A wise ape once told me that if I wasn’t getting hate mail no one was reading my stuff. Well, people are reading my stuff! š
Actually, it really isn’t all that bad. I get about 20 positive responses to what I write for each negative one. It’s funny that we always focus on the negative ones, but that’s another post…
In the last 24 hours I’ve had TWO really positive emails from exceptional and strong women who have struggled with eating disorders and have been inspired by the “Strong is the New Skinny” Message. This makes me feel like we’re actually making a difference out there in the world and creating positive change. It feels good!
Being a guy AND being 1/2 of the “Strong is the New Skinny” team is an interesting thing. I STILL get accused of being a “typical guy” – and worse. And NO ONE believes me when I say I’m NOT a boob guy (I’m NOT!). And, pretty much no matter what we post someone doesn’t like it. But stuff like the two emails I got this weekend tell me that we ARE making a difference and people ARE hearing our message and it’s leading to positive change. And that makes it all worthwhile.
There was a lot of emotion and personal experience behind my original rant that asked “Is Strong the New Skinny?” Why? Because I’ve personally seen what a messed up body image or an eating disorder can do to a woman (not to mention her relationships) and it makes me really mad that our society creates and perpetuates it and that there is a whole medical/pharmaceutical/industrial/consumer complex that feeds off it. Kinda like the Red Court Vampires in a Jim Butcher novel. I ranted about the medical establishment here and I’ll stop for now – even though I could go on and on…
My personal opinion is that the current Paleo Diet and CrossFit culture is about the best we’ve done to date to combat this shit. It needs to be OK for women to be strong, healthy and take an ACTIVE and POSITIVE roll in their health and the way they look. And the SAME goes for MEN too.
I happen to know what a messed up body image and “I’m not good enough” can do to a GUY and it’s not a good thing. It’s similar to what women go through and very different at the same time.
The womens’ body image thing is pretty well defined. I think the male side of things is a bit less known. Probably, because most men want to avoid this:
No guy wants to be a “jackwagon…” š
Men Feel Stereotype Pressure Too
Here’s the stuff I grew up with. Granted, Arnold will ALWAYS be my hero, inspiration and THE KING of bodybuilding but, between genetics and drug use, this is just NOT a realistically achievable body for most men:
Now, is this stuff inspiring? HOLY CRAP, YES! But very, very few men will actually achieve this type of development no matter how much work they put in. Even drugs aren’t a guarantee you could get to this level of perfection. Arnold had one in a million genetics on top of everything else that aligned so perfectly that he achieved super-stardom.
Taking this all a step further, I was a HUGE fan of Dorian Yates in the ’90s as well.
As a side note, you can see that Dorian’s development is LIGHT YEARS removed from even Arnold’s hugeness.
Women can argue whether this stuff is attractive to THEM or not but, the fact is, many, MANY young men get drawn in by these images – just as many, MANY young women get drawn into images of super-skinny celebrities like Paris Hilton or whoever else. AND, you can argue that these extreme male bodies are just as unhealthy – mentally and physically – as the extremely skinny female bodies are.
Two Extremes
The two extremes we tend to have – at least in the US – are the “Skinny at Any Cost” thing on one end and the “I’m PERFECT just the way I am, pass the Ben and Jerry’s” mentality on the other. For men, it’s more like “big” or “strong” at any cost vs. “whatever, I don’t care.” I think these extremes – whether male or female – are different sides of the same coin. Why? Because they feed on each other… We’re bombarded with images of BOTH in the media at the same time. Look at the popular womens’ magazines at the checkout counter – “Lose 10lbs in a week” is right next to “Sinful chocolate cake to die for” – in the same freakin’ magazine! It sets up a cycle of dissatisfaction that perpetuates itself.
On one end, you have the “I deserve it” eating. I’ve done this more than a few times. “I had a hard week, trained hard, worked hard, etc. I think I’ll order a pizza…” This is, of course, followed by “Why the hell did I eat that?” “I feel like shit.” and, my favorite “I am SO weak and out of shape! I SUCK!”
