I'm still here... plugging along. Trying to figure out how to get myself back to what I would like to be. I had a great discovery this last week that I wanted to share. It's pretty simple, but has caused me to think really differently about trying to get back into shape.
The thought is that it's really not about being skinny. It's about being healthy.
Of course I would like to be "skinny", but as I've been trying to loose weight and get in shape I've noticed that when I think about being skinny, I find myself wanting to do things that are not really healthy to get there. I also find myself feeling like by trying to get "skinny" that means that I am not skinny now, that I'm not good enough the way I am now. Which is a really self defeating thought you know. And thoughts like that don't make me want to try really hard, so it's pretty counter productive. When I think about being skinny I think about the way that I look instead of what's really going on inside of my body.
I've found that when I think about being healthy, a whole new world opens up that is a good positive place to be. Suddenly my thoughts turn to if I'm getting enough sleep at night, if I'm using and working my muscles everyday so that they can be stretched and challenged. If I'm eating things that are really going to feed and nourish my body instead of just putting empty calories in there.
Where I work I get to see really sick people all day long. Something that has been surprising to me is that it really doesn't seem to matter what size you are to what health problems a person can encounter. I've seen some really tiny people with a whole host of health problems. High blood pressure and cholesterol, renal failure, missing toes and limbs from diabetes. I think that sometimes we feel like if we can keep our weight in check but still eat whatever we want and not really take care of our bodies that it will be okay... but I don't think that it really works that way in the end.
So I did something this week that I feel pretty good about. I put my scale away. It no longer sits on my bathroom floor, tempting me to step on it to see if I've been successful this week or not (usually not). Instead, I'm really trying hard to think about what I can do to make my body healthy. What things do I need to eat so that I can be healthy... It feels so good to have this refocus, this mini breakthrough for me.
But now I'm curious. What things do you do to be HEALTHY? And what does being healthy mean to you?
Paul and I have this conversation ALL the time because I want to be "skinny" because I always think that's "healthy" but he says which I totally agree is healthy is on so many more levels and all about balance, healthy emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically. I could go on forever but I suffice to say healthy is finding a happy balance of living.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, I totally love this. I TOTALLY AGREE. This is on my mind all the time...
ReplyDeleteThis past year, I have really struggled with my weight. I lost so much weight over the summer, and have been trying to make up for it, ever since! Since I am still not healthy enough to work out and build some muscle, I am still in this physical-funk.
Unfortunately, it's the opposite of what other people struggle with, so it's not recognized as a "struggle". I have had a really, REALLY hard time gaining weight, and people will constantly comment on, "GOSH! You are just SOOO TINY!!" and stuff like that. Where they think they are giving me some kind of skewed compliment, it actually really offends me.
I'm un-healthily, under weight. I am underweight, because my body bailed on me last year when I got pregnant, and I have been fighting to become "healthy" ever since.
BUT, HEAVEN FORBID I complain, because what people SEE is this ultra thin woman---the "skinny", and what I KNOW is the "un healthy".
I want healthy.
I don't want skinny.
Amen. For me, keeping away from a lot of sugar. Pigging out on fruits and veges.
ReplyDeletethank you so much for your kind words on my blog, meg. your blog is just DARLING and i have been a fan of your etsy shop for a while! i just adore those darling trees you create.
ReplyDeleteanyway, thank you so much for taking time to leave me a comment. i really appreciate your words!
Good post. I recently have been struggling with this very thing.. not looking the way I want to look, feeling down on myself, wondering what to do about it. I know I want to "lose weight" but really I just want to feel good about myself! I considered doing the HCG diet, where I would lose the weight fast, and *hopefully* keep it off, but I decided that it probably isn't going to make me healthy, or feel good, for that matter! A couple weeks ago I started Weight Watchers. I used to think, "Who does Weight Watchers anymore?" I thought, how does going to meetings and having someone else weigh you every week help?? But, a couple people told me about their success, so I'm trying it! I love it so far. I'm really learning a lot about nutrition, and am actually enjoying eating healthy (something I never thought possible). I don't feel deprived. I don't feel guilty when I indulge. I can work out if I want to, but I don't have to. And I've lost 2.4lbs in 10 days, which was exciting for me! I'm doing the online program...
ReplyDeleteI hope you keep sharing your journey back to good health!