Loving Your Body: The Key to Success
It’s time to break the glass ceiling on the limitations and expectations we set for ourselves, especially when it comes to our health and happiness. You can absolutely set goals and number marks, but please do not fixate on them. Living healthy is a lifestyle; a state of mind. It is not a destination to be reached, but a journey to be traveled. And if we keep waiting for “when” we get there, we miss all the happy, emotional, difficult, and rewarding times in between.
Did you know that less than 6% of people with eating disorders are medically diagnosed as “underweight?” And 9% of the U.S. population (28.8 million Americans) will develop an eating disorder in their lifetime. (1)
When I was a freshman in college I developed an unspecified eating disorder. “Unspecified” meaning not a diagnosis such as anorexia, or bulimia, but a generalized unhealthy relationship with my body, food, and exercise.
It began with my annual physical the summer before school started. I had just graduated from high school and was getting ready to be a first-year student at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI (which I later transferred from). I got on the scale, and my doctor absently told me I was borderline “overweight” based on my BMI.
“Borderline overweight” to a teenage girl practically equates to plain old “overweight.” And while my doctor had no intentions of being the catalyst that set me on the path to disordered eating and exercise, her words caused me to become obsessed with my body. And honestly, my concern was not necessarily surrounding my health, but the way I looked and a fixation on what others thought about me.
I began to exercise excessively and cut calories to the lowest amount possible without starving myself. I obsessed over planning out my meals, food logging and weighing myself multiple times daily. If anything in this process was unexpectedly altered (having to stay late at work and missing my scheduled exercise, mom not cooking the exactly portioned out meal we planned) I lost it. I was debilitated by defeat and unworthiness. I felt like a failure.
I lost 30 lbs that year. Losing 30 lbs in one year is not unhealthy in itself. I was not technically underweight, our malnourished. “I did not actually have an eating disorder,” I told myself constantly. But here’s the thing… I actually did.
I was consumed by my food, my exercise, and my body image. That is literally all that mattered to me. I would cancel plans with friends last minute because I didn’t want to get frozen yogurt. I would yell at my mom if she decided to pick up a pizza after a long day of work instead of cook the bland “safe” dinner I had planned for. I had a very unhealthy perspective on life during those two years. My mental health was diminishing. Eventually, I got help through counseling. I read self-development books, started journaling, and did a lot of work mentally to help dig myself out of an unfortunate situation.
The reason I am writing about this time in my life is to point out that working towards health and fitness goals is not easy. They require time, effort, and dedication. But what they do not require is obsession, stress, and negativity. Working towards such goals requires a certain mindset; a perspective.
Perspective is something you can change; it is not permanent. While I had an incredible support system to get me through a difficult time in my life, the pivotal moment that actually changed me was my mindset shift. I realized that my health, self-worth, and happiness did not equate to a number on the scale, the size of my pants (which varies GREATLY from store to store…) or how many calories I burned in my workout.
My health and happiness lay in my love for my body. I needed to love my body before anything else. Without that, I was chasing an empty goal; an empty dream.
It’s time to break the glass ceiling on the limitations and expectations we set for ourselves, especially when it comes to our health and happiness. You can absolutely set goals and number marks, but please do not fixate on them. Living healthy is a lifestyle; a state of mind. It is not a destination to be reached, but a journey to be traveled. And if we keep waiting for “when” we get there, we miss all the happy, emotional, difficult, and rewarding times in between. With that being said, I’d like to end this post with one of my favorite quotes.
“If it costs you your peace, it costs too much.” -Jenna Kutcher
This quote speaks volumes to me, not only as a professional in the health and fitness industry but also as a young woman journeying through this crazy life herself. Without happiness, you cannot truly be healthy. While making healthy choices is hard work, it should never cost you your peace of mind. It’s not worth it. There is a way to achieve what you want without forfeiting what you have.
Once you learn to love your body, then you will be able to cherish and embrace the ways to take care of it. Find your balance, find your value, and you will find that happiness is right there in front of you!
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5 Healthy Tips to Tackle Turkey Day
Enjoying the holidays while still prioritizing your health can sometimes seem stressful. But I’m here to tell you that with proper planning you can do it! Let’s break down my top 5 strategies for a happy and healthy Turkey Day.
Enjoying the holidays while still prioritizing your health can sometimes seem stressful. But I’m here to tell you that with proper planning you can do it! Let’s break down my top 5 strategies for a happy and healthy Turkey Day.
Move. Raise your hand if you've ever had a Thanksgiving that looked a little something like this: sitting, eating, talking, watching football, still sitting, still eating… Well, if your hand is up, you are not alone! All that sitting may seem like a good idea at the time, but I assure you that a day of couch potatoing is not working in your favor. This is why it is so important to schedule some structured movement into your day. I promise you do not have to go out and run a 5k Turkey Trot or sign up for a crazy bootcamp class. Just make it a priority to work 30 minutes of productive movement into your day. Walking is always my go-to!
*For those of you who plan to take on the epic role of chef for the day, it is extra important for you to plan exactly when those 30 minutes of movement are going to take place. Cooking or not, it can be easy to let the opportunity for physical activity to slip away!
Drink water. Not only is staying hydrated important for the overall function of your body, but it can also help you navigate how hungry you truly are. Often times many find themselves over-eating because their body is actually craving water, not food. I am not saying you can’t have some of your favorite red wine or seasonal cocktail… just remember to mix in a glass of water for every other drink!
Eat a wholesome breakfast. I can’t tell you how many times I hear people don’t eat breakfast on Thanksgiving to “save room” for everything they want to eat later. Eating a healthy breakfast will help you kickstart your metabolism for the day and help you stabilize your blood sugar levels. If you skip breakfast, you will be way more likely to load your plate up with a larger portion of food than you normally would. What’s my favorite Thanksgiving breakfast? I love a slice of freshly baked whole wheat pumpkin bread with some hot coffee (click the link for the recipe I use). It's especially delicious when heated with peanut butter on top for some added protein.
Fill your plate up with half of what you initially think you want. I promise you, there will most likely be plenty of leftovers if you are still hungry and want to go back for seconds! By loading up your first plate of food with heaping piles of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and all the traditional goodies, you are likely setting yourself up for trying to achieve “clean plate club” status, even if you are full halfway through. If you take less and are still hungry… then go get more! Slow down, take your time, and actually enjoy the food you are eating.
If you want pie, eat pie! Thanksgiving is one day out of the whole year. Eating one piece of pie, cake, or whatever sweet indulgence catches your eye will not throw your progress off track. Interested in more than one dessert? Split them in half and try both!
Now that doesn’t seem so bad, does it? Happy Thanksgiving to all, and remember… don’t stress, just plan ahead!