I'm a stay at home mom to an active 3 year old boy. He is my priority day from "son up, to son down", as they say. We play trains, trucks, run around at the park, and he goes to preschool for 2-2.5 hours 4 days a week. As a family, we eat 90% clean, unprocessed foods. We are overall active and fit ---but most importantly we are balanced and happy.
When people look at me, they might see a thin women and assume I work out a lot. Yes, I'm always wearing capri's and a tank top and my hair is in a ponytail and headband -- but not because I'm working out all day --that's my daily "mom uniform" --and the ponytail and headband usually means I haven't had time to take a shower yet...cause I have a 3 year old! It is NOT because I spend hours at the gym or hours at home doing crunches or even hours running.
Before having my son, I was overweight -- actually that's putting it nicely. I was obese. According to my BMI, I was obese. I was unhealthy. I was active and worked out -- but I was unhealthy. Yes I also ate processed foods, too much sugar, and tried too many fad diets to try to lose weight. I went to the gym and did the same things we all do -- treadmill, elliptical, weight machines and crunches or maybe go to a workout class. I had way more time then than I do now and I spent more time at the gym, more time counting calories, and more time being unhappy then than I do today.
So what changed? Well, it's actually quite simple. I FOCUSED ON BECOMING HEALTHY NOT LOSING WEIGHT. Being healthy encompasses more than counting calories and killing yourself at the gym for hours. That's actually quite the opposite -- that is UNHEALTHY!
Today, I don't count calories, I don't spend hours working out daily (30 min MAX -- unless I'm training for a long distance race then 1 day a week I'll have a long run that is more than 30 minutes -- ONE!), and I have plenty of time spent with my son, my husband and run a home business.
Oh and I drink wine and beer and I eat chocolate. Seriously, we have to stop the notion of thinking that to be thin and fit we have to give up everything we love and we can't have fun. I love chocolate and wine. But I use to go overboard with it. Now, I keep it in moderation. I don't deprive myself of the things I want because that encourages binging and that's not balanced. And I know that drinking a half bottle of wine and half a cake every night is NOT healthy. It leads to health problems -- not just weight gain.
One thing I learned in my fitness journey is that happiness is in your head, not just in your actions. Just because you lose some weight does not mean you'll be happy or happier because you fit in a size smaller. Overall health means we have to take care of our bodies and our minds. As a society, we are lacking in emotional hygiene or personal development. Our feelings start in our head not because of how we look. I don't care what size you are -- size has nothing to do with happiness.
Yes, I was unhappy when I was obese - and yes I'm happy now that I'm thin. But it was what happened to me during those years in between my sizes that I give credit to my happiness. NOT MY SIZE. No matter what -- it's not your size that ultimately matters and it doesn't control your happiness -- IT'S YOUR HEALTH. Your life, how you are living it day to day and how much time you have on this earth to share with your family and friends. That's what it's all about anyway right???
Let's stop trying to just lose weight -- it's time to learn what true health really encompasses and start living our lives and being happy!!
When people look at me, they might see a thin women and assume I work out a lot. Yes, I'm always wearing capri's and a tank top and my hair is in a ponytail and headband -- but not because I'm working out all day --that's my daily "mom uniform" --and the ponytail and headband usually means I haven't had time to take a shower yet...cause I have a 3 year old! It is NOT because I spend hours at the gym or hours at home doing crunches or even hours running.
Before having my son, I was overweight -- actually that's putting it nicely. I was obese. According to my BMI, I was obese. I was unhealthy. I was active and worked out -- but I was unhealthy. Yes I also ate processed foods, too much sugar, and tried too many fad diets to try to lose weight. I went to the gym and did the same things we all do -- treadmill, elliptical, weight machines and crunches or maybe go to a workout class. I had way more time then than I do now and I spent more time at the gym, more time counting calories, and more time being unhappy then than I do today.
So what changed? Well, it's actually quite simple. I FOCUSED ON BECOMING HEALTHY NOT LOSING WEIGHT. Being healthy encompasses more than counting calories and killing yourself at the gym for hours. That's actually quite the opposite -- that is UNHEALTHY!
Today, I don't count calories, I don't spend hours working out daily (30 min MAX -- unless I'm training for a long distance race then 1 day a week I'll have a long run that is more than 30 minutes -- ONE!), and I have plenty of time spent with my son, my husband and run a home business.
Oh and I drink wine and beer and I eat chocolate. Seriously, we have to stop the notion of thinking that to be thin and fit we have to give up everything we love and we can't have fun. I love chocolate and wine. But I use to go overboard with it. Now, I keep it in moderation. I don't deprive myself of the things I want because that encourages binging and that's not balanced. And I know that drinking a half bottle of wine and half a cake every night is NOT healthy. It leads to health problems -- not just weight gain.
One thing I learned in my fitness journey is that happiness is in your head, not just in your actions. Just because you lose some weight does not mean you'll be happy or happier because you fit in a size smaller. Overall health means we have to take care of our bodies and our minds. As a society, we are lacking in emotional hygiene or personal development. Our feelings start in our head not because of how we look. I don't care what size you are -- size has nothing to do with happiness.
Yes, I was unhappy when I was obese - and yes I'm happy now that I'm thin. But it was what happened to me during those years in between my sizes that I give credit to my happiness. NOT MY SIZE. No matter what -- it's not your size that ultimately matters and it doesn't control your happiness -- IT'S YOUR HEALTH. Your life, how you are living it day to day and how much time you have on this earth to share with your family and friends. That's what it's all about anyway right???
Let's stop trying to just lose weight -- it's time to learn what true health really encompasses and start living our lives and being happy!!
