In this episode, we discuss: 0:00:08 - Holly’s background and passion for sports and nutrition 0:03:07 - Holly’s struggle with depression and an eating disorder 0:19:49 - Reflecting on her eating disorder, body image, and a wake up call 0:30:23 - Road to recovery: therapy, meditation, self-compassion, and a breakthrough 0:43:58 - The effect of competitive bodybuilding on women 0:52:55 - Holly’s competition prep and how she guides her clients wanting to improve their physique 1:05:05 - Training principles for muscle hypertrophy 1:10:16 - Training advice for an inexperienced person wanting to build muscle 1:13:15 - Training program for a hypothetical woman wanting to add lean muscle and lose body fat 1:24:10 - Lower body lifts: Holly’s approach to leg workouts with clients 1:36:32 - Upper body exercises: Holly’s approach with her clients 1:47:03 - Importance of nutrition and protein during the muscle building phase 1:54:20 - Changes to nutrition and training during a fat loss phase 2:04:54 - A “reverse diet” after a cutting phase to help prevent weight gain 2:08:53 - Female-specific training considerations: programming, reps, volume, sex hormones, and more 2:23:34 - Holly’s future in bodybuilding and helping struggling women 2:26:19 - Looking forward: Holly’s focus on longevity, bone mineral density, and wellness
When I started working out in my early 60s (weight and resistance training, and swimming) I lost only 3 pounds, but went down four clothing sizes! Everyone complimented me on my weight loss, but it was "fat loss" and lean muscle gain. I'm still at it, and I'll be 70 soon.
I am also in early 60’s, work out on a pilates reformer, some free weights. I am confused on how I should eat to maintain/optimize muscle building. May I ask what/how you eat? How do you get enough protein? I do 12-15 hr. intermittent fast daily.
@Reba 567 I was vegan at the time and didn't change my diet other than adding one plant-based protein shake per day. I am not qualified to advise you how to eat. Best of luck on your fitness journey!
The comments down below about Holly's clothing and nails absolutely sicken me. This lovely lady shared her trauma and experiences with us very openly and you want to focus on her nails and clothing! Holly you are beautiful inside and out! Ignore the haters!
I agree. I respect and appreciate Holly for sharing her relatable story and professional expertise. She is helping many women and should very proud of that.
I’ve had the privilege of being coached by Holly and am so glad that someone with respect for science and a specific focus on women’s health and wellness, both mental and physical, is being featured on your platform. The discussion of mental health is greatly appreciated as well, especially as it relates to body image.
That’s awesome. Where did you train with her? My first personal trainer was a female and she wasn’t good at all. She just walked around and placed me on machine after machine at the gym. With no goal and no explanation and I’ve never felt like she challenged me or pushed me. But she sure did make a lot of money.. I switched to a male and he randomly kissed me at the end of a training session one night, so that ended up after that I’ve never had any training.
@@HH-gv8mx I appreciate it's really difficult to not feel the lesson from such experiences is "don't go back". But in a way we can never "go back" and every situation is unique, so i really hope you in your future find a trainer who has more integrity. There are so many gyms around these days... But also a lot can be effectual at home. I have dumbbells up to 9kg and there's a lot i can do with those. I've got a wooden bench i got for £1 at the tip which is perfect for doing a dumbbell press.. and a pull up bar i just flip onto the door frame with a set of resistance bands that altogether cost less than £40. And there are various ways to practice push ups.. Loads i can do. I'm blessed with a lot of body awareness from history of dance and qi gong and yoga.. but a class of such kind could help you work on your posture because that's crucial when lifting else we overtrain some muscles and undertrain others and more significantly lay ourselves open to injury when lifting free weights. But some yoga/pilates/qi going... meditation on posture.. alongside a home gym.. can make a lot of progress over time. I did a course with Mindvalley online on basically hypertrophic style lifting (8-15 reps) and a course like that could really empower you to experience and build on the benefits of weight training. Then when you go into any gym you will feel more empowered and know what to avoid. Sounds like the "trainers" you engaged with were actually rather weak individuals. I wish i'd got into this area of body work years ago, i might have loved to healthily help people with their fitness journey.
Could you hv her back again and speak more on how female hormones impact fitness and nutrition in depth particularly for us ladies in peri or post menopause?
Holly has amazing courage to share her history of bulimia. I am a male in my 60s and suffered from bulimia for 35 years. As with most people with eating disorders I suffered in silence. What a resilient species we are!
