MUST READ: An Open Apology to Weight Loss Clients
Replies
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I read this article this morning and read some of the accompanying comments. I agree with one commentator who said the piece lacked any kind of information, it was very vague. It's a nice story, but without the flesh (which company? which clients, one or many? etc) it reads almost like a fan-faction!
IDK, don't you think the general sentiment is readily applicable regardless of the actual company or clients? I kinda feel like the message is readily transferable and applicable across companies and clients. Particularly given the rampant isomorphic tendencies in the weight loss industry generally. :-)
Like I said, it's a nice story, but it is, overall, a fluff piece.
It's similar to how I feel about the Dove commercials. Dove 'real women' campaign is beautiful on the surface, but then you realize the company is owned by Unilever which makes skin whitening products in Asia or has commercials which glamorize the female body for men's pleasure and it kind of detracts from the overall message.0 -
"A teenage girl walks in with no visible body fat and lots of muscle tone, tells you she's a runner and is happy with her weight... but her mother says she's fat and has to lose weight and so we help her do just that. As an individual, as women, as a company, hell, as a nation, we don't stand up for that girl? What is wrong with us? There ain't nothing right about that. Nothing. "
this made me tear up!
I struggled with an eating disorder for years because my bulimic mother constantly told me I was fat, what the hell!
Lets encourage health and happiness, not dieting!
This letter is absolutely amazing!0 -
I read this article this morning and read some of the accompanying comments. I agree with one commentator who said the piece lacked any kind of information, it was very vague. It's a nice story, but without the flesh (which company? which clients, one or many? etc) it reads almost like a fan-faction!
Right, I went to read the original. I liked the article, but was disappointed by the lack of ways to fix the problem. And frankly depressed by the "Meet Our Body Image Heroes" and comments beneath the article. I think the heros are great, however, placing them right beneath this article just reinforces the message that "1200-1500 cals" a day or overweight are the only options.
First off, kudos for posting, OP, and more for properly attributing the article to its source.
Second, to the above poster, one way to fix the problem was provided right there in the article and it's something that is said every day in these forums. I quote:
Just eat food. Eat real food, be active, and live your life. Forget all the diet and weight loss nonsense. It's really just that. Nonsense.
Put another way:
Eat less, move more.
There is no bad food or good food, only food.
And yes, if you have a ED, then seek counseling, not help with losing weight.0 -
I read this article this morning and read some of the accompanying comments. I agree with one commentator who said the piece lacked any kind of information, it was very vague. It's a nice story, but without the flesh (which company? which clients, one or many? etc) it reads almost like a fan-faction!
IDK, don't you think the general sentiment is readily applicable regardless of the actual company or clients? I kinda feel like the message is readily transferable and applicable across companies and clients. Particularly given the rampant isomorphic tendencies in the weight loss industry generally. :-)
Like I said, it's a nice story, but it is, overall, a fluff piece.
It's similar to how I feel about the Dove commercials. Dove 'real women' campaign is beautiful on the surface, but then you realize the company is owned by Unilever which makes skin whitening products in Asia or has commercials which glamorize the female body for men's pleasure and it kind of detracts from the overall message.
I get why one could feel like Dove is trying to cash in on a "love your body" image thing, and is ultimately using this less for altruism and more to increase corporate profits, but I don't get how that analogy plays out for this piece. The author is just apologizing for doing her clients a disservice.0 -
One of the best articles I've read in a long time. Amazing.0
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wow, very moving. kudos for whoever had the balls to put it out there and thank you for sharing!0
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I really liked the post but I have a question. If this is so bad, why does MFP say that I should only eat 1200 calories a day? I am 5'3 and weigh 139 but would like to lose 10 to 15 pounds and I set my goal as 1 pound a week and I run 3 days a week for 1 hour each. If this isn't right, then what gives?
MPF doesn't suggest 1200. It suggests a minimum of 1200, plus exercise calories. Also, it depends on how accurately or appropriately the user sets up his/her profile.
