This poster was in my twitter timeline today and it annoyed me. 140 chars isn’t enough to really explain why however so I thought I would bring it on here.
My problem is this, all those advantages the greater strength, improved fitness, peak performance, delayed ageing and reduced risk of diseases AREN’T the byproduct of losing fat but of the training, of making healthy choices. Fat loss could occur with the inclusion of correct nutrition but “correct nutrition” doesn’t have to mean you lose weight. You shouldn’t think that losing fat is going to have those benefits that are listed. It’s misleading.
Some people will probably think I am over thinking this. And maybe they are right. But the most important thing about exercise is it can make you healthy and to see it reduced to simply losing weight or fat (which also reinforces an unrealistic ideal for most women) is frustrating.
Great blog post I read yesterday
The Best Way to Minimize Trouble Spots
I’ll let Nia Shanks have the final word
Tagged: fat loss, rant, weight loss
Diary of a Newbie StrongWoman 
Couldn’t agree with you more on this. Fat loss is something that is focussed on far too much. The focus should be on getting people to do something that makes them feel awesome and gives them a sense of achievement. If you do need to lose weight then you might find that happens as a natural part of the process.
I personally find the more you exercise the more you love your body, the more you love your body the more likely you are to make healthy choices. That MAY lead to weight loss but if it doesn’t you are still healthier!
Also, once more the poster features a picture of a fitspo-ish generically hot lady. Sigh.
Yup, I know we share the same views of fitspo. At least they showed her face in this one.
[…] a post over at Diary of a Newbie StrongWoman that talks about this same topic, albeit much more succinctly and with less ranting than I did. […]
Well said! I’m sick of thinspi/fitspo being spread around as what we should strive for!
It’s so difficult as some people do find fitspo motivational, however I find those people are more likely to be those looking to be lean rather than those looking to be fitter/healthier. This is all my opinion however, not proper research!
Love it! Somewhere – wish I could find the link – I read about a study where some number of people maintained a program of healthy eating and regular exercise. Some of the people lost weight; some did not. But the really great thing was, the people who lost little or no weight gained the exact same health benefits (reduced blood pressure, heart rate, and I think cholesterol) as the people who did lose weight. Not pro-rated health improvements based on pounds lost; the *exact same* benefits.
I don’t have opinions on other people’s bodies – everyone is entitled to try to be as lean or fat as she wishes – but I am glad to see you emphasize the connection to the TRAINING, not the fat loss.
Would love to see that study and wouldn’t be surprised at the results. Thank you for commenting.
Argh! This is exactly what I was trying to get my GP to understand. So frustrating that there is a conspiracy against healthy women who exercise and eat nutritionally high quality food. If we aren’t stick thin, we must be doing it wrong. No, we are doing it right, and loving it, and will continue to enjoy our exercise, keeping our bodies strong and healthy.
BTW, I haven’t worn a bikini since I was 20. I would rather be naked than have my shape distorted by someone else’s style. I do wear a swimming costume every day – sleek and sexy Speedo for training, and a lovely supportive one-piece for leisure.
I think you will love this blog post
http://fitisafeministissue.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/how-equating-being-fat-with-being-out-of-shape-hurts-thin-people-too/
And yes I agree, whilst I do think that the BMI can be useful in some circumstances I think the overall person does need to be looked at.
You’re right. She makes a great point.
This is strictly what I was trying to urge my GF to perceive. So frustrating that there’s a conspiracy against healthy ladies who exercise and eat nutritionally high quality food. If we aren’t stick thin, we tend to must be doing it wrong. No, we tend to do it right, and loving it, and can continue to relish our exercise, keeping our bodies sturdy and healthy.
maybe the point is when you eat healthy with correct nutrition it will lead to the positive effects and the side effect is fat loss. Living healthy is the main ingredient to all those positive effects.