This stuff ISN’T new
I’m a big fan of Pema Chodron and Eckhart Tolle. I “kinda, sorta” practice Buddhism but it’s more of an eclectic and pragmatic version. What amazes me is that this whole thing about extreme practices, not feeling good enough and addiction (whether it’s to food or exercise or drugs or sex or whatever…) is AGES OLD. The pathways that this stuff runs through are as old as humanity itself! It’s hard wired into us and, once you see the process and the “mental gymnastics” your ego does to convince you to starve yourself or eat the 30 Kit Kats (my favorite :-)) or hate yourself or whatever it’s pretty weird to watch. Eckhart Tolle and Pema Chodron both teach that once you SEE what you’re doing you’re conscious and you can change. Yeah, you’ll probably watch yourself DO the stuff for a while, but eventually you learn the ego’s tricks and can keep it in check – most of the time…
Pema Chodron compares it to having a bad rash that we keep scratching at even though we KNOW we’re only making it worse and spreading it. We don’t care because in that moment that we scratch it feels better. Until it feels worse and we want to scratch more…
The “Middle Way”
I think the only thing that saves me – and a lot of others – is actually KNOWING – or having a good idea of what ACTUALLY is healthy and what to actually eat and how to train and how to build a better body. “OK, I messed up this week on my diet and training – now I have to do A, B and C to get back on track…” Sometimes, when I wake up too early I watch those infomercials. You know, the ones with the asinine exercise equipment and screwed up diets and supplements. I usually wonder what it must be like to know so little about training and your body to actually get taken in by that crap. And then I feel bad for the people who – because of the mess that is our food supply – actually think it’s THEM that is messed up as opposed to the terrible food that’s promoted as healthy and the crazy diet plans and exercise stuff.
And, AGAIN, we have a whole big “thing” that feeds off of and profits from our dissatisfaction with ourselves, poor health from bad food and all the other standards “they” show us that we don’t live up to.
I think the “Middle Way” between the two extremes of un-health – starving and crazy diets on one hand and binge eating on the other – is learning everything you can about YOUR body and leaning to train and feed YOURSELF so you can take control and be empowered to make positive change in your own life…
Back in my bodybuilding days I did some INSANE things in the pursuit of a few more pounds of muscle or 1-2% lower bodyfat. It’s funny in retrospect – I knew a TON about training and getting lean and I knew SHIT about health. This is me a while back. I look pretty good, right? When this picture was taken I had a massive sinus infection from too much training, was dehydrated to the point of cramping and was eating jelly candies and drinking grape juice every hour after a week on ZERO carbs. And I won’t even mention the MONTHS of daily ECA (Ephedrine, Caffeine and Aspirin) and starving. I remember being so hungry I was chewing gum constantly and looking forward to more stimulants so I wouldn’t be hungry till my next meal.
Now, I KNOW that stuff wasn’t healthy and I doubt my Fran time was so great either. (Of course, Fran had yet to be born when this pic was snapped – with a FILM camera!) I can remember when I was really dieted down and carb-depleted I was struggling to do seated barbell presses with an empty Olympic bar! LOL Once I recovered I put on a lot of good weight and felt really good, though, and OVERALL, it was a really happy, positive and good experience. It would have been VERY unhealthy to live there though! The point is, I compromised my health to get to this point and was proud when I got there! Skewed priorities maybe?
A side note on the steroid thing…
Something I think is important to point out is the difference between my body in the pic above and the size Dorian and Arnold have. There were NO steroids involved in the condition I got into above – and look at how SMALL I look in comparison to the guys I idolized (idolize?). Yeah, there was SOME pride in the shape I achieved after 6 months of work – but there was a louder voice in my head telling me how SMALL I was and being frustrated that my arms didn’t strain my shirt sleeves when I wore a T-Shirt.
And, I’m not really against steroids either. Any more than some of the surgical stuff women do to look better or feel better about themselves. It’s all about personal choice and perceived risks. But that’s another post too…
The Middle Way – MY PERSONAL VERSION
On a related side note, my CURRENT goal is to beat the above shape by early summer (it’s Mid-November 2010 now). It’s over 10 years later AND THIS TIME I want to be in OUTSTANDING health AND have performance that matches what I look like. No more “mirror athletics” for me. I want the best HEALTH of my life along with the best SHAPE!
