Hey there, lovelies! How are you? I’m trying not to stress out about all of the work and studying I have to do…and I’m sort of succeeding. I basically just keep telling myself that anxiety is useless. It works like a charm and allows me focus on continuing to just do my best.
Breakfast
My name is Heather and I am a repeat offender. Insert yesterday’s breakfast photo. Side note: The strawberries are now gone. Boo hoo hoo!
Lunch
After class, I came back here to feed my rumbling tumbly (Winne the Pooh anyone?). Today’s salad of kale, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and diced orange pepper (I forgot how much I adore these!) was topped with hummus. On the side, I had two slices of Ezekiel bread, which I gladly dipped into some organic ketchup.
Please note the to-do list located behind my lunch. I have been working on said list for three days now, and only four of nine assignments are crossed off. Let the self-coaching commence. I’m almost halfway there, right?
Dinner
I’m going to be blunt. Tonight’s dinner looks absolutely disgusting. But I can assure you it was absolutely delicious. Once again, a mish-mosh of sorts paid off!
I warmed up some Brussels sprouts, topped with some Daiya, and paired it with a Sunshine burger. Protein, fiber, and healthy fats? Check, check, and check!
The Victoria’s Secret Diet
Note: If you are suffering from an eating disorder, this may be a trigger for you. Please know that you are worthy and loved just the way you are.
I stumbled across this article yesterday (the lovely Gena also tweeted about it). Immediately upon reading it, goosebumps shot up and down my body – twice to be exact. In the article, Victoria’s Secret model Adriana Lima discusses her workout and diet regimens leading up to the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
According to the article, Lima says she has been working out twice a day for the last three weeks. She sees a “nutritionist” who measures her body’s muscle mass, fat ratio, and water retention. From that data, the “nutritionist” prescribes Lima with protein shakes (made with powdered egg), vitamins, and supplements in order to “keep her energy levels up.” She drinks only protein shakes nine days before the show and stops drinking entirely for 12 hours before the show.
At the end of the article, Lima says, “Actually, the Victoria’s Secret show is the highlight of my life. Becoming an Angel, once I achieved that, it was a dream come true for me. And I know that after all this is done, when I sit down with my daughter one day, we are going to look back and it’s going to be very special.”
There are several points I would like to address but for now, we’ll stick to, in my opinion, the two most important:
- The Nutritionist
I put quotations around that term because I personally don’t believe that one can call his or herself a nutritionist when prescribing diet regimens that are not centered around nutrition. Lima’s plan is not based on obtaining optimum health through whole foods. Rather, the plan revolves around getting by on the least amount of “food” possible that will still give her some energy for her daily two hour workouts. I mean, powdered egg – really? Insert sarcasm: I suggest replacing the powdered egg with kale. It’s higher in nutrients and probably the same amount of calories.
- The Message
I know that I’m not alone when I say that I could write an entire book on the negative message that comes from this false ideal. When you break it down, Lima is a “model.” Taking away the modern-day, superficial meaning that accompanies this term, a model is simply something that you draw inspiration from – or in this case, someone that you draw inspiration from. Would you look to Lima for inspiration? I don’t mean to sound rude or come off abrasive, but such things deserve attention. We need to stop praising bodies and start praising minds. On another note, I fear the psychological stress that Lima and other models might experience as they age and are no longer able to take the jobs that were once the “highlight of their lives.” When I read the tail end of her quote, I fought back tears. Lima said she would one day sit down with her daughter and look back on this. So, she’s going to sit down with her daughter and reminisce on the “good times” of working herself tirelessly to reach a false ideal, prancing down a runway in a $2.5 million bra, and having people gawk at her?
…of a woman strong, confident and fueled by healthy foods.
Heather
Question of the Day: What do YOU think of this article?
I can’t believe she likened getting ready for a show to training for a marathon. If she thinks this is the highlight of her life… I feel bad for her. She needs better friends.
I agree. It makes me so sad to hear that is the “highlight of her life.” There is so much more to life – like eating big kale salads with friends!
It’s sad that thats how she feels, but not surprising at all. I do love victorias secret (they have great bathing suits!) but I seriously despise everything they are about. I wanna say most of my teenage life was spent dreaming about looking like one of them…they literally make me crazy! And nobody should look up to people that flat out admit to starving themselves to walk down a runway. its just sick in a billion different ways!
Amen, sister. Doesn’t it make you feel better knowing you never have to be faced with such an insane situation like this? We’re so lucky to be able to wake up with the choice to honor our bodies! I mean, that lifestyle sounds like ZERO fun…not at all what life is about, huh?
I did not get a chance to read that article, but from your highlights from it I agree with you. There is so much more to life then what that model describes. But I guess we all have different ‘goals’ in life
That’s a really good point. I must say that our goals are WAY more fun.
Beautifully written! And incredibly meaningful when we are needing to be empowered- look to the remarkable women who have created radical change and inspiration through thier thoughts and minds! The world is changing and the more we become aware of it, we can help spread the love and light one person at a time. Have you seen the MisRepresentation trailor? I wrote about it on my blog. Strikingly similar…www.flyingpurplemonkeys.wordpress.com
Thank you, love! I have seen your misrepresentation trailor – and I wish I had caught that on OWN when it aired. You did such a great job of covering that. You’re so inspiring, Angela, and I’m so lucky to work with you! You’re the best.
Wow. Like you, I can’t believe that this is what she called the “highlight” of her life…Seriously, she’s messed up. Actually, society is messed up to think that you have to be super thin to be beautiful and that you have to have strict diets that consist of minimal amount of food to stay super thin. It’s sad.
I agree, Kim. It is so sad! I pray that one day, this view will change.
Love this post…I agree with everything you said. It breaks my heart when I think of girls and young women who look at models and feel as though to be beautiful they must look like the models do. Our society is all about promoting how a person looks, and unfortunately the emphasis on being healthy (treating our bodies with respect) falls to the wayside somewhere along the way…I too want to be a role model for my daughter in the future and make sure she knows how to truly care for her body and love who she is.
also (I could write a book on this topic), when they compared what she’s doing to a person training for a marathon, saying that she has it so much harder? that kind of makes me sick : (
Amen, sister! I think we were meant to be besties, Danica!
I haven’t read the article, but I think I wouldn’t allow myself to get too sucked into it. I feel models are models…you know? I also think that people should just live a nice healthy lifestyle and not worry about calorie counting, etc. Should they not care about their weight? No, people should in my opinion. Its healthy to be on proper weight, but not under! LOL
I’ll have to check the article out!!
xxoo
I agree that people shouldn’t worry about calorie counting, Kris.That’s a great point! If you are living your best life possible by fueling yourself with healthy foods and exercise, you don’t have to pay attention to your weight, you know? The reason this hits so close to home is because many young women (especially young girls) look up to these models, and they will emulate what Lima and the other models do. It’s so sad to me that people will go to such extremes to reach a certain “ideal.” We should fuel ourselves properly and thrive on that!
One thing I had an issue with Victoria’s Secret was when a commercial came out with a full figured model in lingerie (for a different company, don’t remember which), and she was wearing a robe over it, pretty covered up compared to VS commercials and people complained that she had “too much cleavage”. We know it is not about the cleavage here. I agree that we need role models that exude confidence and strength, not sick and weak. I must say though, if there is anyone I love from Victoria’s Secret, I must say Heidi Klum is tops… can we say gorgeous?
You’re so right – the cleavage was not the issue. I mean VS is the reigning market for cleavage! And I have to agree that Heidi Klum is slammin’! She exudes confidence and is gorgeous to boot!