No matter who we are, we all are faced with choices and challenges in our lives. It is inevitable. It has to happen. But what about the choices and challenges we make with ourselves and our bodies? Do we ever really stop and think about what choices we make are truly affecting how we feel physically and mentally?
I have done this many times, made choices that I hate myself for later on. It happens, it is part of life, but, I made those choices. Now the important thing is whether I learned from the choices I made. I can’t complain to others about the choices I make because I made them and if I continue to make the bad choices that I beat myself up for, I am the only one to blame. No one else did these things to me, I did.
Choices are huge in the way people eat. I might choose not to eat sweets or eat at fast food restaurants, but that doesn’t mean that someone else can’t choose to eat these things when they want. The key is moderation.
When it comes to being healthy and happy, you have to make choices and challenge yourself at the same time. It is never easy and probably never will be. Eating clean, exercising, getting rest, drinking plenty of water, going to the doctor and so on are all choices that we make (whether we choose to do them or not.)
The unfortunate thing about the choice in a healthy life style is many forget why they started in the first place. Most people, women especially, decide to get on an exercise and diet plan to lose those extra pesky pounds that they hate so much and that is just fine. However, they choose crash diets that work in the short-term, but not in the long-term. You can do the Slim Fast Diet, Atkins, HCG, Master Cleanse and so on, but is it a lifestyle that you can continue for the rest of your life? Honestly? Probably not and neither can your body.
Another thing to remember is being healthy or loosing weight and toning muscles isn’t a quick fix. It takes time and effort. People have become so lazy these days that they don’t want to do the work it takes to eat well and exercise. You have to really make the choice and change your habits and life style for the long-term or you are never going to succeed. You also need to be consistent and stick to a plan. You are not going to see the results you want if you don’t do all the necessary steps each and every day of every week, of every month and so on. One week on and 2 weeks off is going to get you no where.
The important thing about being healthy is obvious enough… exercise, rest, eat a well-balanced diet, drink lots of water. Is your health really worth risking a diet that leaves your body malnourished? This happens quickly when you deprive your body of certain foods (remember the food pyramid?) Often times when a person diets and they lose the weight (which ends up mostly being muscle if they only do the food part of the plan), they then go back to eating the way they did before and they gain back all the weight they lost and more. Your body is naturally programmed to store fat as a survival mechanism. It is going to save extra for the next time you decide to starve your body again.
I know some of you might be wondering why I am saying this since I am watching what I eat right now (but I still get in all my carbs,fats and protein daily) and working out like crazy but this is for a short-term goal. I am competing. Once I am done and I am in the off-season, I go back to my long term goal of eating a well balance of carbs, fats and protein. This life style that I have chosen is not for everyone and it is a challenge that I have given to myself.
If you are going to do an exercise and diet plan, and you are truly serious about it, do your research. Meet with a dietician/nutritionist who can help you find a well-balanced diet that will keep you at a healthy weight and keep you well nourished and work with a personal trainer who is specialized in designing an exercise program specifically for your body and your long-term goals and needs. Being healthy is also about being smart. If you learn how food is used in your body and why it is beneficial to exercise, the journey, though still challenging, will make more sense to you.
Lastly, I challenge all of you to learn to love who you are. Each person is special and unique. No one on the planet is exactly like you. Having confidence in yourself, no matter what you look like or what size of pants you wear is most crucial in a balanced healthy lifestyle. I am more likely to envy someone who carries themselves with grace and confidence and who likes who they are than a woman who is just thin. You can’t hate yourself if you take care of the body you were given, even if you aren’t as small as some other person next to you who has a totally different gene set than you. Let’s face it, if you don’t learn to love yourself, you will never be happy with who you are no matter what size and shape you are in.
So, try to make good choices from this day forward, live and learn from the choices you make, and challenge yourself to be the best YOU can be and do it for yourself and no one else. Love who you are and live gracefully through each day.
Karly~
Lives of the Fit & Perfectly Imperfect! 