What I REALLY want to find is a positive outlet for the “critical voice in the head.” I want to USE the critical voice that’s always there – sometimes louder than others – and let it push me toward positive achievement. AND I want to know when to NOT listen to it and give myself a break and be OK with where I am and with what I’ve achieved to that point. There is always MORE to do and we can ALWAYS DO BETTER. I think the trick is to be ambitious and motivated by your own self-criticism but ALSO know when it’s getting out of hand and not being accurate or positive…
And then there’s this…
Something else I see that makes me nuts – THAT I DO – is train too much. Just like bodybuilding can go unhealthy – and I think it REALLY leans that way to begin with in it’s current state – stuff like CrossFit and Paleo can go bad too. A LOT of people WOD themselves to death and make a mess of their hormonal systems in pursuit of ever lower times and higher rep counts. All good to a point, but when the ego REALLY takes control all sorts of bad stuff happens.
Again, it’s taking things to extremes. Now, I’m not talking about extreme health or extreme performance. I’m talking about taking something healthy in a reasonable “dosage” and taking it WAY to far. Robb Wolf talks A LOT about this and I expanded and commented on some of his stuff here. It happens in just about every physical pursuit…
Please address all hate mail to Wild Gorillaman at…
So, here is MY PERSONAL take on stereotypes, sex appeal and all that stuff. Remember kiddies – this is MY opinion. I get to have mine and you get to have yours. And, guess what? I’m a GUY. And a straight one too – regardless of all the clothes shopping, the cats and what Merle says.
On the one hand, I think we’re HARDWIRED to desire certain traits in the opposite sex. There’s no getting around this. There are certain traits men AND women like to see in each other and that’s the way it is. We can override it to an extent with our intellect, but A LOT of it happens below the level of thought. And we ALL have some kind of “wanting to be desirable” inside. Some more than others, but it’s there. As long as that exists in us as humans – and I think it always will on some level or another – we’re going to respond to certain traits in the opposite sex AND want to create certain perceivedĀ positive traits in ourselves. It’s natural and I believe it’s evolutionary. It’s biology 101.
On the other hand, I think once something gets to the point of un-health, the ego is in control and there are problems. This goes the same for the girl dieting till her ribs show as well as my shredded ass in the pic above. Again, we have the issue of technology here. I think modern technology and media can give us WAY TOO MUCH leverage to take our bodies to extremes that they weren’t designed for. And these extremes can be amplified and propagated by the media and set a standard. And then there’s a WHOLE SYSTEM that steps in and fills the void created inside us by the images – and profits greatly as it “fills the void.” And, of course, the void never really gets filled…
There was this really inspiring talk that Becca Borawski posted recently on Facebook:
If you’re struggling with any of the stuff I’ve talked about here – male or female – then the video Becca posted is definitely worth a watch. Even if you just liked reading this post, the video is something I think will really speak to you. What Dr. Brene Brown is talking about here is similar to want I talked about above with Chodron and Tolle – that fundamental “not OK-ness” that goes on and can get nuts when the ego starts to run things out of control.
Changing Role Models
The 21st Century has seen a trend toward focusing on performance. The popularity of UFC events has played a big part in this. CrossFit has too. Whether they realize it or not, people are being exposed to the image of high-performing bodies. If bodybuilder bodies performed there would be more bodybuilder bodies in The Octagon. There really aren’t. There are some VERY muscular guys in the UFC, but you can’t argue with the performance of a guy like GSP who has a relatively achievable body (if not level of performance).
And, on the female side, images like this are replacing the super-skinny images to some extent.
It’s a start…
Yeah, there’s a lot left to do and we have a long way to go. And there are still WAY more negative body images out there for both sexes than positive ones. But it’s a start. Bodies that perform are slowly showing up and replacing the “comic book” extremes for both sexes. It’s a start.
In the meantime, support Strong is the New Skinny on Facebook…
ttys
Adam
For what it’s worth – I prefer the leaner musculatured men – like your older pic and the pic of the UFC guys. Arnold and that other guy aren’t really that attractive looking to me. Arnold became more attractive to me after his Terminator movies and when he leaned down from that bulkiness.
Thanks, Missy! Yeah, it’s weird when you get your head really deep in the “get big” thing. You don’t even CARE if women like it anymore. WEIRD!
Thanks for the comment.
Adam
I was one of the people who sent an email. I get so upset with some girls who do something like 4 wod’s a day with a long run, a metcon, a 100rep per exercise drill and a workout dvd. Not every day but most days. they claim that they only workout 12 hrs a day and that’s okay. I don’t think they realize the hormonal and adrenal issues that it can cause. I was there once. I worked out 5 hrs a day most days back pre-hospital and it was devastating. I maintained that for over a year before things started to go wrong for me. And it was a quick change. One day I could run 10kms and do hill sprints and do a 2 hr bag work/sparring session and lift weights, next month I couldn’t walk up the stairs.
