Trying To Lose Weight? The "Ideal" Body In Perspective

Brad Pilon posted the article below on his blog recently. It is a MUST read for anyone who is dissatisfied with their body. It's not a license to stop eating right and exercising but it's important to remember that the "ideal" body does not exist.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to look good but focus on dropping fat and getting in shape for your health. Chasing after some unattainable ideal is a recipe for constant disappointment and frustration.


A Special Reminder to ANYONE who is trying to lose weight
Brad Pilon

Here is a quick reminder for anyone who is trying to lose weight:

Consider the model on the cover of a fitness magazine.

First the model diets for months to prepare for the photo shoot.

After dieting, the model may even dehydrate specifically for the shoot.

(The model will only look good and that lean for a couple of hours on the day the photo shoot).

During the photo shoot oil and makeup is applied to make the model look as perfect as possible.

Different types of oils are used to make muscles look defined, and make up is used to make everything as perfect as possible.

A high priced professional photographer will set up lighting and angles to make the model look as good and lean as possible (lighting makes a WORLD of difference!).

The model may do a pump-up style workout to make certain parts of his or her body look bigger than normal (arms, chest, shoulders..that sort of thing) - I did an example of how much a pump and a tan can effect the way you look...you can check it out HERE.

Sometimes, duct tape is used to ‘hide’ any extra fat (duct tape across the lower back helps pull love handles out of site for a photo shoot)

Clothes are chosen and altered to make the model look as good as possible.

After 2 to 3 hours of shooting (maybe a dozen rolls of film), the photo shoot is over.

The model (who is probably exhausted) goes and eats.

But the magic doesn’t stop here.

The photos are developed/downloaded.

From the two hundred or so photos, 2 or 3 are chosen.

These photos are sent to a artist who does the necessary touch up work with photoshop.

Moles and birthmarks are removed, shoulders made broader, waist made smaller, skin toned smoothed out, smile whitened, hair cropped, definition added and background removed.

Finally the picture is ready to appear on the cover.

Obviously this is not a real representation of how the model truly looks. It is idealized and stylized….In a sense..EVERYTHING was made perfect.

This should NOT be your inspiration for how you want your body to look.

Create realistic expectations based on YOUR body, and NEVER trust pictures in magazines.

BP


Brad Pilon is a nutrition professional with over seven years experience in the nutritional supplement industry. He lives in the greater Toronto area and is the author of Eat Stop Eat

Brad has had the opportunity to travel the world. From China to Germany, Scotland, and England and all over North America he has had the privilege of meeting some of the world's greatest minds in sports nutrition and exercise sciences.

Brad's goal is to help people navigate through popular nutrition fads and gimmicks to find real-world nutrition strategies that work.


Brad Pilon’s Nutrition Help Blog
The Science of Food, Fasting and Health