Huge thank you to Holly for her vulnerability and honesty about her journey. I have noticed this same pattern that I'm sure she is aware of - an experience in a woman's youth that is linked to a serious tresspassing of boundaries (usually sexual), a development for the need for control and striving for perfectionism (typically these women are seen as overachievers/excellers in some field), and the subsequent development of an eating disorder and dysfunctional relationship with the body. It is not the food; I believe it is the body that the dysfunctional relationship is with. It seems there is a greater than expected proportion of such women going into fields related to nutrition, exercise physiology, training - as it both justifies their focus and also helps them eventually come to terms with their body and its needs. I thus think that going into these professions is actually a good strategy (instead of it being a red flag for continued dysfunction) as it lends itself to lifelong building of this relationship and acceptance (and hopefully love) of one's body.
Thank you for covering this. I’m a registered dietician specializing in eating disorders and this is such a valuable topic to discuss in a healthy environment like you offer here.
Still listening: but I am feeling so proud of this young lady, sharing her story has got to be the best ever for both her and others who may be going through this. I feel happy, happy she can rise above all of this trauma. Love her!!!💞💞💞
So much of her story resonated with me. I'm truly ashamed to say I almost didn't listen to this because of her appearance. :( ED is a lifelong struggle and I can find myself triggered by fit women on restrictive diets. I believed I was cured from years of bulimia when I no longer purged, but calorie restrictions and orthorexia is also ED. It was very very hard for me to stop weighing food and counting macros and letting go and eating freely and intuitively. I was a cyclist and I'd say almost all the peloton except for sprinters seem to have an ED. It took a diagnosis of osteoporosis before age 40 to make me truly commit to less training and accept that a bit of fat is ok. My mentor was always telling me I could lose 3 kg more, and all my male friends kept telling me if I just trained more and got the few extra kilos off I could stay fast on the bike. I had to move completely away from the cycling community for years in order to heal. Amazingly my body eventually learned to menstruate and self regulate and I was able to eat more and enjoy a steady healthy weight. By enjoying less structured cross training activities and keeping my hormones healthy I've been able to recover sufficient bone density to hopefully enter menopause in a safer range. This talk was great and I wish Holly health and well being and appreciated the open sharing and solidarity.
This topic needs to discussed more. I signed up for a gym membership in 2007 just to get toned and leaner for my sister’s wedding. I worked so much that I never had time to work out and didn’t realize I guess I had packed on a couple pounds although I was not fat. They assigned me a personal trainer a guy who didn’t seem to know what he was doing. He told me I needed to drop at least 10 pounds and get down to 10% or 13% body fat, which is quite low for females.fast forward 2yrs and I was an avid gym rat taking spin classes and body sculpting classes a few times a week and running on the few days that I was not in the gym. I was super lean I and toned. My mother kept calling me anorexic, but my doctors were saying otherwise. They said I was a healthy body weight. But I was all muscle. I lost my period for six years. I was also diagnosed with Osteoarthritis BEFORE the age of 40 and started breaking bones. This is the first year in over a decade that I’ve really stopped being so strict about exercising. I’m lucky if I get a bike ride or a run in once a week. But I’ve started really being strict on intermittent fasting and many of these doctors are saying that you need to prolong your fast to see any results.. but I’m wondering how this new lifestyle borders on anorexia. Now I e swapped exercise for daily intermittent fasting and one 24hr fast per week.
Have you listened to the work of Dr Stacy Simms? She is a trainer who does not advocate intermittent fasting periods of much longer than 12 hours for women. She's a good listen. I too could be easily seduced by fasting... but i know it's not ideal for me. 15 hours is ok... but not every day. I focus on nutrient dense food and mostly eat whole foods. It's helped me reverse osteoporosis from stupid restrictive dietary behaviours (i call the stupid now, because experience has shown me better). I am absolutely sure that eating well consistently is better than fasting and cleansing. Believe me, i've done a lot of fasting and cleansing and i just ended up on a process of losing in so many ways. Took a lot to gain back. So just look after yourself cause your words resonated. Give yourself a big hug of self love and acceptance. Whatever you feel or decide for yourself, you know, you know yourself, i know you do. @@HH-gv8mx
Thank you for sharing this as well. Her story is so resonating with me too. I’d love to get to a place where I can eat intuitively and not stress over it. I exercise constantly and weight food, etc. I think to heal would feel amazing.