At that stage I was competing in karate tournaments.
Its taken me most of my 20’s to know myself and my body and its needs. I thought that it was disciplined to eat under 1000 calories a day without realizing that eating clean and healthy will allow me to be more disciplined with training.
The worst thing is there are PT’s who help perpetuate the cycle as well. Who let people get away with over training, who want their clients to lose mass amount of weight in short periods of time, who have no idea of the psychology or even care about the warning signs.
You’re right, Lani. There are a lot of unhealthy extremes. And I know the feeling of training your ass off one month and not being able to go up the stairs the next. Something Stuart McRobert used to really get pissed about is the trainers and bodybuilding “stars” who HAVE the genetics and life circumstances to pull off the constant training. They don’t even realize that a lot of people can’t do the stuff they do and stay healthy…
Random question since you seem to have done plenty of “homework:” What are you doing about coffee/caffeine?
Adam
Adam, excellent.
I think the elephant in the room for anyone with body issues is that we have an image of what I look like or feel like and THEN I will be happy.
The truth is that we use the unattainable goals to stay miserable because we have been wired to be miserable in some way… And haven’t realized it. Our unhappiness or our wiring to feel imperfect so we can constantly beat ourselves up and try harder only to fail is the REAL issue.
It’s psychological….emotional….spiritual. Working out 5 hours a day or 3 wods a day …. For me feeling like crap because I have some belly flab…
Has nothing to do with physical health. It is not driven by a desire to achieve health. It is driven by a desire to achieve an elusive state, at which point we will allow ourselves happiness.
If we stop confusing the two…health and perfection…we can get din to the real deal on both.
Thanks, Eileen!
I think you really nailed it with the “elephant in the room” analogy. SO many of us that come to fitness come from these sort of “dark” places. If we can use fitness and training as a TOOL to improve I think we can really do something positive for ourselves. The trick is KEEPING it positive and leaving the other crap at the door when we design our programs and train…
Adam
A big part of what leads us down these unfortunate paths is a disconnect between what we want and what we have to work with.
“Maximizing your potential” means making the best of the hand you’ve been dealt. If you’re a greyhound, don’t wish you were a mastiff and train and eat to be one. Same with being born a Clydesdale, and wishing you were an Arabian. Trying to be something you’re not just leads to frustration and disappointment.
Take what you have going for you, embrace it, and go all the way with it. You’ll be a lot more successful, and a lot happier than trying to fit your round peg in a square hole.
Absolutely, WGM! We all have our strengths and weaknesses. It’s always best to maximize your strengths – get great at what you’re good at as opposed to being mediocre at what you aren’t suited for.
I think CrossFit changes the game a little because of the “broad and inclusive” thing, but even within CF we see specializations emerging now…
Adam
I’m sorry, but CrossFit is not showing images of healthy “strong” women nearly as much as it shows malnourished women who workout way too much. What difference does it make if the exercises in question are thrusters and sandbags instead of hours on the treadmill? It’s still unhealthy.
Definitely disagree, Erika. Check out Wild Gorillaman’s blog or http://facebook.com/strongisthenewskinny if you don’t believe me.
Adam
I disagree with Erika, but would love to know more about what she’s basing her comments off of… It has been noted here that people in all arenas of exercise and nutrition can take thing to extremes, and unsafe extremes at that. I’ve been guilty of it myself. Perhaps she’s seen one bad CF example that has led to such an ill-conceived generalization. Maybe she’s afraid of CF, and her own insecurities lead to the negative comments…but I think before the discussion goes forward in either agreement or disagreement, I’d like more info on why she actually feels this way. More information and knowledge…isn’t that what is actually behind this whole positive body image and SINS movement?!
And, to Erika, I would extend the same notion to her, to actually learn the basic premises of CrossFit training and nutrition, and to realize that the principles are rooted in helping people of all ages and fitness levels achieve their optimum performance- whatever that may be for them. The principles themselves are genuine, however, people are what screw it up- like everything else, humans are not perfect, and again, can take things to unhealthy extremes. SO…if you’ve seen a CrossFitter that doesn’t appear to be “healthy” to you, don’t blame it on CrossFit, that particular person is responsible for their own actions, and may just not be using the program the way it was intended.
