New Motto? "Being Fit"

The media seems especially focused on being in shape. But do these fit ideals go to extremes?

The problem with exercise programs and healthy eating habits is that we often begin with the idea that we'll lose weight and when we don't shed the "extra pounds" as quickly as we thought we would, we get discouraged and return to our old bad habit of potato chips and television. I've told you before and I'll tell you again: weight loss is NOT a way to measure fitness or health. The mindset that being skinny is equivelent to being healthy is killing our society. This is the mindset that leads to self-destructive behavior such as overexcercizing, overindulging in food, or falling into an eating disorder.

I recently began an excercize program in order to train for a half marathon. Branching off of my new fitness craze, I decided to eat more fruits and vegetables in an effort to be healthy. I'm not going to lie to you, I had hoped that this would help me lose "fat." For two weeks straight I would weigh myself every day (on my Wii Fit) and cross my fingers for a lower BMI, even though I know that looking at ourself through body mass index isn't healthy or not accurate. About halfway through the third week of this I broke down. It's exhausting trying to be thin. It's exhausting to weigh yourself everyday. It's exhausting to judge your mood from your BMI. So I quit "cold-turkey" (I've always wanted to use that expression!). My new focus is on being healthy. I'm still going to eat pleanty of fruits and vegetables to sustain my body but a slice of cake isn't going to kill me. I'm changing my perspective on training for my half marathon from trying to be skinny and athletic to getting in shape again and feeling good about my body. Plus, how many high school students can say that they're going to run a half marathon?

It can be scary going to the gym for the first time, getting on one of those big machines, pressing all those fancy buttons and hoping that you don't pass out in the first five minutes. But you know what? Everyone was a beginner at some time or another. Healthy isn't defined by thinness, it's how active you are. That doesn't mean that we need to be running to every class or jogging to the grocery store, but maybe take a walk after dinner and try to do a cardio workout three times a week. Women who are uncomfortable in their bodies are more likely to become more sedentary and take less care of themselves as they age. It's important to be confident in your ability to complete a task. If you feel like you can't workout, start out small. Go mall walking, for all I care; just get your body moving! If you do want to go to a gym for the first time, I would suggest that you use an elliptical machine. They're fun and easy to use, plus you can change the difficulty level.

One of the biggest lies standing in the way of you and that elliptical machine is the "I'm too fat to exercise" idea. The media tries to sell us this perfect body image when there is no perfect body image. In other words, the "I'm too fat" speech is an effect of the media getting inside your head. So set a fitness goal. Say you want to be able to run a mile in under ten minutes. Or find an exercise that is fun for you such as yoga, dance classes, etc. Ninety percent of women are dissatisfied with their body; lets change that.

One last word of advice: don't strive for weight loss, strive for health. If we're living a healthy lifestyle, changes are sure to follow; but be sure that you're exercising and eating right for health.

Find your healthy way to live beautifully!