endorphasMIC

Beyond the Mirror

Erica D Porter Season 14 Episode 5

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0:00 | 6:47

Ever wondered why so many people follow fitness influencers who look great in bikinis but have questionable qualifications? Let’s shake up the conversation about fitness, social media, and self-worth.

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Speaker 1

Welcome to Endorphasm , where we talk about all things . Endorphasm , I'm your hostess , erica Porter , and I'm just kind of giggling as I say that , because Carlo's always laughing at me for saying hostess . He's like nobody says hostess . Everybody refers to themselves as a host and therefore , more of the reason why I will forever refer to myself as the hostess the hostess with the mostest . So I want to talk about and I've talked about this before is my love-hate relationship with social media and fitness advice . It's on my mind constantly because I'm always asked like what do you eat , erica ? What do you do ? Okay , the love hate relationship I have with social media , its purpose and the irresponsibility of people using it , is what drives me batshit crazy .

Speaker 1

I have been in the fitness industry for over 30 years certified , educated , re-educated , deliberate in my approach as a trainer and a coach . I stay in my wheelhouse , I take my work seriously , but I also see a lot of nonsense out there , and today I want to break it down . Social media I can't get my little my messing with my computer . There's a lot of misinformation . Here's the thing I am not a registered dietitian and I do not give nutrition advice because I am not qualified to do so what I do is express the value of keeping things in their most natural state and listening to how your body feels . That's the key your body , your rules . I could eat ice cream for breakfast , lunch and dinner and feel amazing . Someone else might feel like absolute garbage . We're all different , but here's where social media messes things up . People are following fitness influencers simply because they look good in a bikini , in board shorts , whatever it is . They never stop and ask what are their actual qualifications ? What have they done beyond looking good ? Are they even educated in the field ? Are they even educated in the field ? Why are we blindly following someone who sells a lifestyle , not a science-backed approach to movement , my approach to nutrition and movement .

Speaker 1

And let me be very real I don't meal prep , I don't take supplements , I don't use protein powders . I barely get 50 grams of protein a day . I eat what I like Pancakes , bagels , ice cream , beans , chips I'll put spinach in my stuff , broccoli , whatever it is . And guess what ? I feel great because how I look is fleeting . It's not how I measure my self-worth . Aging , having a baby , fighting cancers , those things fucked with my body .

Speaker 1

And if I based my happiness solely on what I see in the mirror I would be depressed and angry and annoyed , and that's not to say that I don't look fucking amazing , because to me I absolutely do . But how I looked prior to cancer , how I looked prior to a baby , is a very different than 50-year-old Erica Porter sitting here in my house recording this podcast . It is not the same , but that is why I move not to look a certain way , but to feel a certain way . And , trust me , I lived in a space where I thought my value was solely dependent on how I looked . The truth about fitness , the truth about my fitness journey , is I make a living sharing the joys of movement , but not because it makes you look good , because it makes you feel good and listen . That's not to say that we should not embrace when we've had transformations , or we should not be overjoyed when we put in work and we like what we see . That's okay , but if you are solely basing your happiness , and what you feel is your self-worth on that , that is dangerous , it is unhealthy .

Speaker 1

And again , the body , how it looks , is fleeting . Everything in life is fleeting . How we feel , though . How we feel is the most long lasting thing we will ever have , and it's so critical in our life . Movement makes you feel good . Movement is essential . It is a game changer . It allows us to operate with confidence and ease . So here's an exercise I want you to do , and I don't mean movement . I want you to step in front of a mirror , I want you to take a look in the mirror and now I want you to close your eyes and I want you to tell me what you see . That's what's real Social media . That's a highlight reel . Don't let it dictate how you value yourself . So , before you take advice from someone online , ask yourself is this person really helping me out or just selling me something ? Be deliberate , be intentional , move for you and , most importantly , trust how you feel over how you look . Trust how you feel over how you look . That is it Love , health and happiness and always much respect .