What I Learned from SHAPE Magazine
Yesterday I had the privilege of attending SHAPE magazine’s Meet & Tweet event — a gathering of 100 top Chicago influencers.
I’ve been to a lot of blogging events, but this was one of the few where I walked away feeling inspired and appreciative of the time I spent and the message I heard. I didn’t realize that SHAPE magazine had become so body-positive and empowering since the last time I read it.
I wanted to take a little time to go over the structure and ESPECIALLY share with you some of the key takeaways from the event. Please note that this event was free and we were in no way asked to write about it, but I felt like there were a lot of messages that would help others.
The event was held in a beautiful space in the South Loop that I didn’t even know existed.
Tons of snack and drink options and I made sure to help myself to all the delicious Yogi teas — one of my favorite brands.
I was able to catch up with friends —
And finally connected with some in person! Sidenote: I have met so many amazing people through Instagram, but I don’t always get to interact with them in person. This event was amazing because I was able to put names with faces like my friend Uyen:
Finally, there were several panels, all of which I was able to take something away from:
- Love My SHAPE
- Be the Boss of Your Body
- Movers & Shapers
- Ask the Editors
Here are some of the things that stood out to me the most:
1. Go slow
A lot of times trying to shift to a healthier lifestyle can become very black and white. It’s either ALL GREENS AND ALL EXERCISE or none. It’s feeling guilty for sleeping in when your plan was to work out. There can be a lot of shame involved if you fall off track (self-induced shame, mind you — something we’ll come to in a bit).
If you’re trying to jump on the health train, go slow. Immediately changing everything about your eating and fitness routine almost guarantees that it won’t be sustainable. Start small. If you want to eat fried chicken, put it on a bed of greens first. Working out one day is better than no days. Eating one healthy meal a day is better than no healthy meals.
Start making those small changes and it will get easier to build on them over time.
2. Give yourself permission & own your decisions
A lot of times we induce shame by telling ourselves we “should” be doing something. We “should” be eating better. We “should” be able to do an entire workout without modifications. In fact, I wrote a whole post about this in the early days of the blog.
The thing about “should” is that it’s based on outside influences. We think we “should” be doing something based on social constructs and what others may think. The truth is, if we simply own our decisions, there’s nothing to feel bad about.
Here’s an example — last week I went to Crossfit. The workout involved a lot of double unders (a jump rope move where you bring the rope under you twice with one jump). Now I’ve never done a double under in my life. Instead of anxiously wondering if I should try to force myself to do a move I’ve never done or if they would think less of me if I didn’t do it, I simply made the decision that I was going to do single jumps. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought (they didn’t care) — this was my decision and my workout and I was happy with it.
3. Find what works for YOU
I loved this. I’ve also written about this subject as well, emphasizing that the best workout is one that you will do. Don’t do something because you think you should or because everyone else is doing it, do it because YOU want to. The more you force yourself to do workouts you hate, the less fun exercise will be.
I loved listening to the panelists because they had all been there. They had all had their own journeys that brought them to where they were today. It’s always a process to find what you love, but once you do, stick with it!
Related: Not Sure What Workout Format Is Best For You?
4. Acknowledge guilt, move on, and learn from it
Absolutely no one is perfect. Women tend to be especially hard on themselves. One of the panelists, Jen Widerstrom, a coach from The Biggest Loser, gave some amazing advice about learning from our mistakes.
The example she gave involved eating something we wished we hadn’t. That time we finished off a whole pint of ice cream or ate a ton of cookie dough. Such behaviors can immediately bring guilt, which can result in further actions that bring shame such as continuing to eat foods we normally wouldn’t. When we encounter such situations, here’s some advice:
- Acknowledge the guilt. Understand what you’re feeling.
- Let it go. The ice cream has been eaten and it’s done.
- LEARN from the situation — what prompted that action? What can you learn about your behavior?
- Use that information when a similar event comes up again.
Eating has ups and downs. Learn what you can from those downs and use that to influence your behavior in the future. There will always be cookie dough, just next time remember how it made you feel when you ate that amount and maybe eat a little less.
This event was so full of body positivity and self-acceptance. Every panelist was real and spoke about their own struggles with balance, mindfulness, and overall health. It made them relatable, which allowed me to resonate with a lot of the messages.
I’m definitely planning on reading more of SHAPE magazine to see the changes they’ve made about embracing every woman as she is. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
Thanks for Amanda for letting me think out loud.
