Meagan Duhamel on diets in figure skating world

[supergirl573]

The remark appeared rather soon after Liza posted some very gorgeous shots of herself on Instagram, so I think they absolutely were aimed at a particular skater.

She could have very well have been talking about Tessa Virtue, Gabrielle Daleman, Eric Radford, all of the above, or none of the above. However, if she was talking about skating, she does raise an interesting point. If you are following a skater for skating, why do you need to see them (people who are essentially your co-workers) half-naked in a sexualized way? I don't mean to be one of those think of the children people, but children follow these people.

 

[triple_toe]

Children who are on Instagram see much worse on the regular. As do fans of ice dance...

 

[Tinami Amori]

I happen to agree with her post about folks posting on social media in various states of undress. It’s silly, it’s demeaning to the person doing it, and most of all, boring. Again, she is a 1000% right.

I happen to agree with her too! But! only for myself and my own behavior, and for my decision what kind of people i want to associate with vs. "telling others that it is wrong to do". I would never post such pictures for the "masses to stare at me in underwear" and would not be friends with those who do. But Meagan was saying it in such a way that it should be "a moral criteria for all", and that is not right. Those who post fotos are not hurting anyone but themselves, so don't look and don't invite them to your parties.....

I am also very surprised to hear that Meagan was told by Canadian judges, officials and coaches that she needs to loose weight. She is small and "all muscles". So i guess it is not just the "evil Russians" who want to see slender bodies on ice.

I think she should share her recipes for healthy dishes for athletes and skaters. That would be great!

I also fully support all her efforts in animal rescue. I applaud her for it! And yet i just wish, when she does her "good deeds" she would not sound like a "preacher on a soapbox".. Because her tone and manner of speaking (imo) gives an image of the "World's Morality Police" and of a "pushy broad who knows what's right for everybody, not just herself".

Each time she speaks on "what's wrong with this world" i honestly think she would be heading the moral brigade few centuries ago....
http://guacamolly.blog.stab.org/wp-...6/09/The_Scarlet_Letter_1926_film-300x214.jpg

 

[el henry]

Since we seem to have gotten off onto the subject of IG posting, (in grand FSU tradition), I personally think that all the "look at me and my buff nekkid body" is demeaning, but as I said originally, most of all it's boooorrrring.

Yeah, Skater-Who-Posts, you got a great bod in a bathing suit. Or less. I'm impressed. Or not. Like really

And it has Jackson B Squat to do with "morality", or what kids see, or which skater did what. It has to do with wasting my precious time with posts that are . Meagan said, in a very non-condescending, and non-controlling way, "I don't understand it". She's a heckuva lot nicer than I would be about it. .

And to return to the subject, brava again for that blog.

 

[soogar]

People who post half naked shots of themselves on Instagram are doing so to get more followers and attract advertising/sponsorship revenue. There are piles of people, athletes and otherwise, trying to attract attention this way. If people didn't like it, then they can just un-follow the person. I know a lot of trainers with instagrams- the scanty shots do attract following, sponsored ad dollars, and clients.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

I like Duhamel's skating, and she seems like a smart and focussed person.

However, I have to wonder why she associates herself and her brand with TSL.

 

[tony]

People who post half naked shots of themselves on Instagram are doing so to get more followers and attract advertising/sponsorship revenue. There are piles of people, athletes and otherwise, trying to attract attention this way. If people didn't like it, then they can just un-follow the person. I know a lot of trainers with instagrams- the scanty shots do attract following, sponsored ad dollars, and clients.

Exactly. I live on Miami Beach and you better believe that more people than not are posting daily gym/fitness/‘modeling’ pics and videos, sometimes in hopes of becoming whatever they consider an ‘influencer’ to be, or simply just to get attention in that manner. But I don’t even think twice about it and I’ve also done the same thing.

I’ve learned to look at everything in the big picture. People share on social media what they think their strengths or talents are. People that used to get so annoyed by gym posts start going to the gym and they begin doing the same thing. People going to school post often about school. And so on. Norms and habits are different for everyone, and we all spend our time doing much different things.

