Suggestions for my gf to drop a little muscle?

[Bikini Mod]

OK, just to put this all into perspective for you guys. I lunched with one of my dearest gf's Thursday; a fashion model in NYC. (Funny my two closest gf's are models: one fashion/commercial, the other hardcore fitness and headed straight to the Olympia in the next few years - both to-die-for gorgeus but VERY DIFFERENT body types.) She was half-laughing/half-whimpering about coming from a casting for "plus sized" models. It was for a very respectable lingerie company. The pay? $8G's for four hours. Taking into consideration time for hair and makeup and the other mechanics of setting up the shoot (wardrobe and lighting) we are talking about an hour's worth of work - mayb one and 1/2 TOPS! THIS IS NOT HIGH FASHION.... IT IS COMMERCIAL MODELING.

Now she has been modeling since she was barely 17, is now 23. So this is how she has been supporting herself for quite some time. This is no "free pics for MuscleMag" bullshit stuff.

Oh... I bet you all are wondering what Manhattan considers to be plus size... She is 5'11" and is a SIZE EIGHT! Yes, you read it correctly a PERFECT SIZE EIGHT! That is why we were laughing about it. I am only 5'3" and she only outweighs me by a very few pounds. But I am between a TWO and a FOUR! We laughed even HARDER AT THAT!

Because I have had the benefit of experiencing and understanding that a photograph is a split second frozen in time: posing, lighting, wardrobe - everything coming together JUST RIGHT when the pic is snapped - YOU LOOK PERFECT! That is why I don't obsess over what I see in the mirror.

I always joke to people, "My ass ain't flawless, but I gots plenty of pics that SAY IT IS!" hehehheheeeee

There is no need to jump all over this brother as he is merely trying to help his gf do what SHE WANTS... There is A TON of money to be made in fashion modeling (not right away, but eventually w/experience). There is also SHITLOADS of money to be made in COMMERCIAL MODELING! Fitness is OK, but those chicks in Muslcemag, etc - DON'T GET PAID!!!! Many of them pay the photogs to shoot THEM and then the photos submit the pics to the publications and hope that they will be printed. The photog GETS PAYED, whereas the model ONLY GETS A TEAR SHEET! Now, the tearsheet is very important because the model puts it in her book and when she goes on castings this shows the potential client that she has job experience.... The big bucks are to be made in the catalogs for Sears and Dannon Yogurt, etc. I went on a casting over the summer for Dove soap. The job would have paid over 10G for the exclusive rights to ONE PICTURE!... probably one/two rolls of film shot - max 1/2 hours of actual work on the model's part. Of course, I knew going in that I only had the most remote chance at getting the job. They were looking for a brunette mid 20's to mid 30's with a very nice profile. My problem? The pose warranted one arm to be bent above the head making my bicep appear TOO HYUGE for a commercial market... Ah well, I went anyway as I figured, "What the hell?!"

It is UP TO HER. If this is what she wants then I say let her try. There is ZERO NEED for drugs. Just drop your protein intake a bit and do more cardio and don't do hardcore lifting. Really very simple.

 

[AJag]

Bikinimom, thanks for the wonderfully informative reply. Your candor is refreshing. I'm glad you pointed out again that it's not my opinion that my gf needs to lose any fat, LBM, or both to reach some "high fashion ideal." I think she looks great now and I think she'd look great adding LBM and going for a fitness-type look. But this isn't about what I want, it's about what she wants and appreciate all the advice I have received on this board.

 

[Debu]

BMOM - I'm glad you're there to clear the air on the whole modeling issues...I think most women need to hear the process of what really goes on...just let us know when we will see you next!

AJAG - I know you are on here because you are taking the initiative to help your GF out so she can achieve what she wants, that's sweet of you. IT would be nice to have her on to so we can share in her experiences!

 

[Bikini Mod]

You guys are welcome. I haven't done a shoot since August of last year. As a matter of fact, though I paid for my girls to go to summer camp modeling last summer, it was not enough to pay ALL the bills that I now have (ZERO childsupport - only free place to live so I AIN'T COMPLAINING) required me to turn to other means to support us.

After lunching w/my gf the other day I made a bit of a promise to myself to try and get back to it. If only to feed my creative desires. This literally means "hobby modeling". Which means that it won't COST me money, but EXCELLENT photogs will shoot me for prints. I get to put them on my website and if I want to have more cards made, etc and go on castings to look for work. then I will. And I can always charge less experienced to very inexperienced photogs to shoot me. This is how I payed for camp last summer.

Right now I am focusing my creative energies into other avenues to support myself and my girls. The work is hard, but just as with the modeling (which EVERYBODY around me laughed when I told them that that is what I wanted to do) I KNOW I can do this!

I do enjoy modeling tremendously and it will ALWAYS BE THERE... Yes, commercially AGE DOESN'T MATTER. But I would have to give up a considerable amount of my mass to do it. Right now, that isn't what I want....

I do have gobs of pics that I shot last summer that are sitting on a CD - never emailed them to my webmaster... I SWEAR that I will try to do it soon!

Again - brotha - GOOD LUCK to you AND your girl!

 

[Millie]

Millie: I never said I thought my gf needed to lose a few lbs of fat OR LBM. Her agency said that she was borderline muscular for high fashion and wanted her to drop a little on her legs (though they said she was fine for fitness modeling). She wants to pursue this and she asked ME to help her out in her pursuit. I love her just the way she is and I definitely don't want her to lose any fat or muscle. But this is something she's interested in and I'm going to help her if that's what she wants. Let me be very clear: I would NEVER push her to those extremes for my sake.
...

I don't want to start an argument, AJag, but here is a quote from a previous post you made in this thread... take note of the last 2 sentences in it, where you are indeed saying that she could lose a couple of pounds of fat:

Gladiola, thanks for your advice. I wasn't going to have her stop lifting altogether, just cut the volume and up the reps on the exercises she does do. She will stop all leg work (except calves) however. I know this goes against everything both she AND I have been having her do... What do you think about the diet? Drop to 10 cals per lb? She's going to bump up the cardio to 45-50 mins 5x per week. Personally I don't think she needs to lose any fat, maybe a pound or two but not much. Her bodyfat is not the problem, unfortunately.

Well, this is none of my business. I understand you want to help her, so good luck. It's just that your comment about the couple of pounds reminded me of one occasion when my best friend said something similar to me. For the next 2-3 days I was seriously contemplating going on a very calorie-restricted diet, just to be able to drop those couple of pounds that someone else thought I needed to lose.

Anyway, this is getting off the topic of the thread.

 

[AJag]

Millie: You're right, I misworded that statement. I meant to say, "given that she wants to get down to around 120, I can see that she could stand to lose a couple pounds of bodyfat." I meant that instead of losing ALL LBM, she could lose both. I'm sorry I did not clarify that, but I was keeping in mind her goal of wanting to lose weight. I prefer she lose fat weight to LBM.

 

[Rocket]

Don't change a thing she looks great!!!!!!!!!

Rocket

 

[Code]

Never posted the pics Aurelis was talking about, why not?

 

[aurelius]

Never posted the pics Aurelis was talking about, why not?

Because he´s lying.

 

[circlescar]

My apologies if I am mistaken but I think that some time this week I followed a link on this board to a site with a lot of little pictures of beautiful fitness models. I think one of them was this woman. But I can't find the link now and it might not have been this woman anyway but one of the poses sure strikes a cord. Did anyone else notice it or am mistaken? If you know the site could you post it here, I would like to check it just to make sure Alzheimers doesn't have me yet.