Fitness goals can be great - they help give you purpose, find new challenges and maybe even surprise yourself with what you're mentally and physically capable of.

But it's really important to set the right goals, and from the right mental space. And having realistic expectations is key as well.

When you set goals around aesthetics or body shape, it can do a bit of damage to your mental wellbeing - you end up focusing on things that you believe are flaws in yourself.

So let's look at how to set goals that allow us to develop and grow without wrecking our self esteem in the process.

The transcript and blog post for this episode can be found here: https://fitnessdrifter.com/male-body-image-and-fitness-goals/

We all can be a bit self-conscious about our bodies and appearance from time to time.

But sometimes we can end up fixating on our own perceived flaws to the extent that they almost feel debilitating. That is common with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) or body dysmorphia as it is also referred to.

And it is a genuine mental health condition that can cause a massive amount of distress for sufferers, and something you should seek out professional help for.

Body positivity encourages embracing your body as it is, perceived flaws and all.

While it is not there to be a magic fix or a cure for BDD, changing your approach to how you view your body can at least help you address some of the emotions that BDD can cause you to feel.

So in this episode I am taking a look at body dysmoprhic disorder, body positivity, my own slightly twisted experience with each, and how you can use body positivity to help with body dysmorphia.

The transcript and corresponding blog post for this episode are here. And the NHS guidance on body dysmorphic disorder can be found here.

One of the most misunderstood (or maybe misrepresented) concepts in body positivity and in health and fitness more generally is the Health At Every Size (HAES) movement.

It's common to assume that it promotes unhealthy lifestyles and ignoring weight in the context of health.

That is definitely not true - it is saying that people should feel empowered to pursue health regardless of their weight and acknowledges that while weight is one crucial health marker, it is not the only important one.

So I am going to talk about the critical principles of HAES, why it is important, my experience with it as someone trying to lose weight and as a personal trainer, and how it applies to men.

A written version of this episode is available here.

Other key references:

• 2014 study in the Journal of Obesity on a weight-neutral approach to treating patients at high risk of type 2 diabetes

Fatphobia is the discrimination or maybe even hatred of larger bodies that are carrying a higher body fat percentage. 

It's a form of harassment, bullying and body shaming and it is widely known and regularly called out (rightfully so) for women.

It is something that seems a lot more widespread and prominent for women.

But male fat shaming is also a thing and men can experience fatphobia too.

Here are a few thoughts on fat shaming and fatphobia from a man's perspective.

You can find the corresponding blog article for this episode, including the transcript here.

We're all feeling it at the moment. On top of just the normal everyday stress that life throws at us, we're all - and with good reason - having to deal with a lot more.

We're in the middle of a cost of living crisis, we're still in a pandemic, new political controversies across the world every day, climate change, high inflation.

These are things that affect all of us and it has been weighing on my mind and affecting my mindset a lot.

So I am stepping away from my planned and scheduled content plan here and just sharing my thoughts on why all of this is burning us out, how to protect your energy and a bit of self-care.

There is honestly not much structure to this episode - just a few loosely gathered thoughts, but it's a reflection of how my mindset has been these last few weeks.

The written version of this episode is available here: https://fitnessdrifter.com/burnout-recovery-slow-down/

Stepping into the gym for the first time... or a new gym... or a new area of the same gym... or a new gym class... 

They can all feel scary, and intimidating and give you a slightly nauseated feeling in the pit of your stomach.

I went through that when I started my fitness journey, and when I kept re-starting my fitness journey.

In fact, I even wanted to lose 40 pounds before I started at the gym.

Gym intimidation is very real, and it can get in the way of you doing something that can have a dramatic positive impact on both your mental and physical health.

So let's take a look at how to deal with gym intimidation so you don't let it hold you back from achieving your fitness goals.

The written version of this episode is available here: https://fitnessdrifter.com/how-to-get-over-gym-intimidation/

From my heaviest to my lightest, there is about a 140 pound (or 63kg) weight difference in my body. As someone who has been on that journey and is nearly half the weight he was at his heaviest, I do get a lot of questions - how long did it take, what diet did I follow, what exercises did I do, how did it happen, what made you get to that weight in the first place, how am I keeping it off...

So please forgive me a bit of self indulgence as I walk you through the longest and often most challenging journey of my life.

Transcript: https://fitnessdrifter.com/how-does-extreme-weight-loss-feel/

Binge eating disorder in men is much more common than a lot of people think. It is actually the most common eating disorder in men and by some estimates, it is thought to make up around 40% of cases. So let's take a closer look at binge eating disorder, more about what it actually feels like (and no, it's not just a case of saying to yourself to stop eating), some of the common myths, and how I got my binge eating disorder under control.

• Transcript: https://fitnessdrifter.com/binge-eating-disorder-in-men/