Heather Mathes Dishes About How She Was Paid To Be Perfect

Models are seen by many as peak physical perfection. But what is a “perfect?” body? Are models perfect, and what everyday women should strive to emulate? Heather Mathes, a formal model turned author gives readers her insights in maintaining a perfect weight for YOUR body. We had to know more about her new book “Paid to be Perfect”.  

Can you give us the scoop about your book?

This book is about the reader finding “their perfect” around nutrition, fitness and wellness. I share everything that has worked for me based on my decades-long modeling career in an effort for the reader to find what works for them.

It’s not necessarily about losing weight and it’s not at all about being skinny.  It’s about maintaining consistency of your natural size while thoroughly enjoying what’s on your plate.  And It’s about finding that place in your body that feels just right, where you have the most energy and have an overall feeling of well-being rather than struggling to reach an arbitrary number on a scale. It’s about having an appreciation for where you are as well as a road map to help you to get wherever you’d like to be.

And my book is an all-encompassing approach to wellness because in addition to nutrition it’s also about moving your body in a healthy way that feels good as well as creating mindful habits that help the reader to navigate through their days while experimenting and exploring their own path to their individual, unique perfect.

What inspired you to write this story?

“How have you maintained your measurements within a 1/4″ for decades?” is the question I’ve gotten the most over the years from people who find out I’ve maintained my body size within a quarter of an inch plus or minus over the years. I answer that with absolutely everything I eat, and everything I do, and have done for years without going hungry and getting pleasure from what I consume. 

I believe we’re designed to get pleasure from what we eat rather than feel stressed or guilty because food consumption is a natural, normal function of the body.  And too many people that I’ve known personally, as well as that I see all across social media platforms, don’t seem to understand that or know how to go about feeling good about their food choices without guilt or stress. I’m therefore inspired by the ability to share with anyone who wants to learn more about healthy living. In addition this book is my pay-it-forward for the amazing modeling career I’ve had throughout the years.

What is your favorite excerpt from your book?

“To achieve consistency your measurements and weight will not be absolutely exact from day to day. There is a range on the scale of a little bit bigger and a little bit smaller that we all vacillate between as absolute exact weights and measurements are not humanly possible. The point is to eliminate the extremes as well as to find pleasure in the one thing you will do every day you’re on this beautiful earth: eat.

“Consistency is only one part of the story. True contentment and happiness will never be found in a number on a scale. Though having the knowledge to naturally create this consistency is freedom–freedom to NOT obsess about your weight so that you have time to focus on all the best that life has in store for you. If that’s your goal, you’re in the right place.”

Why should those looking for a healthier lifestyle choose your book?

Because they can learn how to eat whatever they want, whatever they want while maintaining their consistent size throughout decades of a well-lived life. And because by learning to do so they will gain pleasure and happiness around their food choices rather than feelings of guilt or stress. And because even though they are reading about someone that was paid to keep her body measurements on spec within a quarter of an inch under contract, keeping your body from vacillating between extreme highs and lows can be achieved and maintained by anyone who is at their natural size. And because this book is for everyone looking for a healthy lifestyle, at any size, and at any age.

What is something you learned while writing this book?

Writing this in my late 40’s and early 50’s was amazing because I learned so much! The main lesson was that writing a book is just the beginning. To learn all about editing, publishing, promoting, etc at this age felt like I went back to college and reinforced the idea I’ve always had that life is a lifelong learning process. And even in our 50’s, some of us are just getting started!

Heather Mathes

If you had 3 wishes, what would you wish for?

  1. Greece is my happy place so I’d be there on a beach.
  2. I have an insatiable thirst for knowledge about the world so I would travel to places I’ve never been on “vacation” breaks from my day-to-day of laying on a beach in Greece.
  3. The ability to be present in the moment always rather than the rushed/stressed/over-scheduled/over-analytical mindset I try to release daily. (As if I’d have any difficulty with this wish if the first two wishes were granted.)
  4. The first three are wishes for myself but if I were granted a wish for the world it would be that we could all learn to appreciate and honor our differences. John Lennon said it best – “Imagine all the people living life in peace.”

If you could give your book to anyone to read, who would you give it to?

My mom. She left the earth several years ago so she can’t read it but she would have loved it.

I would also give it to anyone who struggles with their relationship to their food choices, or their size, or to anyone who is struggling to see the perfection in themselves. Though none of us are perfect in the strictest sense of the word, the dichotomy exists that innately we are already perfect because we exist. Our bodies heal wounds perfectly without us thinking about it. We breathe and our hearts beat without effort. And we are naturally designed to be a size that is perfect for our bodies. My job with this book is to help the reader find that place that is perfect for them in an effort for the reader to see the perfection in themselves as easily as they do in others.

Rapid Fire Answer and Questions:

Hiking or Biking?

Both?! I’ll say biking if I have to pick.

Tea or Coffee?

Again both! (Decaf for both.)

Crazy night out or cozy night in?

Mostly cozy night in, although I love an occasional night out! So both 🙂

Netflix Binge or Staying up late to finish a good book?

I’m bad at this game. Both, but I would say a really good book usually keeps me up even later than Nexflix!

Online shopping or trip to the mall?

In keeping with the theme, both! I shop online more but I love browsing through stores. Bottom line – I like all of the above depending on my mood 😉

Want to pick up a copy of Paid to Be Perfect by Heather Mathes? You can find it here on Amazon.