I am so happy to have watched this. I will definitely follow her. I'm 61 now and truly excited to start muscle training. I love hearing more women focusing on the woman and hormones that are so unique to women. Thank you both so much!!
I appreciate her being so raw and giving so much in this interview. I think it's very relatable-especially with young people. It's funny how some of us will LOOK at someone and think-they have it all together but find out out we are all struggling...
I have watched/listened to countless podcasts from Peter and others and while they have been helpful and informative, I’ve never really understood what was going on with my body (and why I’ve probably struggled to lose weight and the damage I’ve done) until listening to Holly. Thank you so much for being so informative and you’re a beautiful human being.
Discovered Holly many years back; thrilled to catch her on your show. She's a treasure trove of knowledge-genuine and highly informed. Eager for her return!
I"m very impressed by Holly and her performance, this was a great podcast. Thank you for interviewing her, Peter. As a woman, I'm not interested in male health issues, so please bring more women on your show to talk about women related issues, I'll watch more of your videos.
Holly, you are a great advocate. You are❤ Thank you for being open and sharing your experience with us. It's was an awesome interview. This is also how I see myself growing older. I like esthetic but it's nothing without being content, happy, healthy and functional. Thank you Peter for interesting questions and your guests. I'm finishing reading your book. It's such a solid work. I am amazed by the number of references. It's a life changing experience. Thank you guys! Greetings from Amsterdam, Julia
Holly is inspiring and relatable . I have struggled with emotional trauma and have worked through this my whole life. At the age of 40 I decided to change my entire lifestyle and eating. I competed at the age of 43-50. Now I teach workshops on nutrition , self esteem building etc. trying to help others with eating disorders and lifestyle changes. I have gone through periods of differing eating disorders. Of course Holly has an amazing body that she has built with discipline and consistency. I hate to say , most women are insecure and don’t really trust or like each other. I have had haters too. It’s ok. I have many people I have inspired and helped. That’s what matters. Thank you for this information and having her as a guest.
Thank you so much for this podcast! Dr. Attia, please do another on eating disorders. Binge eating is an epidemic and not getting enough attention. Thank you to this brave woman for being so transparent!
I cannot believe how much I identify with this story! And I’m nearly 60 now. I grew up on the other side of the planet and yet the similarities are uncanny! Thank you so much for this discussion 🙏💕🙏
Just started listening but I had the same path with a short bout of anorexia followed by binge eating and bulimia. 12 years in all. I’m glad you are in a good place now, Holly. I know for me it felt impossible. It’s great to be on the other side 👏
Really appreciated this interview. Thank you both for shedding light on eating disorders experienced by girls and women of “healthy” weight. Particularly appreciated Holly’s highlighting of control and the impact of praise for the body. X
This was such a good episode! I love her! She is an amazing woman and role model. So intelligent, well-spoken, driven, and not to mention drop dead gorgeous. Thanks to her for sharing her journey and hard won new healthy outlook on fitness and health.
She is so inspiring… I completely identify with her story… and am so grateful that she shares her journey and lives her truth. Strength and beauty personified 🙏💕
Thanks for this informative and fascinating conversation. Holly is such a role model. Learnt so much. Really appreciated Holly's comments about choosing exercises based on different anatomies. This isnt emphasised enough.
Holly, this interview has blessed me. I also relate to your journey and am still struggling with binge eating. Thank you so much for your vulnerability and being so honest with us about how your transformation has been. God bless you and I am so grateful for your healing and your encouragement to all of us who are in and have been in your shoes.
May be the very best podcast I’ve ever listened to! Thank you both, for the relative questioning and answers on how to train for specific outcomes! Good stuff here!
She is so intelligent, beautiful, charismatic, and so strong and brave! She is absolutely so gorgeous and powerful! Having this level of vulnerability is so so so brave! 💕
Great interview! I mostly appreciated the last part when they talked about hormonal changes and life changes (aging) impact in energy levels and training. However I’d like more focus on this. Women we experience peri-menopause, menopause, that’s a loooot of years. I felt the first part of the show was too focused on young women, with no stress. I am 41 and since last year I noticed how the capacity to gain strength and muscle is fundamentally different from before. Stress affects me in an insane way now. This is conversation was really good at brining a lot of these things up but definitely more is needed! Thanks both for this interview.