I am an avid supporter of CrossFit training…it has changed my life, and that of many many women I’ve trained- women who never thought they could even pick up a barbell, and now get excited about emailing me their new PR’s. Proper CF training not only builds up the person physically, but also mentally allowing them to realize that they can do more- usually way more then they thought possible!
Janelle,
Thanks! Really well thought out comment. And I agree 100% that the CF principles are the real deal – it’s people who can sometime screw them up.
The results you mentioned – women being empowered by CrossFit when they never thought they could pick up a weight – is something I really love about CF. I wrote this a while back. It’s on that topic: http://adamfarrah.com/dont-train-like-a-guy
Thanks again for the comment.
Adam
First, great article! Your honesty and openness is very refreshing!
WildGorillaMan…on focusing on your strengths: yes and no… Just because you are built like a Clydesdale doesn’t mean you should ONLY strength train…nor should you avoid lifting weights because you’re built like Barney Fife and naturally better suited to distance running…
And Erika has a point…some of those women probably DO overdo things to unhealthy degrees…but it’s still nice to see images of women’s bodies DOING instead of just passively modeling fashions.
Thanks very much, Karin! Glad you liked it!
Adam
Great post Adam.
Thanks, Carla!
Adam
GREAT BLOG !! I love that you read Pema.. she’s gotten me through a lot of the horrible self image stuff you mention here. I just bought her book for a fellow CrossFitter – because I think that once we begin to make our bodies healthy, we MUST begin to make our mind /attitude healthy.
Yeah, I love Pema! She’s so humble and down to earth and funny. She’s great..
I agree 100% that health starts in the mind too.
Thanks for the comment, Danya!
Adam
I really like your site, I’ve been trying to be healthy for a long time, all around. I developed an eating disorder early in life and I’m managing now to try and turn myself towards strength, not thinnness.
Glad you found us, Heather!
Adam
I was interested in weight lifting when I was younger but way to intimidated to try it. I did try to sign up for the class in high school but was told by the teacher he didn’t want to deal with me as the only girl in the class and I’d be an “outcast”. Sad really. My first role model for strong women was Sarah Connor in T2. After having 3 kids and letting myself go I found myself at almost 230 pounds and when I made a decision to get healthy again, strength training was a priority. I also hoped to kick my hubby into gear and get him moving again too.
2 years later I still have weight to lose, but tha’ts not my focus. I’m building muscle. Muscle that gives me shape, burns fat and I’m maintaining a life I can continue with. The weight may come off slower, but there’s no way I’ll compromise my progress by trying to fit into a mold of what other people think I should look like as a woman. and hubby is firmly into his routine and looks great.
My hubby loves my muscle and his opinion is the only one that matters to me. Of course, if he didn’t, he’d have a problem.
I loved Linda Hamilton in that movie! That scene when she’s doing the Chin Ups is the best!
Adam
Great post! Jackwagons aside…. I have enough male friends to know self esteem and weight issues are not an exclusively female issue – I’d venture to say – it’s WORSE for men because they aren’t “allowed” to vent about it like the girls. Additionally men can’t fall back on the excuses many women use to not be healthy (I can’t lose weight because I had a c-section, I can’t lose weight because my birth control messes with my hormones, I can’t lose weight because {insert girly excuse here}…. (of course NONE of these are valid either š
It’s funny – when you’re fat, people talk a LOT of shit behind your back (commenting about everything you eat, how you look…) but it’s those same exact people who talk shit when you try to better yourself, except they do it to your face – “You’re going to the gym AGAIN?” “One piece of cake won’t hurt you” not to mention the outright hostility “You think you’re so much better than everyone else now” which is ALWAYS THEIR issue, not mine – I don’t act “better” but people take my wanting to better myself FOR myself as a some kind of slam against them. I don’t think it’s “Fit People vs Non Fit People” as much as “Motivated people with goals vs People in denial about their own part in their physical (and mental) unhealthyness”
AGAIN – Great post as always – Thank you š
Thanks so much, Mary Ann!