 

[Mad for Skating]

I like Duhamel's skating, and she seems like a smart and focussed person.

However, I have to wonder why she associates herself and her brand with TSL.

I really wonder about that. Usually I don’t have a problem with Meagan herself (if I disagree with something she says, I just keep moving!) but when she started working with TSL I was like, “Girl. Really. You are Meagan Duhamel. You can start your own skating podcast if you want and people would listen. You do NOT need to work with these biased, nitpicky snobs.” I hope she sees the light soon, but I guess it’s really none of my business who she talks to.

 

[Japanfan]

I wondering why there is a difference between a photo of a topless man and a photo of a topless woman? We are in 2018, right?

Because women's breasts are sexualized as an aspect of the sexual objectification of women. The same is not true of men's breasts. The female body is the object of the male gaze. There is not equivalent 'female gaze', despite advances in women's rights and freedoms and women's ongoing pursuit of personhood.

 

[barbarafan]

Because women's breasts are sexualized as an aspect of the sexual objectification of women. The same is not true of men's breasts. The female body is the object of the male gaze. There is not equivalent 'female gaze', despite advances in women's rights and freedoms and women's ongoing pursuit of personhood.

Sounds logical. I just know that I have no problem with people in bikinis posing on the beach however maybe it is my head saying why am I seeing this when I see figure skaters whose costumes are not properly made and when they are lifted or spinning and you have their completely bare butt in your face and when I open instagram where I follow Adam Rippon to see skating wise what he is doing and there are closeups of his bare butt....Sorry maybe i do not appreciate Art although there are lots of paintings that I really like.

 

[muffinplus]

I totally agree with Meagan, and it has nothing to do with body shaming. The fact is, Instagram is or can be a very narcissistic and vain platform, where ( a lot of ) people post half naked photos of themselves for attention. She is not wrong in not understanding it....she was not body shaming anyone

It just seems really shallow

It's not limited to half naked photos, people also post a lot of stuff to show off their social status etc..

 

[mag]

The fact is, Instagram is or can be a very narcissistic and vain platform, where ( a lot of ) people post half naked photos of themselves for attention.

So if someone posts about how they got a promotion at work, won a competition, or passed a test, is that narcissistic? I do understand there is a little of the “you are born with it so you don’t get credit for it” going on, but many people put a lot of work into their body to make it look good. Why shouldn’t they be able to post photos? A lot of people study hard to do well on tests, so why shouldn’t they be able to post about their success?

I think the problem is we can’t get past the idea that the human body is something shameful that needs to be hidden. More specifically if a woman is showing her body it must because she wants to attract a man. For that reason society has come up with very specific rules about how that should happen. Heaven forbid that a woman might just like a photo of herself and want to post it for the simple reason that she likes it. Nope, must be because she wants to look sexy for men. News flash: many women do not consider what men may or may not like when they make decisions.

 

[muffinplus]

So if someone posts about how they got a promotion at work, won a competition, or passed a test, is that narcissistic? I do understand there is a little of the “you are born with it so you don’t get credit for it” going on, but many people put a lot of work into their body to make it look good. Why shouldn’t they be able to post photos? A lot of people study hard to do well on tests, so why shouldn’t they be able to post about their success?

Oh please. It's very clear I wasn't saying someone posting about a promotion or passing a test is narcissistic. It's never as innocuous as that

More specifically if a woman is showing her body it must because she wants to attract a man. For that reason society has come up with very specific rules about how that should happen. Heaven forbid that a woman might just like a photo of herself and want to post it for the simple reason that she likes it. Nope, must be because she wants to look sexy for men. News flash: many women do not consider what men may or may not like when they make decisions.

It has nothing to do with women. In fact most of the Instagram accounts I find incredibly narcissistic are gay men's ...Not to generalize.