When I had 30 pounds to lose and set it to 2 pounds a week and sedentary, of course it gave me 1200. But I shouldn't have set it for 2 pounds a week and I wasn't really sedentary. When I had the right activity level and right weekly goal, I had more calories. When I was down to the last 10 pounds, I was set to 1500 (plus exercise calories) to lose a half pound a week. I lost weight eating a total of between 1800-2000+ calories.0 -
Lové this0
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I read this article this morning and read some of the accompanying comments. I agree with one commentator who said the piece lacked any kind of information, it was very vague. It's a nice story, but without the flesh (which company? which clients, one or many? etc) it reads almost like a fan-faction!
IDK, don't you think the general sentiment is readily applicable regardless of the actual company or clients? I kinda feel like the message is readily transferable and applicable across companies and clients. Particularly given the rampant isomorphic tendencies in the weight loss industry generally. :-)
Like I said, it's a nice story, but it is, overall, a fluff piece.
It's similar to how I feel about the Dove commercials. Dove 'real women' campaign is beautiful on the surface, but then you realize the company is owned by Unilever which makes skin whitening products in Asia or has commercials which glamorize the female body for men's pleasure and it kind of detracts from the overall message.
I totally disagree with you. Fanfiction? Fluff? It makes a clear point. Companies (doesn't really matter which) profit off of people desperate to lose weight. Regardless and perhaps even in spite of negative physical consequences. Why does it need to be any more complex than that to make a valuable point?0 -
Who ever wrote this, you are awesome for coming out and saying this. Shame you are leaving the industry though now that you possess the correct knowledge and the backbone to teach people correctly. There are still a lot of dumb trainers and people who choose to follow advice from damaging diet plans.
It's scary to think people out there still buy into the diets you and your company were once pushing. Everyone is looking for the diet they don't have to think about and want immediate results.
I really wish people would take the time to educate themselves about nutrition and sports nutrition. Even on this very forum there are so many people still practicing terrible dieting habits thinking its healthy. Forums are great if the people answering the questions are experienced and informed, but a lot of times the information found is just poorly regurgitated rhetoric
Read a book. .0 -
I loved reading this...thank you so much for sharing!0
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I read this article this morning and read some of the accompanying comments. I agree with one commentator who said the piece lacked any kind of information, it was very vague. It's a nice story, but without the flesh (which company? which clients, one or many? etc) it reads almost like a fan-faction!
IDK, don't you think the general sentiment is readily applicable regardless of the actual company or clients? I kinda feel like the message is readily transferable and applicable across companies and clients. Particularly given the rampant isomorphic tendencies in the weight loss industry generally. :-)
Like I said, it's a nice story, but it is, overall, a fluff piece.
It's similar to how I feel about the Dove commercials. Dove 'real women' campaign is beautiful on the surface, but then you realize the company is owned by Unilever which makes skin whitening products in Asia or has commercials which glamorize the female body for men's pleasure and it kind of detracts from the overall message.
I get why one could feel like Dove is trying to cash in on a "love your body" image thing, and is ultimately using this less for altruism and more to increase corporate profits, but I don't get how that analogy plays out for this piece. The author is just apologizing for doing her clients a disservice.
well said0 -
I totally disagree with you. Fanfiction? Fluff? It makes a clear point. Companies (doesn't really matter which) profit off of people desperate to lose weight. Regardless and perhaps even in spite of negative physical consequences. Why does it need to be any more complex than that to make a valuable point?
Most companies exist for profit. If people didn't want to lose weight, those companies wouldn't be able to exist because they wouldn't be funded. That fact alone doesn't make them a bad company any more than the author of that piece considers themselves a bad individual.
You're very much entitled to disagree. That's the enjoyment of literature. What inspires some doesn't inspire others, and this piece fell flat to me. Each to their own.0 -
From the author's blog:
http://www.yourfairyangel.com/1/archives/08-2013/1.html
After years of going back and forth between restricting and overeating, and thinking I was cured only to slide back into bingeing, everything has finally come together. I found the right combination of puzzle pieces to put my relationship with food back together again. And I want to share that with you.
My new program came out of a challenge from my 30 Day Anti-Diet Challenge (now called Breaking the Chrysalis). As is always the case, I did each challenge right along with the group, and when I wrote in my journal that day, I knew that this was not something I was supposed to keep to myself. I knew I had to develop it into a program to help other women who were in the same place I had been. And so I've been working on it quietly since then, developing the guided meditation recordings, going back and forth on exactly how the program would work best, and refining ideas during my morning meditations.