I've been watching Holly's channel for a couple years now and it's great. I put on a bunch of Covid weight and watching her videos taught me a lot about how to change my eating and lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way. She's usually so bubbly, it was interesting to see this more serious side of her as well. Really excited to see her on the show!
thank you so much for introducing us to Holly, If you can have Holly for another round to talk specifically about eating disorders and body image during weight loss journey.
great podcast with great info. As a woman who has always been active and in my mid 50s , I really appreciate all the training info! I feel re-motivated! I had never heard of Holly and am so glad I watched this, she is a lovely human (love the dark hair, btw! I was shocked , upon Googling, to see she had always been blond!) and I wish her all the best in the future!
There's many podcasts on eating disorders out there and healthcare professionals including dietitians, psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, who talk about this on Twitter, Insta and RU-vid (I'm in the UK). As well as lived experience. I recommend doing a search and following some! Lots of useful information and sharing of stories :)
I have been watching this interview for a series of 4 days. Thank you so much for this information and very insightful! Thank you Holly for your vulnerability, and expertise!! Awesome interview!
Holly is SO RIGHT about the importance of HRT! Quality of life is immeasurably better when the hormone levels are brought back up where they should be.
Except that after menopause, maybe our hormones *should* be lower because that's how our bodies were designed by our creator. In my mind, thinking older women need to replace hormones to mimic levels from when we were younger is no different than thinking we should "fix" wrinkles in your skin with artificial fillers. Accepting that our bodies change with age and continuing to challenge ourselves with resistance training without falling for all of the other pressures isn't a bad thing, and I say this from experience as a post-menopausal woman.
Except when the lack of estrogen and progesterone disrupt your life that you can't function, or hold a job, or have intimacy and are in pain every day, hormone replacement therapy (bio identical) is very much needed and a safe way to feel better and enjoy life again. @@anneg7411
Thank you Peter and Holly for tie wonderful talk, totally enjoyed your honesty about your journey and your struggles. Learned also a lot. Wishing you all the best in whatever you’re going to do next!
loved how mature you speak about your hardship, and family distress, being so thoughtful and understanding of your evryones journey, that is true maturity. I appreciate this topics being talked about more, and the body image we assume is target, thanks to screen life
Peter, this podcast helped me a lot. I got two copies of your book Outlive. I hope you can write another book. Thanks a lot to Holly and You for this talk.
Thank you for giving this amazing women a platform to share her testimony! So thankful for her advise and here her new outlook on her value and her fitness goals.
Her story is so interesting being a female fitness trainer and havinga MS in Dietetics. I kept thinking throughout her story though....she was primed to meet Christ. It's so great to hear her come around to that understanding of eternal perspective. ❤️
I'm really grateful that you asked her about how much time she actually spends in the gym. I would certainly love to have the 60 year old version of this woman's body but I am NOT willing to spend 2.5 hours in the gym on any day, much less 4 days per week!
Don't get discouraged just because you don't have time to work out like a body builder preparing for an event. You can have a strong and healthy version of your OWN body without spending hours in the gym daily and counting your calories... No two bodies are the same, but speaking from experience it IS possible to avoid (or reverse) post-menopausal weight gain and stay strong and fit as you age. I am not naturally muscular (to put it mildly), so I need to do regular resistance training to build and maintain muscle and not look and feel flabby and weak. I started weight training in high school (in the 1980s) but had stopped and was only doing "power" yoga and jogging for close to a decade while focusing on my family and other priorities. Then I started putting on visceral fat and losing muscle during menopause, and I knew I had to make some changes to counteract that. About a year and a half ago I drastically reduced my carb intake (I still cook and bake carbs for my family, just don't partake as much), increased my fat and protein intake, and started adding a bit of free weight training back to my routine. I gradually but easily lost most of the visceral fat (around my belly) and built some muscle back. Just a few months ago I upped to intensity of my free weight routine and try to do about 30 minutes of dumbbell exercises every other day in addition to a bit of jogging, biking, and walking throughout the week. It's a commitment that I take seriously, but it doesn't run my life. The added resistance training made a HUGE difference in the way my clothes fit and the way I feel. I've always prioritized health and eaten pretty well so I wasn't in terrible shape to start with, but my case was similar to the example Dr. Attia used; I weigh about 140 pounds and probably haven't changed weight overall (I don't own a scale so I'm not sure), but as I've lost fat and gained muscle my clothes fit way better and I feel better than I have in years. I don't weigh foods or count calories as that just seems disordered and OCD to me, and I wouldn't dream of using HRT to try to mimic the hormones I had when I was younger and cycling. What works for me might look different than what works for you or someone else, but we can all be a healthier version of ourselves.
