Healing from inside out…

My journey tends to focus a lot on weight loss but also a lot on fixing myself mentally.   Although I have changed a lot mentally I still tend to forget that there are people on this journey that are facing the same struggles from different angles.  Imagine if you will that you are 5’10” and weigh 99 pounds…many of you like me look at this scenario and think “wouldn’t that be great”.  Most of us are well aware that this ratio is just as unhealthy as being 5’10” and weighing 299 pounds.  However imagine you were the 99 pounds again and you still felt that you were fat, whenever you look in the mirror you see the 299 pounds.  It is very hard to imagine how this would feel when it is more typical to struggle the other way.  When really this feeling is probably about the same, it is about being unhappy with your body image no matter what the size difference.  What I find different about this is the support system is hard to find. Everyone is trying to lose weight its just what we do.  When you could stand to lose a few you hear the snickering in the background about the fat girl/guy, have you ever stopped to imagine this from the “skinny person”?  You see the 99-pound person with a strenuous exercise routine and shopping the diet and health food and you think seriously? You have got to be kidding me why on earth would this person be here?  Do you stop to think that this person is just as unhappy with their body as you or maybe even more so? I typically don’t I am to busy thinking about myself and how great I think it would be to need to gain weight and that I am jealous and disgusted that this person can’t be happy with themselves.  But isn’t that really where we all are? A while back I wrote an article “Stop trying to be Skinny”, this is a prime example of when in our mind skinny just keeps getting smaller the closer we get.  So who is to blame? You know we always want to blame someone, society maybe?  Sure it is plastered everywhere…TV, magazines, the Internet etc.  Truth is it doesn’t matter whose fault it is that we think this way, we are the only ones who can change it.  This has to be changed from the inside out and just like I have said before with your health, when you get your vitals in line the weight will follow, when you start believing in yourself and feeling good about yourself the rest will follow.  I feel like I have made huge strides in this area.  I am not exactly sure what did it for me or when I started feeling good about my body.  If I think about it the part that makes me proud is that I have some muscle definition and I have never thought of myself with muscle definition.  No I am not talking like body builder type, I am talking if I flex my bicep it actually changes shape.  Does this mean that is what will work for everyone? NO. A lifting routine is a good idea for everyone just because the fact is that as we age our bodies lose muscle mass naturally.  Positive thinking could be a huge step for you…each morning instead of looking at your body and pointing out what you feel is flawed, tell yourself at least three things you like about your body.  Eventually this will come easier and maybe even happen with out thought.

Next time you see the “fat” or “skinny” person that may be struggling with image offer some encouragement and not judgment, you could be just what they need to get started on a road to confidence and happiness.  Even if that person is looking at you from the mirror.