You’re right about the behind your back and in your face stuff! I talked about the āOne piece of cake wonāt hurt youā bullshit here a while back: http://adamfarrah.com/never-be-good-enough
ttys
Adam
I love this post! This is a discussion I have often with a good friend of mine! I too think Arnold like men are not even remotely attractive – actually quite the opposite. Realness is attractive in far more ways than just surface/appearance/visual. We all have our thing we don’t love about ourselves, right! But why do we seek to achieve some sort of perfection that is not even necessarily attainable or even better. Being content in one’s own skin has got to be the best feeling ever! (I don’t always feel that way, but when I do, I feel like flying!)
I certainly love the message in the video you posted and am happy to see that message being spread – acceptance is a hugely important aspect of overall health. Who cares how ripped someone looks, if they can’t even embrace their true unique person for who they really are? They’ll never be genuinely happy, or healthy for that matter, let alone be able to love and accept others!
Great post, important topic – so glad to see you are embracing this type of discussion in such a public way, people need to be free to be who they are!! Peace!!
Thanks so much, Lydia!
Adam
100% in agreement with Janelle!
I am also an avid crossfit enthusiast and trainer. I have also seen what a proper Crossfit training regime can do for women.
Erika should try it for 3 months, THEN comment. š
Thanks for the input, Rick!
Adam
I totally agree with this post and the overall strong vs skinny idea. I grew up with some immunity to the media images, and am saddened to find some of my pearsso entrenched in feeling bad for themselves. I did ballet growing up, and was ridiculed by the teachers for my belly… somehow i just knew to scoff at them. I realized that I can jump higher and longer than most of the girls in the class because I actually eat. I noticed the difference in my moods and my strength when i ate versus when i skipped (because i was busy, not because i was trying to decrease calories). so i stopped skipping meals. i found it was more important how i manipulate my body in sports, or in dance than it mattered my shape and size. I am a very good dancer, a mediocre basketball player, a lowsy tennis player (but i look good doing the lunges as i miss the ball ;P)… now i do eat “bad” things in moderation, not because i deserve them, but because they taste good to me. and yes i still have a belly, but you cant belly dance without a belly. i wish for all of us the same imunity that i had growing up and even now. that everyone find something physical they are good at. if you can look beautiful turning in an arabesque, then it doesnt matter so much if standing still you can see a little belly hanging out. plus in the real world, most work entails some movement, even if you sit at your keyboard all day. if you take your beauty in movement and translate it into your every day movements, you can be proud and confiident and beautiful and hopefully will want to maintain that beauty with what you put into your body.
Great comment, Sarah! Thanks for that!
Adam
Adam,
Donāt worry about the hate mail, youāre doing good things and helping others. Nothing else matters I think I have finally turned the corner and pushing past the laziness that has been chasing me around since my back surgery a year ago. We discussed my addiction to prescription pain pills a few month ago. I am starting to get things straight again and I think the demons are finally out of my head. I am back in the pool swimming (yes I suck at it again but I have to re start somewhere) I am back to running again and have a few target races set (5k 10K half marathon).
I know what I want to look/feel/ preform like but over 365 days of eating like crap sitting on my ass and being depressed about it and eating like crap because I was depressed have taken its toll on my waist line and cholesterol levels.
It does not matter if its crossfit, body building, marathon running, triathlons there will always be a group of people that push it too far. What one looks like in your own mind is different then what you see or what others see. I am back at 250lbs again and have a goal of 200-215 I spent my time chasing bigger is better, now I am happy to focus on what makes me happy not what I others are looking for.
The hardest part is finding a way to happy with you, not caring what others think and ignoring the whispers real or imagined. Now that I am back on my path I am staying on it this time!
Thank you again for doing it is what you do, by the way I am straight man I am love a woman that squats
“The hardest part is finding a way to be happy with you, not caring what others think and ignoring the whispers real or imagined.”
That’s the truth, Luke!
ttys
Adam
Adam , I believe to be true in all of what you say. You are one of the first that have said that WHO we are idolizing is not right. I have struggled with my body for 10 years now. I now know that I will not be that magazine pic and that yes after 2 kids I look damn good. I work out for having the a child that has some medical issues I think I am doing a freaking great job. BUT it took me a while to understand that and let go of weighing my self every day. You are great in what you are teaching and if every person could see that there is no magic pill or magic diet plan that will get you what you see on tv and the magazines. You are awesome and keep up the great work.
Thanks so much, Farah! Glad it spoke to you.
Adam