Well, my beautiful butterflies? This program is ready to take flight. It's an ongoing program (i.e. you can start anytime as long as I'm running it), and I'll begin working with my first clients the week of September 15th. You can read on below for all the details, including what I believe are the 4 core spiritual components of emotional eating in women, and how to apply if want to reserve a spot to begin in September.
Investment: $1197 or $697 for women who have participated in my challenges (Breaking the Chrysalis and/or the Anti-Diet Challenge). Installment plans available upon request.0 -
I probably went to her place or one just like it. I walked in - they gave me a meal plan and explained how the whole thing worked and I walked out and demanded my money back. start with 900 calories the first week (eating plastic food) and build up over time to a whopping 1350 calories. I told them I did not need to pay them to help me starve myself. I joined MFP the next day.0
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All I can say is WoW! One problem in our society is you are not anything unless you are bone rail skinny. Look at all of the advertising, look at all the A list Hollywood female stars. I buy my bike riding clothes in a certain catalog, the female models pictured are all picture perfect skinny. Not pics of someone that has weight issues.
I used to ride in horse shows, look at my profile picture. I was judged 50% score is the horse, 50% rider. We never scored well because my rider scores were low, not because I was a bad rider, which I am extremely proficient, but because the judge marked my appearance "overweight" and would knock off 25 to 30%.
We are targets for fad dieting and extremes that are just not healthy. I applaud the person who published that article in HuffPo and the person who copied it here. I loved it when Kirstie Alley and Chaz Bono went on Dancing With The Stars, they were heavy set but danced their hearts out. They were my favorites in their appearances and I voted for them every week, not because they had weight issues, but because they were damn good. They were truly inspiring.0 -
I posted this early this morning. Unfortunately, it was pointed out to me that the author now has a "program" for $99 that she's selling. She also has other "products". Not very sincere, but just a marketing ploy :mad:
Here's the author's blog:
http://www.yourfairyangel.com/1/post/2013/07/an-open-apology-to-all-of-my-weight-loss-clients.html0 -
totally agree with : Just eat food. Eat real food, be active, and live your life. Forget all the diet and weight loss nonsense. It's really just that. Nonsense.0
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I totally disagree with you. Fanfiction? Fluff? It makes a clear point. Companies (doesn't really matter which) profit off of people desperate to lose weight. Regardless and perhaps even in spite of negative physical consequences. Why does it need to be any more complex than that to make a valuable point?
Most companies exist for profit. If people didn't want to lose weight, those companies wouldn't be able to exist because they wouldn't be funded. That fact alone doesn't make them a bad company any more than the author of that piece considers themselves a bad individual.
Let the buyer beware of snake oil salesmen.0 -
From the author's blog:
http://www.yourfairyangel.com/1/archives/08-2013/1.html
After years of going back and forth between restricting and overeating, and thinking I was cured only to slide back into bingeing, everything has finally come together. I found the right combination of puzzle pieces to put my relationship with food back together again. And I want to share that with you.
My new program came out of a challenge from my 30 Day Anti-Diet Challenge (now called Breaking the Chrysalis). As is always the case, I did each challenge right along with the group, and when I wrote in my journal that day, I knew that this was not something I was supposed to keep to myself. I knew I had to develop it into a program to help other women who were in the same place I had been. And so I've been working on it quietly since then, developing the guided meditation recordings, going back and forth on exactly how the program would work best, and refining ideas during my morning meditations.
Well, my beautiful butterflies? This program is ready to take flight. It's an ongoing program (i.e. you can start anytime as long as I'm running it), and I'll begin working with my first clients the week of September 15th. You can read on below for all the details, including what I believe are the 4 core spiritual components of emotional eating in women, and how to apply if want to reserve a spot to begin in September.
Investment: $1197 or $697 for women who have participated in my challenges (Breaking the Chrysalis and/or the Anti-Diet Challenge). Installment plans available upon request.
