Category: Healthy Body Image

Do You Know What’s Motivating You?

Jennifer Ledford Facebook Live Video - What Is Motivating You?

Desire, it’s what drives us to achieve worthy goals like being healthy and fit.

One of the most important questions I ask a client during a consultation is “what’s motivating you to exercise or change your eating habits?”  Based on my own personal fitness journey and my 27+ plus year experience coaching others I can honestly share with you that there are some really good reasons to want to lose weight and then there are some not so good reasons.

Too often people choose to lose weight for the wrong reasons which can lead to failure and even harm them physically and emotionally.  This breaks my heart because it DOES NOT have to be this way. 

If you desire to lose weight or you simply want to maintain your current weight, you should do it for your own health and happiness reasons, not because you think it will help you achieve unrealistic goals that are oftentimes set for you by the diet industry and sadly some of the fitness gurus.

In today’s video I help you to walk through the process of discovering what your motives are regarding weight loss and exercise and how you can make them work for you instead of against you.  🙂

Take a moment to watch the video.  You don’t want to miss this!

Have a happy and healthy week!

With Love,
Jennifer

Why I’m No Longer Interested In Being A Size Two

Jennifer Ledford Photo Shoot 2016 - Ledford0416-7591 - self image

We’ve recently been working on updating the photos for my website.  The photo above is a sneak peek of some of the lifestyle photos we’ll be sharing on it and on social media. It’s such an exciting time to be in fitness and I’m really enjoying the process of bringing personal training and coaching to the internet.

Life is interesting.  Sometimes new things can dredge up old things that you would rather leave behind.  Scheduling this recent photo shoot briefly dug up some old self image issues that I have worked hard to overcome.  I actually began to think about “dieting” for the photos.  I haven’t dieted in years!

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to look toned and in shape, I knew in my  heart that if I did anything other than what I teach, the photos would not have been authentic.  I would have joined the ranks of yet another fitness professional promoting one idea on the outside while secretly living a restrictive life behind the scenes.

How To Not Allow Self Image Issues To Win

Yes, it’s true.  The self image issues that  I work so hard to help others overcome tried to rear their ugly head and bite me in the butt!  Thankfully I didn’t allow them to win.

Rather than allow myself to fall for the diet trap I used this moment to get really solid on how I want my life to look when it comes to health and fitness.  Over the years I’ve allowed myself to gain a healthy amount of weight because there was a time in my life when I was “too skinny” for my body type.  On the outside people thought I looked healthy but in reality I was doing unhealthy things to remain a size two.  Thankfully, that’s no longer the case.

I’m forty six years old.  I have no interest in trying to be twenty five again.  What I want is to look great at forty six.   At this stage of my life I’m way more interested in creating a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle than I am in being unnaturally skinny.  I’m committed to things like eating well, exercising daily, strength training three times per week, drinking liquid calories in moderation, drinking plenty of water, getting  enough sleep, laughing a lot, and creating special memories.

Please understand, I will always pay attention to my weight and if I notice the scale is going in the wrong direction I will take a look at what might be the cause and make adjustments.  However, I have also decided that I’m not going to be a slave to that one pair of jeans from ten years ago that a part of society thinks I should still be able to fit into.  There is nothing wrong with setting goals to be able to fit into your old clothes without having to do an aerobic workout to get them on, but it should never be at the cost of your physical and emotional health.

The well-known phrase “bodies come in all shapes and sizes” is not a cliche.  It’s a true statement.  When you choose to maintain a weight that’s appropriate for you and you can sustain it without deprivation or emotional heartache you are walking in freedom.  The number on the scale is personal.  There is no one size fits all when it comes to health and fitness.

I’m not suggesting you give up on vigorous exercise or paying attention to things like portion sizes and fueling your body properly.  What I’m talking about is setting manageable goals that are appropriate for the season you are currently in, your physical capabilities, and how you want to live your life.

Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to help clients achieve weight loss that is sustainable while contributing positively to their physical and emotional health.  The guidelines and formulas may be similar, however their personal eating plans and exercise routines are individually unique to them.

My desire for anyone reading this article is that you would be so comfortable and confident in your own skin that you would make health your primary focus and that weight loss would be one of the many benefits.  You’ll still have to work for it.  Our bodies were designed to move and it’s important to exercise.  It’s also important to practice self control when it comes to what we put in our bodies.

From time to time people of all shapes and sizes will experience self image issues.  That includes thin people.  Negative thoughts and relentless marketing can come at us from all directions.  The good news is just because you have a thought does not mean it’s your own.  If the negative voices start whispering “you’re not good enough” or “you’d be happier if you just looked like him or her on the cover of the magazine,” stay strong.  Remind yourself that you are in this for health, not just a photo shoot.