@@anneg7411 Thank you so much ❤So glad you've made progress! I do mostly low carb and high protein as well and work out at the gym twice per week. I have arthritis in my feet and knees so walking is challenging but I still do some walking and bicycling in warmer weather. I'm with you on the HRT! I had a hysterectomy but kept my ovaries because I want to go through whatever my body wants to do naturally.
Dr Attia. Please add more eating disorder content to your podcasts. You are brilliant so I would love to see you learning more from experts about these brain based life threatening diseases 🙏🏼 Cherie Bilby Monarch is a wealth of knowledge with lived experience. In addition Carolyn Costin…Lauren Mulheim….so many with so much important to share. Thank you.
Agreed! I especially would love more insight into the link between EDs and metabolic disorders. For example, what’s up with the high prevalence of EDs amongst those with PCOS?
I appreciated Holly's story and can very much relate. I was a gymnast with bulemia in college. At 60 years old, I still have a terrible relationship with food. Sadly, that feeling never goes away even tho I do not have the disorder any longer. Thank you for sharing.
I posted this as a reply to another comment, but wanted to include it as a separate comment for any other peri or post menopausal women out there who may have watched this. Please don't get discouraged just because you don't have time to work out like a body builder preparing for an event. You can be a stronger and healthier version of yourself without spending hours in the gym every day and counting your calories... No two bodies are the same, but speaking from experience it IS possible to avoid (or reverse) post-menopausal weight gain and stay strong and fit as you age. I am not naturally muscular (to put it mildly), so I need to do regular resistance training to build and maintain muscle and not look and feel flabby and weak. I started weight training in high school (in the 1980s) but had stopped and was only doing "power" yoga and jogging for close to a decade while focusing on my family and other priorities. Then I started putting on visceral fat and losing muscle during menopause, and I knew I had to make some changes to counteract that. About a year and a half ago I drastically reduced my carb intake (I still cook and bake carbs for my family, just don't partake as much), increased my fat and protein intake, and started adding a bit of free weight training back to my routine. I gradually but easily lost most of the visceral fat (around my belly) and built some muscle back. I also tried to make sure I fasted at least 12 hours before having coffee (with cream) or breakfast. Just a few months ago I upped the intensity of my free weight routine and now try to do about 30 minutes of dumbbell exercises every other day in addition to a bit of jogging, biking, and walking throughout the week. It's a commitment that I take seriously, but it doesn't run my life. The added resistance training made a HUGE difference in the way my clothes fit and the way I feel. I've always prioritized health and eaten pretty well so I wasn't in terrible shape to start with, but my case was similar to the example Dr. Attia used; at 5'10" I weigh about 140 pounds and my weight probably hasn't changed much if at all (I don't own a scale so I'm not sure), but as I've lost fat and gained muscle my clothes fit way better (bras in particular had started feeling tight and uncomfortable) and I feel better than I have in years. In the past few weeks I've added in some more extended intermittent fasting as I've learned about the benefits it can have on the immune system. I don't weigh foods or count calories as that just seems disordered and obsessive, and I wouldn't dream of using HRT to try to mimic the hormones I had when I was younger and cycling. It's okay to age naturally, but it's nice to be the healthiest version of ourselves that we can be. I find that when I pray and ask for His guidance, He answers. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." ~2 Corinthians 5:17 💕
There are many female body builders , powerlifters and trainers especially in America . I really enjoyed listening to this as I do weightlifting and have always been involved in sports . Cancer took my opportunity away from being a professional athlete.
Also, that is so interesting that you telling yourself you would no longer binge and purge is what helped you stop. I had the same exact experience. I always felt like it seemed ridiculous because for years I had “wanted” to stop. But there was something different the final times I told myself no more.. I truly meant that it was not an option anymore to binge and purge. Once I got past the first few months, I realized my urges to binge/purge were basically gone. It felt like my brain reset. 7 years later I haven’t binged or purged again. Sometimes I overeat, but the important thing is how you frame it. Now if I eat more than I “should’ve” I just wait until I’m hungry to eat again. No punishment for it, I just follow my body’s cues. I will say that the body image piece of the eating disorder is harder to get over in my experience. I’m still working on that, but it no longer controls my life.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this episode, and so grateful that you brought Holly on the show. You do however interrupt Holly frequently and answer questions for her instead of letting her answer your questions. Would have been even more insightful and pleasant to listen to this episode if we could hear more from her perspective.
