Friday, November 18, 2011

The SKINNY on being healthy

Too often people use terms like "skinny", "small", etc along with tons of numbers (meaning what the scale says) to describe their health not really knowing what it exactly means because everyone defines it differently, but somehow many people share the common thought that being skinny/small (whatever that is) and having a low number when you step on the scale makes you healthier. WRONG! I have met many people with a low number on the scale or what they deem low and they have been completely unhealthy compared to others with a larger number...This was yet another misconception I had to get around, which took me years to understand....I was so consumed for years with a certain number that I wanted to see when I stepped on the scale. First, it was totally a number that I had created in my head, no real rhyme or reason behind it, and nothing that lead me to that number. I remember doing all sorts of ridiculously unhealthy behaviors to TRY to achieve THAT number..Everything from a seriously restricted diet, to starving, to bingeing and purging, all combined with hours of exercise every day. And somehow I never got to that number. I remember being frustrated and feeling like a failure, not to mention being totally confused as to why I couldn't weigh that number. Now years later I understand why. My body, as everyones body has a comfortable weight. A weight in which your body can naturally maintain with minimal effort. Of course you fluctuate depending on multiple factors...Diet, activity, stress levels, among other things can all affect your weight. But the bottom line is everyone's body is different and my wish for everyone is to not get caught up in the scale, or a certain image that is not realistic for your body type. Instead focus on factors that truly determine your health such as energy levels, mood, blood pressure, cholesterol, your heart/cardiovascular health, and how strong your body is (physically and mentally), not a number on a scale or a poorly defined adjective that gets thrown around in society.

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