Category Archives: PFED UP
RANT!! – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
There are times I see some ridiculous advertisement, cheesy product, silly gimmick, crazy article or horrendous exercise and I just have to VENT. This is the space where I share my thoughts and expertise on controversial topics, and try to save you money on diet and fitness products (or methods) that are nothing but a waste of time and money.
Fitness Models: Unrealistic Heroes?
One time a guy, pointing to a poster of me, said “do your abs really look like that?” I was taken off guard, and kind of perturbed. I mean, did he think I would have just drawn them on? Did he think I looked fat now? Was that photo really so unbelievable? The truth is, my abs didn’t look like the poster that day. So much goes into photo shoots, it’s honestly unfair to anyone else who references professional shots as “normal”.
Kristia Knowles, who’s landed the cover of countless fitness magazines like Oxygen and Muscle & Fitness Hers, openly admits magazines photoshop the heck out of pictures. Although I know Kristia is absolutely beautiful and fit in person, the reality of what you may see in print is it’s not always reality at all.
When a fitness article shows off an amazing physique, with a headline to match like “5 Butt Blasting Moves”, the reader automatically thinks (even if they know better) those 5 moves are going to give you “that butt”. How unfair is it that the magazine doesn’t talk about their extreme pre-shoot diet or insane amount of cardio they do to shed fat for that day? Or how about discussing the water pills and laxatives they took to shrink their tummy and skin? Then there’s the fact they are posing on an empty stomach and can’t wait to totally pig out as soon as they’re are done. That, my friend, is the reality.
Aside from the actual physical work a fitness model does to prepare for a shoot, there’s the workout the model gets after the shoot. Abs get painted, skin is smoothed, skin folds are removed, and muscles may even get “pumped”. Although this photoshopped picture of Angelina Jolie is an extreme example of what someone can do with a photo, there are very few pictures that don’t get photoshopped in this business. Kristia says, even the best bodies still get photoshopped. So even the people who already have amazing physiques are made to look even more amazing – and we wonder why we have self-esteem issues. Read the rest of this entry
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The Grunch Who Stole Fitness
Every Peep Down in Peep-ville liked Fitness a lot…
But the Grunch, Who lived just North of Peep-ville, Did NOT!
The Grunch hated Fitness! The whole Fitness life!
Now, please don’t ask why. No one quite knows why.
It could be that his head wasn’t screwed on quite right.
It could be, perhaps, that his pants were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his clothes were two sizes too small.
But, Whatever the reason, His tight shirts or his jeans,
He stood there with cookies and pie, taunting the Peeps,
Staring down from his cave with a sour, Grunchy frown
At the warm lighted gym windows, below in their town.
For he knew every Peep down in Peep-ville below
Was busy now, working out and losing weight, you know.
“And they’re getting results!” he snarled with a sneer.
“Their Fitness goal is so close! It’s practically here!”
Then he growled, with his Grunch fingers nervously drumming,
“I MUST find a way to keep Fitness from spreading!”
“Why for fifty-three years I’ve put up with it now!
I MUST stop Fitness from growing! …But HOW?”
Then he got an idea! An awful idea!
THE GRUNCH GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!
“I know just what to do!” The Grunch laughed, in his wit.
And he made a quick plan and workout outfit.
And he chuckled, and clucked, “What a great Grunchy trick!
“Everyone will think I can get them fit quick”
“All I need is a gimmick…” So the Grunch made a plan.
He would launch informercials, and start his new scam
BUT all the Peeps already heard of this Grunchy new trap
’cause Fitness Bloggers were blogging to their Peeps in a snap
Before the Grunch could even make his very first sell
The Peeps warned Peepville of all his new tricks very well
They all knew what to look for, they were wise to his plan
So the Grunch couldn’t sell his Quick Fix to one Peep the land.
And what happened then…? Well…in Peep-ville they say
That the Grunch’s fat waist, grew THREE SIZES that day!
And in that minute, his size didn’t feel quite so right,
He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light
He turned in his thingumabobs and joined the Peeps for a sweat
And, in time, dropped 5 sizes – a year he’d never forget.
Original Dr. Suess story rewritten (and photos altered) by Bonnie Pfiester. 2011
Dedicated to my FitFluential & FitStudio Peeps!!
