A lot of people fail to realise how detrimental stress can be to your health. Roxanne Gan was running, swimming, going for spin classes and teaching yoga, yet she couldn’t lose weight. The 26-year-old yoga instructor then faced a lot of drama in her life when a business venture failed in 2014.
Unhappy and stressed, Roxanne started gaining weight much to her horror and to combat that, she increased her exercise and worked out every day without rest, thinking she should be doing more. As a result of over-exercising, her body was put under more stress and her weight kept increasing.
It took her a long while to realise that the root of her weight problem (exercising so much yet gaining weight) was attributed to stress and unhappiness. Roxanne focused on developing a positive mindset and doing things she enjoys. She looked within herself for strength to leave the drama in her life and she found back her passion for teaching yoga. In that process, she managed to overcome the negativity and walked out of the shadows.
Her weight naturally shed off without her having to try and she was receiving compliments on how she was glowing with radiance. “There was no special diet or exercise programme. I wasn’t counting calories but eating balanced and nutritious meals. I also stopped over-exercising and learnt the meaning of rest, so my body could recover properly,” Roxanne explained.
She added, “All I did was to focus on being positive. We are already so stressed from work and life; obsessing over calories and weight loss will make your body even more stressed. Adopting a happy mindset and learning how to let go will help us to feel better and look better!”
What does body image mean to you?
Body image is how I see myself in the mirror. It is related to my weight and shape, and how I feel about myself. How I feel and think is dependent on my attitude, and not on others’ opinions about my own body.
When did you struggle the most with your body?
I grew up a healthy and sporty kid, until I started gaining weight when I was in University. That’s when my yo-yo weight began. Back then, other than going to school, I stopped going out because I had so much difficulties finding clothes because they no longer fit. I remember trying to find the biggest and most stretchy sweatpants to go for exams to hide it. Unfortunately, nothing could hide it. I received a text from an acquaintance – “Omg. What happened to you?!” The stress I had from struggling with my body image, what others thought of me and exams was overwhelming.
Soon after Uni finished, I lost a bit of weight when I went to work as a fitness and yoga instructor. I never went back to looking like how I used to but I learnt how to accept it and embraced the strength I had. Few years later, in 2014, I started to gain weight again due to stress and unhappiness.
It took a toll on my mental and emotional health and all the body image issues arose again. People started to talk behind my back that I had gained weight, that I was no longer as pretty and attractive as I was before. I avoided going out again because there are indeed a lot of insensitive people out there who would make comments about my weight in front of me. They might think it’s harmless but to me, it was hurtful.
I tried to convince myself that it was ok and there were more important things to take care of, however there would always be someone who would tell me that I needed to do something about my weight. I tried! I exercised everyday but to no avail. There were days I wanted to give up.
I started overcoming it when I realised what was really weighing me down. I listened to my body. My aim was not to lose weight; I was trying so hard to because I was trying to get my life back as I was living in misery.
What advice do you have for others who are struggling with their body image?
If one is overweight but is inactive and unfit, I would definitely recommend he/she to start working out. I personally feel that group classes motivate me more and it’s so much fun to have someone to push you to be better. There are free programmes with HPB and Rock The Naked Truth to help get people started.
If one is already active and fit, it is only normal that we always want to look better, to fit into our own definition of ‘perfect.’ But the journey to perfection can be very tedious and meaningless, and might cause a lot of unhappiness. That means missing out on social life, going to bed hungry, feeling very exhausted because of over-exercising, and being stressed about food choices. This kind of behavior is unsustainable and unhealthy for the mind and body in the long run.
The same workout and diet may not work for everyone and results may vary because we are all different. If you’re active and have a good fitness level, appreciate what you have done for yourself. Your body will thank you as well. Not everything in life is perfect. Sometimes we have to learn how to let go.
One of the happiest things in life is when you find the courage to let go of what you cannot change, and focus on the good things you receive.
What are some of the misconceptions society has about fitness now and how do you hope to correct it?
People think that people who are into fitness should look lean, toned and sexy like a model. Unfortunately we all know that is not true. Don’t judge a book by its cover – There are actually a lot of strong and fit people out with different body shapes. Different exercises and training regimes have their own focuses too, so not everyone who’s into fitness will look like a superstar. I might not be lean and have defined-looking muscles, but I can do so many things with my body and it’s so amazing!
What do you hope to do in your capacity to help those with body image struggles?
Support is very important. At that point of time, I felt like I was going through the journey alone. No one could really understand what I was going through. Rock The Naked Truth creates a platform and aims to build a community to help people find confidence through fitness and I want to be involved to help support them in their journey towards acceptance.
ROCKstar of the Month is a monthly award given to an inspiring individual who advocates a positive mindset and living an active lifestyle. As ROCKstar of the Month for February 2016, Roxanne receives an outfit from Lululemon Athletica as seen in the photos here.