 

[twizzletoes76]

I have no doubt Meaghan is leading a very healthy life--she looks in great shape to me. But I have looked at her blog before and I find it bothersome in many respects. People who are in the wellness community tend to unnerve me--I find all that talk about holistic nutrition and using yoga to reach one's best potential grating. I think many people who are drawn to that kind of talk suffer with underlying issues already related to being overly concerned about their bodies. I don't think Meaghan is exempt from this. I have no issues with being vegan and eating a plant based lifestyle (I eat a plant-based diet but how I eat does NOT define me.) In fact, I applaud Meaghan for promoting cooking using whole food ingredients (and, not processed stuff) but I think her interest in how she discusses this kind of eating bordelines on the obsessive and strikes me as a kind of orthorexia.

 

[Mad for Skating]

Because women's breasts are sexualized as an aspect of the sexual objectification of women. The same is not true of men's breasts. The female body is the object of the male gaze. There is not equivalent 'female gaze', despite advances in women's rights and freedoms and women's ongoing pursuit of personhood.

Goes all the way back to Adam and Eve I guess.

Sounds logical. I just know that I have no problem with people in bikinis posing on the beach however maybe it is my head saying why am I seeing this when I see figure skaters whose costumes are not properly made and when they are lifted or spinning and you have their completely bare butt in your face and when I open instagram where I follow Adam Rippon to see skating wise what he is doing and there are closeups of his bare butt....Sorry maybe i do not appreciate Art although there are lots of paintings that I really like.

Agree. Haha even I have to admit Rippon in the nude made me a little uncomfortable...

Anyhow, back to the topic at hand: diets in figure skating.

 

[Rock2]

I think one of the most important messages in this article is the idea of relating eating to HEALTH and not APPEARANCE.

The hashtag is #foodismedicine and #foodisfuel. Food should be seen in these contexts and not the enemy that makes you 'big'. I would add that if your size is problematic, the core issue is likely an inferior diet or improper training and conditioning habits, not necessarly the fact that you are simply eating.

As for Meagan, until she became vegan, she was not 'big' but she appeared thicker than she is now. She was (is) strong. And relative to some other women in her event she was naturally built a bit more sturdy or squat compared to the apparent standard which was a narrower frame with the appearance of longer lines. Characterizing her difference in body types as 'big' was poor framing of a message to her.

I think her lines improved with age, aided in part by her improving health and fitness. Her healthy habits transformed her body and this was the right mindset in my mind. Stay focused on healthy habits and your version of your best body will ultimately be realized. Obsessing with your aesthetic as your primary focus is where the problems start.

I hope Meagan continues to be a champion of sporting HEALTH -- fitness (physical and mental) and nutrution is the only path to your best success. Well done.

 

[Cachoo]

She is a great role model for other skaters and let's hope she keeps preaching and teaching this on as big a platform as possible so they will hear her. I must admit I was distressed to read a comment from Zagitova (I think) recently talking about limiting her water intake.

Great job and I remember her standing up and sitting down quickly when Mirai hit that triple axle in team competition. It was funny and so Meagan. She was excited for her and realized she was on another team. I loved it.

 

[nyrak]

I can't imagine anyone calling Meagan "too big". She's petite but very, very fit....I've got a size advantage on her but I surely wouldn't arm wrestle her.

Good on her for promoting a healthy diet & lifestyle

 

[Japanfan]

As for Meagan, until she became vegan, she was not 'big' but she appeared thicker than she is now. She was (is) strong. And relative to some other women in her event she was naturally built a bit more sturdy or squat compared to the apparent standard which was a narrower frame with the appearance of longer lines. Characterizing her difference in body types as 'big' was poor framing of a message to her.

She doesn't have much of a waist, hence the 'squat' look. But I don't think of Meghan that way. I believe that she is actually really tiny.

Stay focused on healthy habits and your version of your best body will ultimately be realized. Obsessing with your aesthetic as your primary focus is where the problems start.

I hope Meagan continues to be a champion of sporting HEALTH -- fitness (physical and mental) and nutrution is the only path to your best success. Well done.

IIRC Megan has said that she found controlling her weight easier since she became vegan.

That makes sense, given that as vegan she wouldn't be eating high fat and high calorie foods like meat and cheese.

