How did we get to be such an image obsessed society? Obsessed with our weight, how we look, what we are wearing, how we look in comparison to another person or even to our OLD selves! How did the outside become so much more important than the inside? Having been a pretty scrawny kid I never really thought much about weight or how I looked compared to other kids. I think it crept up on me when I got into junior high school and it stayed with me for the next 20+ years. I remember when my obsession with losing weight started. I was about 25 and had been living a pretty "hard" life for many years. Drinking and eating whatever and whenever I wanted. Working at Outback Steakhouse gave me free reign of whatever I wanted to eat...and whenever. I tried to run away from the inevitable aging process as time went by. I would end up working out over 3 hours a day. Before I met my husband my routine was pretty brutal: Get up at 4:00 a.m. go to spin class at 5:00, take a kickboxing class at 6:00 and then work until 5:00 and go back to the gym from 5:30-7:00 pm. Did my body change? Not much. Was I in good shape? Not as good as I should have been for all that exercise! Since then I have learned so much about how damaging too much exercise can be. Click here on articles about how too much exercise can be a bad idea
The older I get, the more things head south (GRAVITY sucks!) and the less control I have over hormonal havoc on my midsection....the more damaging it is for me to focus so much on the external. It is extremely stressful to our mind and body to worry so much about the way we look. Of course I still have hang ups...things I wouldn't mind to be different about my body. But what I am realizing is that I only want these things to be different when I am comparing myself with others or thinking about what others must think of me! When I am going about my day; walking my dogs, playing with my kid, hanging out with my husband, working with clients I feel completely fine about myself with no hang ups at all. It's the more vulnerable times like at the pool around other people, dressed up to go out with friends who have much better fashion sense than me, being at an event where looking good is "required". Those are the times where the joy thief sneaks in and grabs my happiness. Well I am working hard to change that from here on out. I know I don't need a compliment from someone else to make me feel good about myself...instead I will continue to work out appropriately and be grateful for my body's ability to lift heavy things. I don't have to have expensive trendy clothes like most women...instead I will be grateful I HAVE clothes when so many people struggle to afford anything nice to wear. I will stop looking at other women and wondering how they look so good eating junk and doing nothing...instead I will be thankful that I have so much knowledge to be healthy and know how to nourish my body properly. Last but not least when I get a compliment I will not automatically think of the other things that my body needs help with...I will be grateful and say thank you. At least I will try.
The body believes the mind....so if you're mind tells your body it is fat, unattractive and flabby the body will never change. Let's make a collective effort to change our minds...shall we?
Molly Galbraith has struggled with her weight and has some great blog posts about it here and here
This one I recently shared on my Facebook page is worth reading. Find it here
In good health,
Cfh
The older I get, the more things head south (GRAVITY sucks!) and the less control I have over hormonal havoc on my midsection....the more damaging it is for me to focus so much on the external. It is extremely stressful to our mind and body to worry so much about the way we look. Of course I still have hang ups...things I wouldn't mind to be different about my body. But what I am realizing is that I only want these things to be different when I am comparing myself with others or thinking about what others must think of me! When I am going about my day; walking my dogs, playing with my kid, hanging out with my husband, working with clients I feel completely fine about myself with no hang ups at all. It's the more vulnerable times like at the pool around other people, dressed up to go out with friends who have much better fashion sense than me, being at an event where looking good is "required". Those are the times where the joy thief sneaks in and grabs my happiness. Well I am working hard to change that from here on out. I know I don't need a compliment from someone else to make me feel good about myself...instead I will continue to work out appropriately and be grateful for my body's ability to lift heavy things. I don't have to have expensive trendy clothes like most women...instead I will be grateful I HAVE clothes when so many people struggle to afford anything nice to wear. I will stop looking at other women and wondering how they look so good eating junk and doing nothing...instead I will be thankful that I have so much knowledge to be healthy and know how to nourish my body properly. Last but not least when I get a compliment I will not automatically think of the other things that my body needs help with...I will be grateful and say thank you. At least I will try.
The body believes the mind....so if you're mind tells your body it is fat, unattractive and flabby the body will never change. Let's make a collective effort to change our minds...shall we?
Molly Galbraith has struggled with her weight and has some great blog posts about it here and here
This one I recently shared on my Facebook page is worth reading. Find it here
In good health,
Cfh
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