Questions:
- Do you read SHAPE magazine?
- Which one of these takeaways do you resonate most with?
It was such a great event, and I am so happy that I got to go, even if I did come home to a crazy puppy, lol. And I want to be Jen when I grow up!!
Susie @ SuzLyfe recently posted…Remember: Nothing Lasts Forever
Looks like a fun event and great topics too! They never have cool events like this in Phoenix which seems odd to me given how large this city is.
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious recently posted…Too Young For A Hip Replacement
Maybe it’s too hot there and they’re afraid they’ll burn up haha
I love all of these lessons! It’s the shoulds that set us back the most from progress.
Jen @ Pretty Little Grub recently posted…Thinking out Loud #85
Totally. I was pleasantly surprised by what everyone had to say!
This sounds like such a great event! I am always trying to work on being more ‘body positive’. I love the last take away. I occasionally have regret from eating too much and am really hard and down on myself, so those are great tips to keep in mind.
Yeah, you just have to remember that it’s done and it’s what you do with it going forward. Learn from it or you’ll just sit and feel awful!
Great wrap up! I love these events, I’ve been to the NYC one a few times always great messages and inspirations! Oh guilt it’s such a bad thing to hold…I’m so bad about it myself! Let it go!
Renee recently posted…Korean Beef & Ancient Grains Bowl
Totally! I was so glad I was able to go to this one!
I love this post! Sounds like such an awesome event and OMG I love Biggest Loser so I am jealous you got to meet Jen!
Jill @ RunEatSnap recently posted…It’s Makeover Week!!
I know! I want her outfit!!
I can’t tell you how much I love reading your blog (I just discovered it, thanks to a link on San’s blog, and I’m still working on catching up on everything).
You are inspiring and I hope I can take away a lot from your posts to help me with my own eating issues (I feel weird to call it a disorder….)
Oh my gosh thank you so much!! Yeah, my eating issues weren’t officially diagnosed, but they were definitely disordered. Hope you find something that helps!!
I honestly haven’t read Shape in ages mostly because for awhile I found the articles were all the same, typical advice and just not the greatest nutrition or workout advice. But this definitely sounds like they’ve taken a new approach! Loving the emphasis on body-positive talk and doing what works for you (versus 1200 calorie diets and excessive cardio).
Danielle @ Wild Coast Tales recently posted…My Vancouver #8: Hawaiian Coffee and Hollyburn Mountain
Absolutely. I’m more inclined to pick up a copy in the future now!
I love shape Magazine! Looks like you had a blast, wish I was there!
Rachel @ athletic avocado recently posted…Vegan Soft-Baked Banana Maple Oatmeal Cookies {High Protein + Gluten-Free!}
I was really happy w how it turned out!
I love Shape mag and have been reading it for years. I really click with the advice to go with what works for you. I was a vegan and into fitness since the 70s, so I know what works for me. Doesn’t mean it will work for you or others, so I always keep my mind open and constantly learning new things.
Totally! You do YOU 🙂
Ah, bummer. I just wrote a comment and it didn’t get through. If this one does could you maybe check the spam folder as it’s been happening for me for months now :(?
Oh no! Yeah I’ll check it out!
I love all of your takeaways. They’re amazing and oh, so true.
As someone who normally shys away from “women’s magazines” I’m interested in picking up SHAPE and giving it a read.
Ange // Cowgirl Runs recently posted…Stories from Maui
Oh that’s so nice to read! I read SHAPE a lot in early high school and then honestly thought it shifted more toward typical “women’s magazine” ickiness. If it’s back to a more positive place, I’d love to pick it up again 🙂
Ellen @ My Uncommon Everyday recently posted…Five Friday Favorites 09/22/16
Yeah I might check it out some more now!
Acknowledging guilt and moving on is huge (and still difficult) for me. Prime example for today: scarfing down a croissant sausage strata at my favorite pastry place and now feeling nauseated from the richness 😛
Jess @hellotofit recently posted…Healthy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
That sounds pretty delicious though. I just ate two giant sandwiches. Oh well haha
Ahhh loved this so much! The event sounded awesome and I am so glad there is more conversation happening around body image and self-love, etc. etc. It is going to be SO important for generations to come so we (mainly women) can stop the cycle of feeling guilty about health and fitness and spread more positivity in the world. <3 Thanks for sharing this Erin!
Absolutely. I loved everything they had to say!