When you read the title, you probably thought that I was talking about cursing. Well, I'm sorry to tell you that you would be wrong. I, admittedly, am a bit of a potty mouth from time to time. And that potty mouth gets worse when I get all worked up about an issue, just ask my hubby.
No, the 'F' word that I am referring to is 'fat.' I am not perfect and I do sometimes say that I am fat when I get down on myself. However, I only say that to my dear, sweet husband who always has the same whacked out response that makes me feel better about myself. But when I am in the presence of my kids, I never say that I am fat or that I need to lose weight.
I definitely have weight that I could lose and there are parts of me that are a bit thicker than they used to be, but those are things that I keep to myself or share with my husband when I need a pick-me-up. I would be heartbroken if I ever heard my daughter or son tell me that they thought that they were fat. And since my kids are basically little parrots, I do not want to pass along those thoughts to them, ever.
When I go to the gym or force them to eat fruits and veggies, I tell them that it is because I want to be healthy and I want them to be healthy. I go for a run, not to lose weight, but so that I can get faster so I can keep up with them since they are getting so fast. We go on after dinner walks, not to work off the dinner we just ate, but to spend time as a family and enjoy the beautiful scenery surrounding us.
I have heard kids as young as 5 years old tell me that they need to exercise so that they won't get fat. Now, don't get me wrong, there are kids who could stand to play outside a little more and put down the TV remote. I am not denying that fact. But it is sad to me when a young child thinks that they are fat or that the only reason that they should work out is so that they can be skinny. That is not them talking; it is what they heard someone else say and they've taken it as the way that they need to be.
Maybe I'm naive, but I don't think that parents are maliciously sending these messages to their children. But kids are like little sponges; they soak up everything that we put out in the world. So why do we, as parents, want to put these ideas into their heads when the media is already doing their best to put them there. We should be helping them to live a healthy lifestyle, not one in which they are obsessed with how much they weigh or what size fits them.
I try my best to be a good example for my kids. I've even pushed myself to do things that I never thought were possible or that I never thought I'd do. And I've been trying harder than ever to be okay with who I am. In the past, I would cover up as much as possible at the gym or purposely use the treadmill or weights the furthest away from everyone else. I've had a change in the past couple months, because I'm just now starting to feel okay in my own skin. I haven't worried about which treadmill or weights I use and I've not worried about what people are going to think about the fact that I'm curvy.
I am who I am. I've got boobs and a butt. If I'm not careful about what I eat and I don't exercise, then I get a little extra padding. But you'll never hear me say that I'm fat or that I need to lose weight. I'm 5'3" and I have no idea how much I weigh because I don't weigh myself (haven't for years, doesn't matter to me). I want my kids to know that if YOU feel good and you are HEALTHY, then that is really what truly matters. Stop worrying about that the scale says and start thinking of your overall health. If there are things you don't love about yourself, then work to change those things in a healthy way. But stop criticizing yourself; there are enough other people who are happy to do that for you.
I have a friend who wrote a really good article today about a similar topic (she writes lots of good ones and takes beautiful photos) and I wanted to share it with her permission. In the spirit of the article, I wanted to share a photo. Now, I did post this photo to Facebook but I haven't been proud of it until now. Back in 2007, I ran the Army 10-miler. I signed up to do it in honor of my husband (boyfriend at the time) who was supposed to be deployed to Iraq at the time of the race. Well, as things usually go in the military, his timeline was shifted and he ended up actually being at the race. As I've mentioned before, I am not a runner so running 10 miles was a big deal for me. I used to look at this picture and think, "oh my gosh, why did I have to take my shirt off. I have a gut." But now, when I look at this photo, I'm proud of myself and what I accomplished. I had only ever run 10 miles once before on accident and I ran the Army 10 miler and didn't get picked up by the bus (my only goal). It was ridiculously hot out that day and a couple of the water stations had gone dry, plus my sister and I had the crazy idea to get the Gu paste, which basically made me want to throw up each time I tried to swallow the whole small pack. But I stuck it out, and I did it and I am forever proud that I did.
No, the 'F' word that I am referring to is 'fat.' I am not perfect and I do sometimes say that I am fat when I get down on myself. However, I only say that to my dear, sweet husband who always has the same whacked out response that makes me feel better about myself. But when I am in the presence of my kids, I never say that I am fat or that I need to lose weight.
I definitely have weight that I could lose and there are parts of me that are a bit thicker than they used to be, but those are things that I keep to myself or share with my husband when I need a pick-me-up. I would be heartbroken if I ever heard my daughter or son tell me that they thought that they were fat. And since my kids are basically little parrots, I do not want to pass along those thoughts to them, ever.
When I go to the gym or force them to eat fruits and veggies, I tell them that it is because I want to be healthy and I want them to be healthy. I go for a run, not to lose weight, but so that I can get faster so I can keep up with them since they are getting so fast. We go on after dinner walks, not to work off the dinner we just ate, but to spend time as a family and enjoy the beautiful scenery surrounding us.
 |
| Yep, that's me racing my niece and her friend at the end of the Piney Orchard Relay for Life 5K |
Maybe I'm naive, but I don't think that parents are maliciously sending these messages to their children. But kids are like little sponges; they soak up everything that we put out in the world. So why do we, as parents, want to put these ideas into their heads when the media is already doing their best to put them there. We should be helping them to live a healthy lifestyle, not one in which they are obsessed with how much they weigh or what size fits them.
I try my best to be a good example for my kids. I've even pushed myself to do things that I never thought were possible or that I never thought I'd do. And I've been trying harder than ever to be okay with who I am. In the past, I would cover up as much as possible at the gym or purposely use the treadmill or weights the furthest away from everyone else. I've had a change in the past couple months, because I'm just now starting to feel okay in my own skin. I haven't worried about which treadmill or weights I use and I've not worried about what people are going to think about the fact that I'm curvy.
I am who I am. I've got boobs and a butt. If I'm not careful about what I eat and I don't exercise, then I get a little extra padding. But you'll never hear me say that I'm fat or that I need to lose weight. I'm 5'3" and I have no idea how much I weigh because I don't weigh myself (haven't for years, doesn't matter to me). I want my kids to know that if YOU feel good and you are HEALTHY, then that is really what truly matters. Stop worrying about that the scale says and start thinking of your overall health. If there are things you don't love about yourself, then work to change those things in a healthy way. But stop criticizing yourself; there are enough other people who are happy to do that for you.
I have a friend who wrote a really good article today about a similar topic (she writes lots of good ones and takes beautiful photos) and I wanted to share it with her permission. In the spirit of the article, I wanted to share a photo. Now, I did post this photo to Facebook but I haven't been proud of it until now. Back in 2007, I ran the Army 10-miler. I signed up to do it in honor of my husband (boyfriend at the time) who was supposed to be deployed to Iraq at the time of the race. Well, as things usually go in the military, his timeline was shifted and he ended up actually being at the race. As I've mentioned before, I am not a runner so running 10 miles was a big deal for me. I used to look at this picture and think, "oh my gosh, why did I have to take my shirt off. I have a gut." But now, when I look at this photo, I'm proud of myself and what I accomplished. I had only ever run 10 miles once before on accident and I ran the Army 10 miler and didn't get picked up by the bus (my only goal). It was ridiculously hot out that day and a couple of the water stations had gone dry, plus my sister and I had the crazy idea to get the Gu paste, which basically made me want to throw up each time I tried to swallow the whole small pack. But I stuck it out, and I did it and I am forever proud that I did.
 |
| That's me in the purple sports bra finishing the race, looking all kinds of exhausted |
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