Maintaining a healthy self image for life is entirely doable.  In the beginning it takes practice.  Over time, the more you begin to love and accept yourself for who God designed you to be, the easier it becomes.  I encourage you to explore and discover exactly who that is.  It’s a lifelong process and it’s totally worth it.  I promise!

Here’s to a happy and healthy week!

Shared with love,
Jennifer

A Fitness Pro’s Perspective On Sports Illustrated Featuring A Plus Size Model

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Sports Illustrated has taken the words “bodies come in all shapes and sizes” to heart this season and featured the beautiful plus size model (who I don’t even consider plus size) Ashley Graham on the cover of their 2016 swimsuit edition.

Traditionally, swimsuits in this country tend to be modeled by very slim women.  Even the suits that are targeted towards more curvy women are often times displayed on very slender models.  Featuring Ashley on the cover of Sports Illustrated is a refreshing breakthrough in an industry that tends to only highlight one body type.  Ashley’s appearance celebrates a group of women who I believe have not been properly represented or acknowledged by the fashion industry for years!

It’s really important to avoid comparing yourself to others and I recommend you focus on being your own personal best at all times.  However, it can take an incredible amount of inner strength for women and men to continue seeing daily images of mostly airbrushed models and still hold on to their own self esteem.  That is what makes this edition of Sports Illustrated so important and why I’m so excited about it.  Ashley is more than a woman with great curves rocking a swimsuit.  I believe Ashley’s photo shoot will literally help set some people free.  Instead of people dieting and torturing themselves to conform to one look, my hope is that she will inspire the public to focus on being healthy, strong, and comfortable in their own skin.

While many people like myself are applauding Sports Illustrated and incredibly proud of Ashley, there have been some critics.  What I find sad is that one of her critics was Cheryl Tiegs, a fellow model.  Cheryl stated that she is concerned that plus size models are sending an unhealthy message to the public.  I never like to assume what is in another person’s heart and I don’t think Cheryl meant to be unkind.  However, it is very wrong to assume that just because a person wears a certain size clothing they are unhealthy.  That is between the individual and their physician.

Over the years I’ve trained people of all sizes and I’ve learned that it is never a good idea to judge someone’s health by their size.  I’ve had the opportunity to perform numerous health assessments and review enough doctor’s reports to learn that there are larger people in great health.  I personally know curvy women that run marathons, have flat stomachs, and look amazing in skin tight clothing.  Sure, there are people that need to lose weight for health reasons (some of it serious) and I help coach them throughout their weight loss journey.

However, I’ve also seen a lot of damage done to people’s bodies due to yo-yo dieting and overtraining in their attempt to achieve a certain size.  Eating disorders are very real and they are usually camouflaged under the guise of “eating healthy.”

When I read an interview about a supermodel crying herself to sleep because she went to bed hungry or I hear a male model admit to dehydrating his body to look “ripped” for a photo shoot, I begin to question “what are we calling healthy?”  It is disheartening to hear a spokesperson from the fashion industry which is  widely known for its unhealthy behavior and body image issues criticize larger models all in the name of public health.  I find it a flimsy excuse for judging others.

Ashley Graham is not petite.  However, I highly doubt she is unhealthy.  Actually, she looks VERY healthy to me.  She works out harder than I do and I’m guessing she maintains a healthy diet.  The most healthy part about her is her attitude and the fact that she’s so confident in her own skin she’s not willing to starve herself to fit someone else’s idea of what she should look like.  She has such a healthy level of self-esteem that she was able to say no to harming herself for the purpose of fortune and fame which is something I wish more models were willing to do.

Please understand, I’m not discounting the hard work of naturally thin models.  When we as a society make the statement “bodies come in all shapes and sizes” that includes thin women too and they should be equally celebrated for their God-given beauty and talents.  The idea behind embracing curvy women is for prejudice and judgement to stop.  Thin models should not have to experience judgement either.

To say that health is all about being a certain height and weight is to put people in a generic box.   The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that “positive health is associated with a capacity to enjoy life and to withstand challenges;  it is not merely the absence of disease.”  So far, Ashley fits the bill.

It’s important to eat well, exercise, and maintain a healthy weight.  It’s also important to remember that your number on the scale is personal.  You know when you feel your best and you’re not depriving yourself.  I think Ashley does too.  She’s a great example to us all.

Bring on the swimsuit weather!

With Love,
Jennifer Ledford