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RANT: Fit Mags Needs to Shape Up!
I think it’s time magazines set some New Year’s Resolutions of their own! It’s time they shape up their content and lose the useless baggage they’ve all be carrying for so long!!
I was looking for a magazine at the corner pharmacy while in New York City with the FitFluential team, and was overwhelmed by all the magazine headlines – more like annoyed. “Blast Fat Fast, in only 10 Minutes” must sell magazines, but it should be an insult to our intelligence.
I guess “Blast Fat Realistically” wouldn’t sell subscriptions, or “Sculpt a New Physique in 30 Minutes a Day” (instead of 10 minutes a day) may seem too extreme – but come on people?! When will we quit falling for gimmick tricks that will let you down faster than your worst boyfriend?
When has ANYthing great come out of a little investment? How often have you reaped a big reward for little work? I’m sick of seeing these watered down workouts and false claims that prey on the hopeless. For ONCE, would someone man up and actually put a workout boldly on their cover that (dare I say) looks a little challenging and takes a little more time than 10 minutes a day?
What do you want? Do you want truth or do you want the media to continue delivering half truths and gimmick workouts that rarely actually ‘work out’? Would you actually buy a magazine that featured factual information you may not WANT to hear but NEED to hear? Or are we all going to keep buying this crap and supporting this type of media?
iPhone Pics: Actual headlines on various covers this month: Read the rest of this entry
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“Life’s too short to diet?” OMG Waffle House!
Yesterday, Waffle House proudly tweeted “Life is too short to diet“.
OMG! Did they really just go there? I have such mixed emotions about this tweet. As a business owner, I think “wow, they just announced to the world that Waffle House is not a place for healthy people” and then as a fitness professional I can’t help but think “people need to stop acting like ‘dieting’ is a bad thing”.
Don’t get me wrong, the 4-letter word has a pretty bad reputation. Although I say “I’m dieting” all the time, I really mean “I’m eating healthy, low-calorie meals” – not “I’m starving myself and am miserable“. On the CONTRARY! When I’m so-called ‘dieting’, I feel AMAZING! I am happier, healthier, have more energy, am more confident, look better and feel better. SO, when Waffle House says “Life’s too short to diet“, the message they are sending is “dieting sucks so eat whatever you want“. Read the rest of this entry
Can you screw up a turkey sandwich? Arby’s did.
HUNGRY FOR A TURKEY SANDWICH
I normally don’t like to name brands in a rant – actually, I rarely rant about anything BUT today I am ranting because I don’t want YOU to make the same mistake I just did!! Ugh!
I normally NEVER eat fast food. However, I was in a hurry today and drove thru Arby’s as I thought that would be better than Burger King and other fast food joints in the area. After looking at the menu, I decided on a turkey sandwich. Then I asked if they had any sides besides anything fried. She suggested the side salad so I ordered the salad with honey mustard.
THE DISCOVERY
When I got to the office I promptly looked up the calories for my choice (while as I was eating the first half of my turkey sandwich I
might add). To my complete and utter
disbelief, the sandwich was a WHOPPING 710 calories. Add that to my 70 calorie side salad and I am at 780 calories. But wait! There’s more! I looked on my little pouch of honey dijon mustard dressing and it was another flippin’ 180 calories!! O.M.G.!!
So, I abruptly quit eating my darn sandwich so not to consume the remaining 355 calorie half and just dabbed a bit of the dressing on the lettuce so not to completely ruin my whole day, although I am sure I still ended up eating 450 calories when all said and done.
THE REALITY
What a shame is all I can say. I am a fitness professional and I am SURE people who are really sincerely trying to lose weight would have thought they made a good choice with these choices, only to rack up 960 CALORIES!!
This is why people can NOT guess their way through a diet. Even food choices that appear healthy may still exceed our caloric limit when trying to lose weight and sabotage your weight loss.
YOUR CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
If you have had high-calorie fast food discovery, I want to know! Share your discovery and help spare others of repeating the mistake you made. Together, as we share our fitness journey, we can learn from each other, gain more knowledge and get closer to our goals!
Please don’t leave this post without sharing. Although I encourage you to read my blog as much as possible as I hope you find my blog helpful, educational and encouraging – YOU can make a difference too! Don’t keep it to yourself! Join the movement to get American healthy!
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