Nowadays with Instagram, It’s quite common to think too much about food…
EX-MODEL SILVIA DIAZ ON BEATING AN EATING DISORDER TO BECOME A FITNESS QUEEN, By Deirdre Reynolds, in Sunday World Magazine.
HIGHLIGHTS:
SHAPE UP: Sylvia offers fitness tips on her blog
NUTRITIOUS: She does not believe in diets
TIPS: Counting calories is discouraged
Confidently strutting down the catwalk in designer frocks at just 18, Silvia Diaz appeared to have a picture-perfect life.
Young, slim and beautiful, the in-demand model routinely walked in London Fashion Week and even graced the pages of Vogue magazine.
Behind the smiling snaps, however, Silvia revealed how she was secretly in the grip of an eating disorder that consumed her life for almost three years.
“I was an 18-year-old living two totally different lives”, she recalls.
“A lazy life as a student and a professional job as a model.
“Leading this demanding life was not easy and I was always aspiring to be the best in all areas.
“The pressure and constant seeking of external approval did not bring me happiness.
“Instead, it brought me an eating disorder.”
Now 10 years on, Madrid native Silvia has never felt better after successfully turning her health and happiness around.
Now based in Dublin, she finally found her calling away from the runway as a fitness instructor and nutrition advisor.
But the 28-year-old admitted her relationship with food hasn’t always been so harmonious.
“I was in a very serious situation, but thanks to my family, close friends and then-boyfriend, I started a recovery process,” tells Silvia, who moved to Ireland five years ago.
“At the end of a three-year fight against this horrible illness, I learned that the need to obsessively control food was a way of escaping real problems – and this can happen to anyone, based on their genes and cultural environment.
“In my case, it was the ruthless fashion world, where the image other people have of your body was the measurement for success. This experience changed me and made me realise how important it is to develop a healthy relationship with foods.
“After fully recovering, I was a different person – stronger and more mature than I would have ever imagined.”
Emboldened by her own experience, fitness blogger Silvia has just set up her own fitness and nutrition coaching service called Fit With Sylvia.
Her first sold-out-event, How to Eat For Life, held at Third Space in Smithfield, Dublin, recently showed she’s far from alone.
“After the event, lots of girls came up to talk to me, “says the former Google worker.
“I was surprised because quite a lot (of them) has an eating disorder as well.
“Nowadays with Instagram, it’s quite common – not even an eating disorder – but thinking too much about food.
“Many girls feel they can identify with me and that’s why they follow my advice.
“I don’t give them a nutrition plan – what I teach is how to eat for life. They don’t quit anything or calculate calories – they just measure portions using their hand.”
After battling with her body for years, Zumba Instructor Silvia explains how she doesn’t believe in diets – instead of taking an ‘everything in moderation’ approach to eating.
Her top tips for staying in shape, for example, including stashing healthy snacks such as a fruit in your handbag to curb cravings during the day and sticking to three alcoholic drinks per week.
“If you cut out chocolate altogether, you’ll only end up craving it even more,” says Silvia, whose blog also contains tips on everything from quitting sugar to getting more sleep. “So it’s OK once in a while to have some chocolate, pastries or even red wine.
“It has taken me years of ups and downs to become a fit person.
“Fit With Sylvia is the result of my own journey.
“My aim is to help other busy professionals get fitter, not just physically, but mentally.”
See www.fitwithsylvia.com or follow @fit.with.sylvia on Instagram for more