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| Going skiing is my favourite way to exercise. Shame it's so far away. |
In the past couple years my weight hasn't changed drastically, but my attitude toward my body has. I used to think that if I looked thin that was all that mattered. I didn't think about how what I put into my body and what I put my body through was affecting me overall. Now I know that fitness and food aren't just about losing weight - they're part of a strong foundation for overall beauty. If you're good to your body it will reward you with healthy skin, hair, body and overall a positive attitude.
My weight changes from day to day, but I've pretty much been able to maintain a healthy goal weight without ever going to extremes. This isn't without some effort though: my metabolism caught up with me a few years ago and I had to rethink what I should be eating everyday and what qualifies as 'exercise'. These are my three rules I stick too:
1. I understand what I should be eating and what I should be eating only on occasion.
2. I've figured out a way to incorporate exercise into my everyday life.
3. I've learned that when I embrace moderation, my body is at it's healthiest.
As you probably know, from reading any diet article in any magazine, extreme dieting can mess with your metabolism. So, while you might cut back on carbs and schedule a few extra workouts, never starve yourself.
This is not to say that it's easy to keep your head about your body shape, but just as you can't will yourself to grow three inches, you can't will yourself to have a slimmer waist or curvier hips. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't things on my body that bug me, even though I can acknowledge that my concerns can be a bit delusional and body-dysmorphic. That's life as a women though, where there's constant pressure to be thin. I try and be extra conscious of this and keep my eye on what is realistic, healthy and unchangeable about my body. I'm never going to have a thigh gap, I've accepted this. My legs are too bulked out with muscle from horse riding to ever achieve it. I've learned that it's essential to respect my body and what it needs. It needs to eat clean, healthy food; it needs water; it needs to move. Once I decided on good habits, my body came to expect and even enjoy them. I still indulge though - I eat things that aren't great for me, I skip workouts when I have other things to do or to get more sleep. Nobody's perfect, and you shouldn't have to feel like you have to be. The best life is a balanced life. So enjoy the good-for-you and the bad-for-you, in moderation.
This is not to say that it's easy to keep your head about your body shape, but just as you can't will yourself to grow three inches, you can't will yourself to have a slimmer waist or curvier hips. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't things on my body that bug me, even though I can acknowledge that my concerns can be a bit delusional and body-dysmorphic. That's life as a women though, where there's constant pressure to be thin. I try and be extra conscious of this and keep my eye on what is realistic, healthy and unchangeable about my body. I'm never going to have a thigh gap, I've accepted this. My legs are too bulked out with muscle from horse riding to ever achieve it. I've learned that it's essential to respect my body and what it needs. It needs to eat clean, healthy food; it needs water; it needs to move. Once I decided on good habits, my body came to expect and even enjoy them. I still indulge though - I eat things that aren't great for me, I skip workouts when I have other things to do or to get more sleep. Nobody's perfect, and you shouldn't have to feel like you have to be. The best life is a balanced life. So enjoy the good-for-you and the bad-for-you, in moderation.
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