But I think a lot of athletes (and people in general) just don't have the discipline to commitment to be vegan. And perhaps some athletes just don't feel properly fueled without meat or dairy proteins (though I'm sure Megan would tell them this need not be the case).

 

[Japanfan]

Those who post fotos are not hurting anyone but themselves, so don't look and don't invite them to your parties.....

If a girl/woman posts a photo that sexually objectifies her online, then she is affirming and arguably contributing to the objectification of girls/women in general.

It's one thing to share such a photo intimately with a boyfriend/lover, but entirely another to post it online for the world to see.

I do understand the challenging of drawing a line being celebration of sexuality and sexual objectification, especially for a teenager/young woman. To me, the I draw the line on the other side of the online nude photo.

Thinking that the photo is available for pretty much anyone to see disturbs me, given all the sickos out there.

And as all of us who were teenagers so many years ago know, we were not anywhere near so wise as we thought at the time.

 

[barbarafan]

I can't imagine anyone calling Meagan "too big". She's petite but very, very fit....I've got a size advantage on her but I surely wouldn't arm wrestle her.

Good on her for promoting a healthy diet & lifestyle

She is not just promoting it she has been heavily working in it. She has a health blog I believe called Lutz of Greens and has been working on degree to do with dietitian stuff and things. Hopefully when all schooling is done she will put a shingle out at Bruno's skating school to guide his skaters and any other athletes into healthy competing. Not sure exactly what her plans for that are but I see the occasional tweet here and there.

 

[mag]

If a girl/woman posts a photo that sexually objectifies her online, then she is affirming and arguably contributing to the objectification of girls/women in general.

It's one thing to share such a photo intimately with a boyfriend/lover, but entirely another to post it online for the world to see.

No, she is not. That is like saying if a woman wears something revealing she is responsible for other people’s reaction to it. There is nothing wrong with the female, or male, body. People should be able to post photos of themselves or even walk down the street naked if they so choose. If other people use the photo inappropriately or harass the person in the street, that is on the person doing the harassing.

I realize this is not how it works in real life, but I think we need to be careful when criticizing people that we do not contribute to the very pervasive feeling in society that women are somehow responsible for the reactions of men. I would not post a nude or semi nude photograph of myself online. I am not comfortable doing that. That is my choice. Others have the same choice to make and it is not up to me to tell them what to do or to shame them if they choose differently.

 

[Rock2]

But I think a lot of athletes (and people in general) just don't have the discipline to commitment to be vegan. And perhaps some athletes just don't feel properly fueled without meat or dairy proteins (though I'm sure Megan would tell them this need not be the case).

I don't think it's about vegan or no-vegan.
And Meagan isn't trying too hard to convert anyone from what I know.

The whole game is about being smart about your diet and thinking about what you put in your mouth.

The goal is to give you the right nutritional and macro profile to make sure you're energized and able to perform to your max, and then recover well. Sadly, not enough athletes (and certainly most of us in general society) set goals and objectives for their health and performance when it comes to food...and then plan accordingly.

A bit too much of 'eat what I want, when I want' creeps into the equation...and then we pay the price at some point, one way or another.

 

[Amantide]

People are narcissistic, some more and some less. Even if you post a pic of a dish you made or you're eating, I could say is a bit narcissistic. And this is coming from someone who even does cooking videos, sharing my recipes on FB.
I might not like to hear it. But yeah...there is a narcissistic component in it, I think.

I like Duhamel's skating, and she seems like a smart and focussed person.

However, I have to wonder why she associates herself and her brand with TSL.

What do you mean? Associate in what sense?

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

You can start your own skating podcast if you want and people would listen. You do NOT need to work with these biased, nitpicky snobs.”.

With TSL slipping further down the scale of appropriate commentary, these are some of their good points.

 

[Japanfan]

I think the problem is we can’t get past the idea that the human body is something shameful that needs to be hidden.

I don't think that at all, and don't recall anyone on this thread indicating that viewpoint.

Rather, I would say that the human body is something precious that needs to not only be celebrated, but also cherished and protected.