LOL0 -
I posted this early this morning. Unfortunately, it was pointed out to me that the author now has a "program" for $99 that she's selling. She also has other "products". Not very sincere, but just a marketing ploy :mad:
Here's the author's blog:
http://www.yourfairyangel.com/1/post/2013/07/an-open-apology-to-all-of-my-weight-loss-clients.html
So, you're saying that a professional weight loss coach who apologized for doing a disservice to her clients is not sincere in her apology bc on her website, where she is trying to continue being a professional weight loss coach, she wants people to pay her money in exchange for her services? Would her apology be more sincere if she closed up shop and started a new profession all together? I guess you could say yes. But I feel like she's still entitled to earn a living and it doesn't render her apology less sincere, at least not in my opinion. :-)0 -
$99, that is steep.
There are many e-books available for free if you search on google. I can't believe people would rather cough up $100 then just read a free book. No wonder our country is becoming fatter and stupider by the day.
However, even if this is a marketing ploy it is promoting good health. So if you are too lazy, might as well sign up.
How many times is this forum going to ask " Should I eat back my calories?" or make statements like "1200cals is all you need, even if you burn 700."
So, even if this person is a self promoting hack, at least they are creating an emotional response among the uninitiated TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
Please question their motives. However, if your own fitness and diet schedules look like the ones this person is speaking out about, let it be a wake up call. You have been lied too, you don't know what you are doing, your health is at risk.0 -
Standing, clapping, wiping away a tear. Bravo. Good find.
My sentiments exactly.0 -
Thank you for sharing... Pretty basically was crying from the second paragraph in. Amazing read. Thank you .0
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Oi that made me cry a little, not gonna lie.
I saw a comment about not listing company names and such, if I listed my companies name in a negative way and they really felt some kinda way about it, I could be fined and fired. So I get that part.
Nice post though.0 -
That was awesome! Thank you for sharing.
I cannot tell you how many times I have walked into a weight loss plan, knowing I have a lot of weight to lose, and the person next to me has maybe 15 pounds to shed, and they're gonna put me on the same diet, same calorie count, same everything, as her? With white coat, professional people telling me it was right and good. Being left so hungry that I'd vomit was the right plan for me?
I always knew, instinctively, that it wasn't just unfair for a bigger person to be so restricted, it was wrong, but I didn't know why.
I thought something was wrong, but I also thought it was my fault that I could not be satisified on the same diet as a much smaller person. :P Just a lack of will power, as I was told.
No one, not one diet professional anywhere, EVER helped me figure out my BMR. Not one professional person in my life doctor or dietician, and I've talked to several and have a great insurance, ever helped me calculate how many calories I burn based on my daily activity level and figure out a caloried deficit based on THAT number.
All I was ever given by any white coat was a plan on a piece of paper or a booklet of what to eat when with a pre-determined calorie count based on height (if it even bothered to factor in height). And it was the same plan for every woman, whether she was a size 12 or a size 22. And because I'm short (just shy of 5'4"), I would only have the lowest calorie plan available. Pfft!
Also, diet food is disgusting. I can tell you from experience that nutri-system tastes awful. I do not know if that was the 'plan' from the article, but the 1200 calorie diet made me cringe and remember nutri-system.0 -
I posted this early this morning. Unfortunately, it was pointed out to me that the author now has a "program" for $99 that she's selling. She also has other "products". Not very sincere, but just a marketing ploy :mad:
Here's the author's blog:
http://www.yourfairyangel.com/1/post/2013/07/an-open-apology-to-all-of-my-weight-loss-clients.html
WoW what a rip off. Here is what her (Iris Higgins, Angel Fairy) "program" costs: Investment: $1197 or $697 for women who have participated in my challenges (Breaking the Chrysalis and/or the Anti-Diet Challenge). Installment plans available upon request. I about fell off my chair when I saw installment plans available! Oh well, so much for honesty.0 -
I read this article this morning and read some of the accompanying comments. I agree with one commentator who said the piece lacked any kind of information, it was very vague. It's a nice story, but without the flesh (which company? which clients, one or many? etc) it reads almost like a fan-faction!
I'm pretty sure if the author had posted the name of the company or the clients without permission the article would be removed and litigation would have started.0 -
I'm pretty sure if the author had posted the name of the company or the clients without permission the article would be removed and litigation would have started.
Pretty sure it's not top secret - she was a Jenny Craig consultant.0 -
Thanks. I needed this today.
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