Healthy Living Panel at Summer in the City 2017

The Healthy Living panel took place on the Lifestyle Stage on the Sunday of Summer in the City 2017. The panellists included Leon Bustin and John Chapman from The Lean Machines, Melanie Murphy, and moderator Simone “Eltoria” Partner.

After short introductions from the panellists, Eltoria opened the discussion by asking the panel how health and fitness fits in with body image. Leon explained that many people have issues with the way they see their body, but that “in common sense terms, you’ve only got one, so what’s the point in killing yourself over it? The most important thing is to remember that it’s a vessel.” John cautioned against comparing yourself with other people on Instagram, which is something that was agreed on by the other creators.

The panel then moved on to talk about their stance on fad diets. John said that “they’re set around building a bad relationship with food” and by going on one “you’re reinforcing patterns which aren’t typically healthy for eating”. It was stressed that one diet won’t necessarily be effective for everyone, and Melanie explained that you have to find your own balance with food and exercise, and learn from your own mistakes.

This led on to a discussion on so-called “cheat foods”, which is an incorrect term according to Leon, as it makes people feel guilty and view the food in a negative way. He explained that “calories are king” when it comes to our diet, and if you want to lose weight then you have to create a calorie deficit – but this can be achieved while allowing for the food we like. The panel went on to encourage the audience to take part in exercise that they personally enjoy, and to find their inspiration from themselves, rather than elsewhere. Advice was also given on starting a YouTube channel – Melanie advised the audience to be themselves and show their personalities because “people follow people”.

Moving on to answer some questions from the audience, the panel were asked how they motivate themselves when they’re having an off day. John felt that it was best to just let yourself have a day off, and then to find a motivation within yourself to keep on going in the future. The panellists were also asked about the line between inspiration and jealousy, and how to deal with feeling jealous about another person’s body. One thing that’s helped Leon is to have an understanding of context: for example, with models, it’s their job to look a certain way, so a lot more time and effort is able to go into it. Leon also shared his previous experience training whilst suffering from asthma in response to the next question, explaining that he managed to train himself through the condition.

In the final round of questions from Eltoria, the creators discussed the future of the fitness industry, which the panellists predicted will continue moving further towards a focus on health. They also talked about supplements and how they can be taken alongside, but not to replace, a healthy diet, and gave their top tips for getting started with fitness. These included setting small, achievable goals, and taking time with your journey and not expecting a change to happen all at once.

Photos by Emma Pamplin.