How Weightlifting Changed My Life

Around the month of February, I purchased a scale so I could finally weigh myself. I had been eating 1600 calories every day and I felt good about myself. When I

The author suggests that people strive to form a new relationship with their bodies (167). Worley describes the new relationship as, “... one that does not involve self-loathing, one that appreciates the miraculous bodies we have, one that brings us joy” (167). She also mentions that one should never say sorry for his body size and people should embrace their body sizes (167). Worley explains how people look at models and pictures in magazines wanting to be skinny just like them. However, society fails to remember the reality of those photos.

I spent hundreds of dollars on supplements, shakes and eBooks and nothing worked. I was desperate to get big arms and finally look great on the beach in summer. I was so pissed off with seeing other guys getting bigger and more ripped and I was still this skinny guy. I looked in the mirror and saw a teenage boy, not a man.

Dissatisfaction amongst today’s youth regarding their personal body image is increasingly common, warranting a necessary change in the norms and behaviours that are portrayed to Canadian youth. The necessary change that must be implemented moving forward is the portrayal of healthy and attainable body images through media. A 2012 ABC News article stated the average model weighs 23% less than the average woman (Lovett, 2012). Such an appalling statistic is something that must be tackled as we progress toward the future seeing as it showcases to the youth of today that anorexia and unhealthy body weight is seen as desirable or attractive. The relation between such a statistic and anorexia is clear.

As explained in the article “The Importance of Appearance and the Costs of Conformity” by Deborah Rhode, how one is treated is often tied to cultural standards regarding appearance. “Many of the mental health difficulties associated with appearance are the product of widespread social stigma and discrimination. ”(Rhode 41). I felt this discrimination early on in my life and absorbed the view that my weight and size made me worth less than others. The interactions with my peers contributed to my developing mental state and perception of my body.

At first, I was really intimidated in the class because I didn’t know much about weightlifting but there were people in the class that were at the same beginner level as myself. Throughout the weightlifting

In sports, weightlifting is a big part of the routine for athletes. This is where athletes excel in their body physique. College and Pro athletes get stronger by working hard and lifting on a constant schedule. The athletes in both college and professional try to outwork their opponent and the best way to do that is to prepare off the field, court, etc.

Causal analysis When I was younger, I was chubby. I was around 200lb at 13. At the time, I didn’t really recognize how obese I was because I could still play any sport. I even made the football and basketball team in middle school.

I stood 5’2 and a mere fifty-eight pounds as I walked into the school I deemed “hell” and boy, if looks could kill, I’d be dead right now. The comments were enough for me to want to go to a McDonalds and eat everything on the menu, if only it were that easy. I have a rare disease called Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome-- in essence, it makes it impossible to gain weight, but of course the kids at school don’t know that. “Eat a burger!” “Being too skinny makes you look ugly.”

And I learned that it takes hard work and dedication to conquer tough situations in life, to never let one roadblock change how the future plays out, and that the trick to life is to live in the moment. For it is a mystery when it could all

I first found out I had Crohn’s disease six months before I entered high school, although I knew something was wrong with me years before. My tween and early teenage years were plagued with stomach pains, fatigue, malnourishment, and a constant need to go to the toilet. To cope, I always identified the closest restroom and became encyclopedic on every bathroom in southeastern New Hampshire. At school, I was on a first name basis with all the custodians, who were really the only ones who knew just how severe my illness was. In class kids would make fun of me for always leaving and occasionally the teacher would accuse me of trying to skip class.

Credibility Statement: I use to tell myself this when I was in high school, after looking at a music video or reading a magazine. Seeing women who were 100 pounds with zero body fat made me look at myself differently. Reveal Topic/Thesis: In today's society, the media plays a part in how we perceive our body. The way the media's advertisements portray body images rarely resemble our own, but what they consider beauty.

You should also keep in mind that strength training for children, conducted in a safe manner and

When people talk about bodybuilding, they automatically think of well-oiled, pumped up muscles on beach bums and gym bodies. It conjures images of tanned bodies straining under several pounds of weight and using the most state-of-the-art instruments of torture to achieve the perfect form. This is not uncommon. Most people would not list bodybuilding as a step towards gaining and maintaining a healthy body.

“I’m empty, and I’m aching, and I don’t know why…” – Simon and Garfunkel, America. So, given all the transformations you’ve just read, are you wondering what happened to me three years ago? Did I miraculously stop eating and lose all that excess weight? Honestly?