And especially for teen girls and young women.

It is really difficult for a young woman to understand sexual objectification and its implications, especially when being attractive to the opposite (or same) sex and is important.

I suppose the concern about a young woman posting naked 'sexy' pictures of herself online is that might attract the kind of attention that she does not know how to deal with it from someone who does not respect her, and she might get hurt.

The old generally want to protect the young, and the young tend to rebel. It's always been that way, probably always will.

There is nothing wrong with the female, or male, body.

But there is something wrong with how the female body is objectified and over-sexualized to satisfy the male gaze. The result of this is the denial and undermining of women's personhood.

 

[mag]

Rather, I would say that the human body is something precious that needs to not only be celebrated, but also cherished and protected.

I see this view as one of the reasons we are where we are. A person needs to have autonomy over their own body. IMHO there is way too much judgement about other people’s bodies. Yes, for underage children there needs to be protection in place. For adults, even young adults, body autonomy is more important IMHO. I just hate the “my daughter won’t date until she is 18” crowd.

Interesting read: http://www.bodyforwife.com/i-am-not-the-keeper-of-my-teenage-daughters-virtue/

ETA:
The problem is not, in general, what people post online. The problem is people judging what other people post online.

 

[Japanfan]

I have no doubt Meaghan is leading a very healthy life--she looks in great shape to me. But I have looked at her blog before and I find it bothersome in many respects. People who are in the wellness community tend to unnerve me--I find all that talk about holistic nutrition and using yoga to reach one's best potential grating.

I've read Megan's blog and don't recall her saying that she does yoga. But I could be wrong. And I don't find her preachy in terms of telling others that they should do what she does. Rather, she is just passionate. She likes to share her passion, nothing wrong with that. And she likes to share her food to - she has written about bringing in her vegan brownies (or whatever) to share at the rink.

I don't think you can argue against the claim that holistic nutrition supports good health and well-being, or that yoga is good for mind, body and soul. There is no evidence to the contrary, unless a person is going to extremes.

For example, I remember seeing the blog of a fruitarian some years ago who subsisted primarily on bananas and mangoes.

And yes, some in the wellness community do go to extremes, but that is true of people in a lot of other communities dedicated to self-improvement or personal growth.

I think many people who are drawn to that kind of talk suffer with underlying issues already related to being overly concerned about their bodies. I don't think Meaghan is exempt from this.

Athletes have to be very concerned about their bodies and 'overly concerned' is open to definition. And young women in general tend to be overly concerned with their bodies and appearances, because society teaches us to be that way and we arguably gain some rewards from looking 'the right way'.

Megan cares about eating well, enjoying her food, and being healthy. I think there are far more female skaters who are concerned about restricting their diets and losing weight, even though they are at a healthy weight already.

Also, I think Megan is far less concerned with appearance than with health.

Basically, I think she has a healthy relationship with her body and is a wonderful role model for young women.

In fact, I applaud Meaghan for promoting cooking using whole food ingredients (and, not processed stuff) but I think her interest in how she discusses this kind of eating bordelines on the obsessive and strikes me as a kind of orthorexia.

I think she is probably less obsessive than most female skaters because she eats well and doesn't go to bed hungry or worrying about that 100 calorie cookie she should not have eaten with her evening tea.

 

[Japanfan]

That is like saying if a woman wears something revealing she is responsible for other people’s reaction to it.

No, isn't.

But if a young woman posts pictures of herself looking sexy online (not the same thing as wearing something revealing), she could be prepared for people's reaction to it and therefore better able to handle it, should it be negative.

 

[Sylvia]

I've read Megan's blog and don't recall her saying that she does yoga.

Meagan's January 2016 blog post: https://www.lutzofgreens.com/2016/01/03/namaste/

It’s hard to know when I transformed into a complete yogi. I started practicing yoga back in 2008, and back then it was mainly hot yoga that I would use as an additional workout to my training. Now, fast-forward 8 years and I’m practicing yoga everyday, whether in a studio or in the comfort of my own home.