Some things I don’t skimp on, and I don’t think you should either:
I guess in my 41st year I’m acknowledging that I’ve been working since I was 11 years old, so if organic apples cost $6 instead of the $3 for heavily sprayed ones, I’m going for the organic variety.
You know how your mom’s old purses are so old that they’re trendy again? I have some shoes I just know will have a second life one day. So I’ve been thinking this concept could pertain to old ideas you’ve had as well. We search and search for new theories and motivation, when sometimes it might do us just as well to look back at our old things and ways to get trendy new inspiration.
Old dusty cookbooks you never open anymore—they used to be your favorites, so check out what you used to make. For us, the cookbooks have evolved from “10-Minutes Meals” to “101 Vegetarian Meals” to “Quick-Fix Vegan.” But once in a while we’ll crack open an old one and find a recipe we used to love—back when our spice rack held dried oregano, dried basil, and garlic salt (and that’s it)—and we’ll dress it up, make it vegan, and see if it’s our taste buds that have changed or our taste for fancier cooking.
You are dissatisfied in some way by your body. I get it. If you train with me, it is now my problem, too. But it is NOT my fault.
Here is something you should never say to a (good) trainer: (Said with ‘tude) I don’t know, you tell me. You’re the trainer.
I just read an article in O magazine that suggests that a brownie at breakfast might help you lose weight. I’m thinking: really? That sounds like brilliant advice to give people who struggle with weight loss. Start the day off with 400 extra calories. Really?
This is not a review of O magazine. If it were I would have LOTS to say about the heavy cream that is an ingredient of almost every recipe they share. This is just me wondering, could that really work? Eat sweets at breakfast to stave off cravings the rest of the day? And is it worth it to try it?
My baby is 6 today. Six! My baby! I remember the day we brought her home from the hospital SO VIVIDLY. And yet…
The other day when her 2-year-old brother was begging for a granola-type bar right before dinner, Bella said, “Mommy. I have to tell you something. It’s a secret, so lean down close to me.” I leaned down. She said, “I think when these bars are gone, we shouldn’t buy bars anymore.” I said, “Really? Won’t you miss eating them?” She nodded. But that was okay with her. Because she wants her brother to have better eating habits. At 6, she already says things like, “I think I need to take a break from sugar tomorrow.” And when tomorrow comes and she asks for dessert and I remind her what she said, she ACTUALLY SAYS “OH YEAH” AND DOESN’T EAT DESSERT.
I am Fit: And No One Is More Surprised Than Me
By Susan Cooper
Growing up, I was never very physically active. I didn’t like sports and considered myself to be generally goofy, uncoordinated and terrible at anything physical. In fact, I was thrilled when a bad concussion in 9th grade got me out of taking PE for a whole year. Really. A serious head injury was preferable to me over physical activity. As an adult I tried to get in shape to keep the pounds off but didn’t really know what to do other than walking and playing around with the machines at the gym. I was prone to muscle strains and had frequent back, neck and knee pain.
I will never forget the first week of 2009 when I threw out my back so badly that I couldn’t get out of bed for a week. Standing and sitting up were excruciating and all I could do was lie flat on my back and take muscle relaxers. It sucked. My orthopedist told me that my problem was that I was actually too flexible with no core strength to support my spine and joints and keep my muscles from overextending. If I wanted to stop straining my back, I needed to get in much better shape and build muscle. He recommended pilates, strength training and more cardio.
Have you ever said, when thinking about taking weight off, “I think I should get my thyroid checked out”? Are you smiling to yourself right now because you SO have?
You know when you’re feeling something that’s not normal but you can’t pinpoint what’s wrong, so you go to the doctor and actually feel relief when you find out that something really is amiss, and that this little pill will make it better? It’s so much better than walking around wondering if you’re imagining things, or worse, feeling the abnormal thing but not knowing how to fix it. We like to FIX things. And our weight problems need to be fixed. Unfortunately, weight problems can’t be fixed (safely) with a pill—the only magic tricks are patience and discipline. Imagine if the flu could only be cured by patience and discipline. Holy cow, this would be one sick country.
Don’t be a slouch. You there, sitting at your computer with your shoulders slumped, one hand on the mouse, your head jutting forward to better see your screen. Sit up straight.
Posture isn’t just about how you look—though ever walk by a window and catch your slumped reflection? Not hot. Your stature is who you are. Your body is you, and it’s your advertisement for you, the person you present to the world. Posture is one element in your body’s whole grand scheme.
Do you ever sit down to eat dinner and say, “Wow. I think this is the first time I’ve sat down all day!” I do. It can’t be true, but it sure does feel like it sometimes. It is so easy to get caught up in the grind of life—running the kids around, getting some work done, picking up milk at the store, cooking if you’re lucky, more work, emails—to the point that you may have lost touch with your friends, family, or even yourself. If you are someone who says, “I don’t have time to exercise,” this might be describing you.
You might be busy, but are you happy? Think about that for a second. Are you making time for you to be happy? Sometimes when we are too busy, we overlook our own needs; a basic example is how you might be so focused on the presentation you’re writing that you put off getting up to use the bathroom for an hour or more. Caught you, huh? If you neglect yourself, you won’t be able to be the best you you can be.
I’ve been thinking about my face lately. I can’t seem to avoid doing so, since I read an article about face transplants in The New Yorker and then literally a day later read a chapter in Women Food and God in which the face issue reappeared. Who am I without my face? If my face were to suffer a terrible allergic reaction and be covered with boils, would I be the same person? To myself, surely—my soul is my soul. But to others? Would my words be as convincing?
What if you were a different size? Do you feel like you are who you arebecause you’re a size 12? Would people take you more seriously if you were a size 8? Do you think they would? I guess I’m hung up on the topic of digging to the root of your overweight issues because I think it’s that important. If you identify yourself with your yo-yoing weight or your diet of the moment, I truly fear you won’t ever succeed in keeping the weight off. You’re just too connected to yourself as “person on a quest for a new and better body.” Will that new body, when finally achieved, bring you all the happiness and bliss you imagine? Not a chance. Not if you don’t address the issues that made you fat in the first place.
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