301-Can You Look Better And Actually Be Healthier?

From Danielle Devorah Pashko, Jcoach Image Consultant.

Growing up as a Jewish girl I felt that my genes were not as good as the gorgeous shiksas I was dying to look like. I was always in decent shape but worked super hard at it. Being thin didn’t come naturally to me. My family is originally Russian and Polish with all Zaftig (full figured) women. You would never guess by looking at me now that I struggled with weight issues. I am very tall, so I had an overwhelming fear of being heavy and scaring guys off due to being bigger than them.

As a teenager I developed all kinds of eating issues. During my high school years I lived with my aunt and uncle in Queens. My uncle used to manage a deli and bring home tons of bagels and deli meats like pastrami, roast beef, and salami. He was also very overweight and when I looked at him I envisioned myself in 20 yrs with the same problem. I got totally freaked out and became a strict vegetarian. Strangely being a vegetarian didn’t give me the body I desired. I wasn’t grasping the whole concept of staying away from carbs. I lived on cereal with skim milk, dry whole wheat toast, and plain pasta with sauce and no oil. I also ate a ton of fruit and frozen yogurt.

So here I was on this fat free diet, but I wasn’t getting that all those foods were making me blow up. I would feel frustrated that I played basketball, ran track, and couldn’t lose a pound. My family and friends were like, “you can’t do anything about it, that’s the way you are built”. I also had an aunt that would say to me, “the Pashko Butt runs in the family. All the Pashko girls were bottom heavy.”

I was determined to be skinny, so when senior year rolled around I lost a ton of weight. Unfortunately I didn’t do it the healthiest way. I barely ate, took up smoking cigarettes, and drank about 5 cups of coffee a day. I stopped playing sports because I was afraid all the activity would make me too hungry and I didn’t want to overeat. So within that year I not only became skinny, but I was also approached to start modeling. I was actually pretty happy with my body at this point, but once I started going on castings and comparing myself to the other girls I once again felt fat.

It got even worse when I went to Europe where the girls are even skinnier than the models in NY. Living there, I would eat even less but my weight eventually came to a plateau. I was the only Jewish girl in my circle of friends and I would look at their skinny bodies with envy. I thought to myself, I’m just not built like them. I don’t suggest that someone should aspire to look like an emaciated runway model, but I now believe almost anyone can be thin despite their ethnic background.

When I returned to NY I was totally disinterested in doing anything further in the fashion world. I was so turned off by the unhealthy lifestyle that I decided to go to school for wellness and nutrition. I also started doing regular juice fasts, liver cleanses, and elimination diets with nutritional supplementation. Every morning I would do a vigorous yoga practice and trained myself to walk everywhere over taking cabs or public transportation. Within months I was in the best shape of my life. When people meet me now they just think I’m lucky and was born this way. It couldn’t be further then the truth. From my training and experience I’m convinced that anyone can be in shape. I’m not saying that you should have unrealistic goals, but at the very minimum being happy with your appearance is 100% attainable.

Click here to learn about Jcoach Image Consultant Danielle Devorah and her rates, and to set up an appointment and get your special Jcoach discounted rate.

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