Do you know what I realized one day? There has never been a single person to step foot in my exam room and ask me if there's anything I can do to help them become an Olympian. Or a professional sports player. Or heck, even a college athlete. It seems that most everyone has a firm grasp on what it takes to get to that sort of position. Determination. Dedication. Drive. Goals. Plans. Persistence. Prioritization. Proper nutrition. Proper genetics. As that classic No Fear brand t-shirt claims: No Pain, No Gain.
The message out there about sports to the masses is clear. You cannot expect the results you want, if you haven't devoted the proper time or energy to your goals. It's also understood, that the moment you stop training, is the moment you stop improving. You will deteriorate. Your muscles will revert to the standard human form. Continued strength and athleticism requires upkeep. Forever. And ever. Until you die. The end. And don't forget, that it's also a fairly accepted idea that if you're born under 5' 7", your sport of choice probably should be basketball, volleyball or rowing...it's not impossible, it's just that much harder.
I don't think anyone reading this has a counter argument. There's no devil's advocate here. We all agree; them's the facts. You could try to tell me that there are natural born athlete's gifted beyond all other humans - and you'd be right. There are always outliers. But even they have to train day in day out to beat all of those other more determined humans. No one gets a free ride. In the wise words of Steve Prefontaine, “No matter how hard you train, Somebody will train harder. No matter how hard you run, somebody will run harder. No matter how hard you want it, somebody will want it more, I am somebody.”
At this point, you're probably thinking, "duh, Erin. Why would someone come to the doctor to ask about something so obvious? Besides helping with an injury. Or looking in to an atypical metabolic or genetic type disorder preventing one from building muscle. There's no reason to come to your family physician to ask about becoming an elite athlete. This is something you do on your own and find teams and coaches who specialize in that sport." And I agree.
Here's where we get to the fascinating part. I see so many glaring parallels to competitive sports and the beauty industry. We are inundated with models, actors, influencers. They are beautiful. Flawless. Perfectly dressed and the "exact right weight". They have made a career out of their looks, rather than their athleticism or intelligence. They work, day in and day out to keep up that appearance. To maintain the fountain of youth and the finely toned bodies. They have coaches and nutritionist and chefs. They think about and plan their intakes, their output, their beauty brands. This is their job. They are the Olympians and Professional athletes of the Beauty Industry. Dedication. Determination. Proper nutrition. Proper Genetics. Yet...
...I have someone come in my office almost every single day, hoping for some help from me to achieve this goal. They seem to understand that models and actresses have a leg up. They have a whole fleet of people helping them achieve this beauty standard. But, Betty Sue in the cubicle next to them eats Cheetos and has a Pepsi every single day and is still a size 2. We don't know what she does with the other 16 hours of her day, but for the 8 we see her, she seems to eat and do whatever she wants..."I want that."
I can't even describe the look of dejection I get when I explain the logistics behind their weight goals. Nor can I describe the look of confusion I get when I try to tell them that "weight" is not synonymous with "health". If Betty Sue is a size 2, and only eating Cheetos and Pepsi. She is going to be in a world of hurt by her 60's, bent over and osteoporotic, and probably dead &/or demented by 70. But, hey, she looked good for 50+ years!
Marketing, Social media, Magazines, the Beauty industry as a whole, has been pouring BS down everyone's throat since the day we could print materials. They want us to think that anyone could be an Olympian and that it's easy - as long as you have all the right products. They conveniently leave out the whole part about eating the right foods, in the right quantities, with the right amount of exercise, every day for the rest of your life as being part of the key to success here. Buy their products and be that "10"! No effort necessary.
The Beauty industry doesn't want you to think about ALL THE OTHER THINGS that influence your outward appearance. Your genetics. Your mental health. Your lifestyle. Your finances. Your physical health. Your living situation. There is no limit to the complexities of being human. Just like running a mile under 6 minutes can come to some with relative ease - they still have to train. Maybe not as much as you, but it didn't come for free. And it couldn't be bought.
I'm not here to tell you that there isn't a time and place and necessity for weight loss medications and surgeries. I absolutely recommend these options for those in need. It can be life saving. But in most other instances, if you aren't the "10" that you "want to be" it's because -and don't get mad at me for saying this - YOU don't REALLY want it. Society does. When YOU really want something. You go out and get it. You set goals. You have plans. You follow through, day in and day out. If you aren't getting results, you find a coach. You remain accountable to yourself, every single day.
And you know what? That's OK. It's fine to skip a work out. Get a dessert. Have a drink. Enjoy a 5 course meal. Be a size 8 or 14 or 20. As long as you are otherwise, getting your steps in. Getting all the food groups in. Not smoking heavily. Not drinking heavily (alcohol or soda). Not doing illicit drugs heavily. Look at your body like those athletes do. Treat it like the beautiful vessel it is. Embrace the differences we have amongst age, gender, race, height, weight, genetics. Do you really want to look just like everyone else? Maybe you do. And that's OK too!
I just really need you to understand that you aren't a failure, when you haven't even tried yet. Don't listen to the media. It's not easy. Try to be honest with yourself, try to ignore that outside chatter - that sometimes even comes from the ones we love most. Our mothers. Our fathers. Our spouses. Our friends. If they can't love you in the body your in, it's a "them" problem. You can be whoever you want - with the right amount of dedication. Everything is achievable - and most of it - unnecessary.
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