

What it doesn't take into account....

BMI doesn't take into account whether you exercise regularly, your Body Fat Percentage, where you carry your body fat, whether it is internal or superficial, Muscular content, function of the lungs, resting heart rate, optimal fitness levels, etc.... 

In all honesty yes if you weigh over 20 stone and your body tells you you are unfit then maybe you need some help, but all in all whether your a size 8-10 and weigh 80kg with mostly muscle you will most likely be told you need to lose weight by your GP. But don't take it to heart, your best thing to do is a completely Body Stat Analysis which can easily be found in most pharmacies, gyms and even your PT can do it for you. 

The healthy body fat percentage range for an adult is roughly between 17% and 30% dependant on height and body shape.

Can you go up the stairs without getting breathless, can you lift heavy weights, can you run a marathon, can you do 10 lengths with a heavy prowler sled? YES! Well you;re fit then aren't you and it's time to ignore the BMI lark and jump on the body fat % and use measurements to track your progress and journey.

Now don't be too hard on yourself next time the doctor says lose weight and thrown this in their face, it feels great knowing something more than them. Crack out the tape measure, take a picture and share your journey without the worry of the dreaded doctor talk on your BMI being high. 

Cheers then, See ya 

Beth xoxo