Wow! What a story! Thank you so much for sharing openly and being vulnerable. I could relate to so, so many things in your story. Even if i never had a eating disorder, or wasn't sexually abused. I had my fair share of trauma in my childhood. And just listening to your story, Shelly, felt like " yes, yes.. me too. " and "oh, there's liberation at the end of prolonged hard work" . Thank you for your courage! I wish you resilience and self compassion to continue the journey! ❤️
Love this podcast, love her but I strongly disagree with the advice she’d give to the 40 year old mother of three. If there is any group that needs exercise as a component to their day, it’s this group. They also need to know that, yes, it IS possible to get your body back. As a trainer and mother of 3 at 44, exercise is critical to our lives for mental, emotional and physical health. They need to be told it’s not only OK to take an hour each day but that it’s critical for your relationships and well being. Postpartum depression is crippling and this hour a day is the way out of that! Thank you for this podcast, you both have a wealth of knowledge!
Amazing information!🙏I can testify to the fact that awareness and conscious eating ( less sugar, eliminating fast foods) and daily movement (aerobic and anaerobic exercises) benefit the body, even during our natural hormonal changes during our 40s and above.
This was very specific and helpful in framing my expectations for healthy realistic , weight training program. One pound of lean muscle takes 8 weeks and 1.8 grams protein per pound . Thanks for the video links to the pull ups, hamstring curls and RDL’s
I used to doubt that full recovery was possible too. It wasn't until I removed myself from the physique world completely that I discovered how very possible it is! Preparing for physique contests and dieting so stringently requires the very behaviors and mindsets that reinforce disordered eating. I can absolutely see and understand why Holly doesn’t believe it's possible. Everyday she's required to focus on aesthetics, appearance, weight, bodyshape, diet, etc. As a mental health therapist, mindset and motivation coach, and a person who was told I had iron-will discipline when I was competing and had told "recovered" from the anorexia I had in my late teens, it became very apparent as I continued working in the fitness industry just how many constraints to complete healing were really present. Not everyone who diets gets an eating disorder, but I've not met, nor have I worked with, a single female physique athlete who has not developed distorted body image and significantly disordered eating. I still lift weights but had to shift my why and purpose. I had to shift who I worked with and the content I created. There were monumental identity awakenings that had to take place. When I train, with cycling my primary focus now, it's all about performance. Are there thoughts still that pop in about my body shape? Leanness? Of course! We live in a culture saturated with messages about how we're not good enough in the bodies we have right now! But I don't follow them toward restriction or any actions they suggest I take. If anyone wants full recovery, it's definitely possible. Every person has to ask themselves how much it means to them and get really clear on what they're losing by not pursuing it & what they're wiling to let go of. It takes immense awareness and touching into the hold our egos have in our lives.
Thanks for being so brave and public with your story - wow. There is no quick fix but 12 step works for me as long as I 'work it' and challenge my stinking thinking. Weight training is fantastic - I love feeling strong! It is really hard to get bulky.
Love the female focused health and wellness content, keep it coming . Holly brought me back to competition training days at 24 set me up to strength training for life. I would say its 75% diet. I needed this kick in the ars.
This was a great conversation. I admire Holly’s openness and the great knowledge she shared around lifting techniques. It did occur to me listening to her story that the sport of body building might not be best suited to those prone to struggle with insecurity and obsessive psychological conditions. It’s always just seemed like beauty pageants on steroids to me (no pun intended). You have all the same superficial purely looks obsessed competition but compound it with the insane amount of focus and attention required to build a what is really a highly unnatural physique (albeit impressive). In my opinion the healthiest competition is based on how you perform, not how you look. I thought the positive change in perspective she shared that her exposure to power lifting provided was telling in this regard.
I feel like we lived the same life. Minus a few nuances, this is eerily relatable. Thank you for sharing, and I will certainly be following your journey.
Still making my way through the podcast but wanted to thank Holly for sharing her story. I have been battling obesity all my life, but in many ways I was able to relate to the psychological aspect of her story. Further in, Peter, you mentioned Orangetheory fitness. I attend OTF 4-5 weeks and on my “off” days, I work as an RN. I have been curious about your opinion of OTF and HIIT style workouts for the overall goal of health and long term physical fitness.
This is an important topic! I know a couple of friends who went down the path of eating disorders and they both developed auto immune disease. In fact, my best friend died of lupus eventually...
