More Grains, Less you?

This is the slogan I read on my Cheerios box this morning, “More Grains, Less You!” I always remember enjoying reading cereal boxes; there were often cartoons or fun trivia and mazes (said cereal boxes probably also contained far too much sugar, but I digress...). This cereal box however, made me a little angry. “More Grains, Less You!” Is that really supposed to be motivating? To me, it sounds more insulting than inspirational! Why is less me a good thing??

I’d like to first point out that I am not a registered nutritionist, a certified personal trainer nor a feminist. I am however; a woman in her 20’s who is very interested in health and fitness, who works in a health club (with a nutritionist and certified personal trainers) and who has done a lot of research on the subject. By health and fitness, I do not mean being skinny. Yes, leading a healthy lifestyle will keep you thin at a healthy weight and size that’s appropriate for your body type. Most importantly, it will make you feel great too.

 Not everyone is naturally thin, but in society it seems there are impossible demands and pressures put on women and their bodies to make them feel like they should be 6’0 and size 00. It is not a coincidence that the cereal box stating “More Grains, Less You!” features two skinny women and no men. Many attempts to reach unattainably skinny goals lead women toward eating disorders, cigarettes, diet pills, working out too much, and more harmful behaviors. Everybody is unique, and thank goodness for that. How boring would it be if everyone looked exactly the same? (Think Stepford Wives-creepy!)

The key to living a healthy lifestyle is a balance of exercise and nutrition. No, it’s not a quick fix. It will take time and it is hard work, but it will keep you looking and feeling your best the rest of your life (which will most certainly be longer thanks to the healthy lifestyle choices). I actually agree with many of the other things on the box; eating more whole grains is good for everyone, and the advice about making small changes towards a healthy lifestyle? Brilliant! Making women feel like they should be “less” them? Not so great.

Many women actually avoid healthy habits for fear of putting on weight. One major example of this is weight training: Some women fear lifting and strength training will make them big, and bulk up (remember-there’s supposed to be “less you” not more, at least according to Cheerios). Yet, as science shows, women actually lack the testosterone levels necessary to bulk up. Lifting will not make you huge; it will make you strong, toned and fit. Muscle weighs more than fat, so you may not go way down in the scales, unless you have a lot of fat to lose. Think 35 pound Large Beach Ball (fat) vs. 35 pound soccer ball (muscle).

                    Vs.

Have you been doing cardio forever and not meeting your goals? Yup, that’s another benefit to strength training, RESULTS! It’s not about there being “less you”; it’s about there being less unhealthy fat and more lean muscle. It’s not a lesser you, it’s a more healthy you! If you have been struggling to reach your goals for a while without success the best thing to do is to speak with a certified trainer about what unique fitness routine is best for you to safely and efficiently meet your goals.

Why should women settle for less? Less confidence, less power (political or other), less money?? Sometimes yes, less is more, but not when it comes to YOU and your health!

 Working in a health club, I often ask people what their fitness goals are, and why they are trying to attain those goals. Is it about how it will make them feel about themselves? How others will perceive them? Are they training for anything in particular? So on and so forth. One of the most inspirational answers I have heard came from a man in his 40’s that recently had his first child. When I asked him about his fitness goal, he responded, “to dance at my daughter’s wedding. I figure if she gets married at the same age I did, I’ll be 86. So, I have some work to do.” Now THAT is something to work toward, and regarding making a major lifestyle change, it’s just a tad more motivational than wanting to fit into your skinny jeans on Friday night.

What’s motivating you to start, or continue, leading a healthy lifestyle?