Lately , I have found myself happier with my body image than ever before in my life. For one thing, I have finally lost much of my baby weight, am more toned, and eating healthier.
But what I think is the key to my healthy body image and good health is a new self-respect for ME. I googled "self respect and staying fit" and found a Nike ad to this very effect. So, I must be onto something if it is Nike endorsed. To sum it up, self-respect generally means that you want to give yourself a healthy body. I believe the key to staying healthy is wanting it for what I will term the "right" reasons.
But what I think is the key to my healthy body image and good health is a new self-respect for ME. I googled "self respect and staying fit" and found a Nike ad to this very effect. So, I must be onto something if it is Nike endorsed. To sum it up, self-respect generally means that you want to give yourself a healthy body. I believe the key to staying healthy is wanting it for what I will term the "right" reasons.
Let me start by saying that I have always loved working out and being active. It truly is a stress reliever. Hiking is like a good therapy session for me. So the therapeutic aspect of working out has always been a motivator for me. However, I think that I used to work out and eat certain foods, in part, for the wrong reasons. To be thin, to fit into my skinny jeans, to feel attractive to the man in my life. In a similar vein, I ate salads, etc. because they were not fattening.
Now, my mind set has changed. I work out to be healthy. I do it to give myself the gift of strong bones, toned muscles, flexibility, and endurance. I want to be healthy because I love ME, and my family. Importantly, I want to set an example for my children. This is really a change in my mind, literally, when working out, my internal dialogue is different. It used to be "thin, thin, thin" and now it is "strong, strong, strong." Also, I used to eat salads and all that good stuff because I thought it saved me calories, now, I just eat it because I know it is "good stuff" for my body.
When reflecting on how I shifted in my body image, I think it can be contributed to two things. First, the beauty and humbling process of child birth. With my first child, I got pregnant in 2009 and went from 120 pounds, size 0 to 160, large pregnant woman. I can proudly say that I loved being pregnant, and never felt fat or ugly the whole time. I actually thought the process was so beautiful and amazing. I had my second child in 2012. So essentially from 2009 to 2013, I have been going through constant body changes caused by pregnancy. All these changes really teach you a lot about your body, and for me, it taught me to really RESPECT my body. Being a vessel for a new child is beyond what I term a blessing.
The other change is more of an instrinsic one. My recent journey to find who I really am, rather than who I thought I should be has allowed me to love my body, whatever shape it is in. I thought I should be the 120 pounds, size 0, but that is not who I really am. I do not want to be defined by my size. I want to be defined, in part, for being an active individual that shares her joy and passion for health with others.
That is why my new job is a job that I love. I am a group fitness instructor and am teaching a spin class. I hope to build upon this career, but at least I have opened a door.
Now, my mind set has changed. I work out to be healthy. I do it to give myself the gift of strong bones, toned muscles, flexibility, and endurance. I want to be healthy because I love ME, and my family. Importantly, I want to set an example for my children. This is really a change in my mind, literally, when working out, my internal dialogue is different. It used to be "thin, thin, thin" and now it is "strong, strong, strong." Also, I used to eat salads and all that good stuff because I thought it saved me calories, now, I just eat it because I know it is "good stuff" for my body.
When reflecting on how I shifted in my body image, I think it can be contributed to two things. First, the beauty and humbling process of child birth. With my first child, I got pregnant in 2009 and went from 120 pounds, size 0 to 160, large pregnant woman. I can proudly say that I loved being pregnant, and never felt fat or ugly the whole time. I actually thought the process was so beautiful and amazing. I had my second child in 2012. So essentially from 2009 to 2013, I have been going through constant body changes caused by pregnancy. All these changes really teach you a lot about your body, and for me, it taught me to really RESPECT my body. Being a vessel for a new child is beyond what I term a blessing.
The other change is more of an instrinsic one. My recent journey to find who I really am, rather than who I thought I should be has allowed me to love my body, whatever shape it is in. I thought I should be the 120 pounds, size 0, but that is not who I really am. I do not want to be defined by my size. I want to be defined, in part, for being an active individual that shares her joy and passion for health with others.
That is why my new job is a job that I love. I am a group fitness instructor and am teaching a spin class. I hope to build upon this career, but at least I have opened a door.