Working out sucks, sometimes…

I get the motivation for this topic from a couple of things I read today.  One was an article titled “Working Out Sucks, Sometimes” and the other was a quote “I don’t workout because I hate my body, I workout because I love it!”  The article “Working out Sucks, Sometimes” caught my eye because it was in a Club Solutions magazine.  Now I don’t know about you but when I saw this I thought now how in the world is that going to help my business?  So of course I had to find out!  This article made me feel like we relate a little more, kind of like I hope my blog helps you feel not so alone on this journey.  The guys from the Club Solutions office workout 4-7 days a week in gyms to research content for their magazine, still I am a little curious where this is going.  I also workout 4 days a week and I just want everyone to love exercise.  Then it started sinking in, even the most avid athletes and exercisers hate to workout sometimes…so what keeps them going?  For me I have made it my job with the fitness classes, even when I don’t feel like it I have others expecting me, I don’t have a choice so to speak.  That contradicts a belief of mine that no matter what you always have a choice, the options may not be great but you ALWAYS have a choice.  But with this maybe I should say my choice is obvious.  But when I don’t have a class 4 days a week, where does the motivation come from to not opt for a cold beverage and a lounge chair when the weather is fantastic? Or a blanket and a book when it is not so fantastic?  I believe I found the answer to this question before I even had the question.  It’s the little things!  We were talking as we were stretching after a workout class and the topic came up about changes you notice after you have been in the routine of working out.  On Monday the common feeling is “Man why did I do that this weekend” but by Tuesday it turns to the changes.  I can now sit on the floor with my feet together out in front of me and reach my toes, this may be easy to some but it is something I have not been able to do and even though there is still margin for improvement I can do it!  A couple of other things that came up include, being able to bend over and tie your shoes without propping your foot up on a chair, or being able to curl up on the couch into a ball and still be able to breathe, and feeling strength that you thought was gone because of age.  This is what keeps you going back it is not the constant lecture that you need to exercise it’s the little everyday things like walking up the steps without getting winded or keeping up with the kids or grandkids.  So how do you get to the point where the second quote comes true, “I don’t workout because I hate my body I workout because I love it” This could possibly be the biggest obstacle and one of the most important to overcome.  Honestly I started my “diets” for this reason, no not because I loved it but because I hated my body.  When I started my journey I started to realize that it’s not about being skinny or the perfect body shape and that I really do enjoy being active.  Another difference is when I would start a “diet” I could always see the end and it didn’t result in the perfect body…I was not a believer, I hoped but didn’t believe.  On my journey there isn’t an end except for the inevitable and I believe that is a long road ahead and I am going to enjoy it!  This isn’t a point you are going to reach after a couple of visits to the gym or a couple walks around town…it takes time but you have to push past the negative and look for the positive.  The best tip I can give is that you have to find something you enjoy and you will eventually find so many more things you enjoy because you have discovered that you CAN! 

Here are a few reasons that I enjoy the gym:

·        The equipment – most common at home you have one piece of equipment and I get bored easy so it is easier for it to become a clothes rack.

·        I am going – we live in a society on the go, for me it is easier if I have to go somewhere, at home there are always other things that need done or a couch calling my name.

·        The people – this is probably the biggest for me I love the people and knowing I am not alone.  Sometimes I like to put my headphones on with just me in my bubble but I still know they are there and other times I like to chitchat it makes the time go by faster.  I don’t get out much this is my social hour. J Also, if I have a down day lacking motivation there is a good chance someone else is not and I borrow some motivation.

·        Its like family – the members have become like family it’s the sense of belonging.

You can learn a lot from a 4 year old…

If you ever want to check yourself a bit on what you are eating go hang out with a preschooler.  Cade has been learning about healthy eating and what is good and bad in our diets.  They call them healthy food and sometimes food.  Well let’s just say it seemed at the time that we were eating a lot of sometimes food.  I felt like every time he asked if this is sometimes food or healthy food I was answering with sometimes food. 

We often look at a Healthy Cookbook and think that sounds great but my family won’t eat that.  While that is sometimes true I think a lot of times it is in our head more than the family.  Take Cade and I for instance, we were in the grocery store one day and Cade asked if he could get a snack, my thoughts went right to something like cookies, when I said I suppose he responded with, “could you help me find a healfy snack like yogurt or something?”  At that point I was almost ashamed and very glad that I did not mention what was on my mind.  How often do we change their thoughts with our habits?  When I think about this I go straight to thinking about childhood obesity, so many of us think there is nothing we can do but we are supplying their food.  If we don’t buy it they can’t eat it and if we just take time to listen to them before speaking our thoughts they might just make the better choice.

All of this also makes me think of what I am eating and choices I make.  I was all set to share a cookie that day and thanks to Cade we had yogurt instead.  And every time I have the answer of “sometimes food” it makes me stop and think.  While even healthy foods need to be portion controlled there are many things that aren’t terrible but I would still consider them sometimes food.  There are also ways to make the sometimes food a little better and sometimes it is the little changes that make a big difference.  I have a Healthy Cooking Class this Thursday at 6pm that is going to discuss just that.  As I was talking about the Healthy Cookbooks earlier, it is often the case that the ingredients are something you haven’t heard of or it is almost impossible to find in our area.  This class is going to focus on making over your favorites.  This class is open to the public the cost is $10 for non-members and $5 for members.

So while I think I have been doing a pretty good job at watching what I eat Cade is definitely keeping me on my toes.  Maybe we need to just stop and think like a 4 year old.  Also hats off to Precious People Staff for teaching some great lessons!