How To Look Good Naked

Hello All,

Recently I was really irritated when I read the news story about how pizza, ice cream, and hamburgers are the new "diet foods". Now I'm just downright annoyed!

I just saw the television programme "How To Look Great Naked" on Sky+. I know this is not a new television programme but I do not usually get the chance to watch television because I am either enjoying the gym or out using the boundless energy that I possess through being fit and healthy.

Mistakenly I thought it was a "transformation" show on how to lose weight. How wrong could I be? The presenter isn't a "fitness guru"...he's a fashion prince and self-esteem artist.

The message to the women who are chosen for the show is that "it's ok to be fat...you just need to dress better and love yourself for who you really are".

I work day in, day out with women (and, incidentally, men) struggling to manage this area of life and I'm sorry, but I've had just about enough of this kind of ‘show’!

I understand that some people have medical problems that cause them to become overweight. And believe me, I'm one of the biggest "self-esteem junkies" on the planet with a library the size of London filled with self-help books.

But the fact is it is NOT ok to be fat!

I am not saying you must have zero tummy fat. Forget all the "6-pack abs" advertisements (yes, even my own) for a minute.

Being overweight takes YEARS off your life! Ever heard of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and a few dozen other diseases caused by being overweight? With it comes such a heavy emotional burden, loss of self esteem, and yes, even social rejection (like it or not).

But the answer for the women (and men) who look in the mirror and burst into tears over how they view their body is NOT to simply "dress in black with prints that disguise the fat and then give yourself a big smoochy internal hug".

The answer is to establish HEALTHIER EATING and EXERCISE HABITS while losing the weight (body fat)!

Dressing to look thinner and learning to love yourself regardless of your size are plasters to help you overlook what you REALLY want to accomplish...a leaner, sexier body that really DOES look great naked!

Oprah herself tried this years ago. She was fat, then she was thin, then she was fat again and convincing everyone that she was happy with her body and everyone should love themselves no matter what. THEN she lost the weight again and KEPT it off! Now she's healthier, happier, and rightfully preaching that the best way to love yourself is to take care of yourself.

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A side-note to avoid all the hate-mail coming my way:

1.  I'm not a "fatty hater"!  I too believe that no matter where you're at right now, you should be happy with who you are on the INSIDE.

2.  If you really DO have a medical reason for being overweight, that's NOT an excuse for you to pig out on McDonalds 3 times a day.  Work with what you've got and you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish!

(By the way...having 3 kids is NOT a "medical condition" - as one woman on the "Look Great Naked" website eluded to.  Can it make it harder to get the weight off? Yes. And your point is?)

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As for the emotional scars...

My experience with my overweight clients who aren't happy with how they look is that they have poor support systems. They're hurt because of how people look at them or because some idiot spouse made some insensitive comment about their weight.

Well all I can say is IGNORE THEM!

There's no doubt that society (and spouses) can be reduced to a bunch of morons at times. But the best revenge is to make healthier choices and change your body composition. NOT for them, but for YOU!

You'll be rewarded with a longer life, better sex, more energy, and as a small insignificant side benefit; a body that will turn heads.

If you ARE capable of losing weight and willing to commit to a healthier lifestyle then decide to make the change today.

Join the fitness revolution and try AIRbiking at Altered Images. Seats are still available this week on Tuesday, 17 November at 6pm, and Wednesday, 18 November at 7pm. Just give us a call or respond to this e-mail.

You can also visit our interim website using the link below, become a fan of AIRbiking on Facebook or even call in to The Watershed. We would be delighted to see or hear from you.

Adrian Lowther