This week fellow blogger and sister, Molly is discussing health and wellness. The challenge is to find what inspires you to be a better person. And I know you are all absolutely dying to know just what it is that makes me tick. So here it is...
Living a healthy lifestyle wasn't always important to me. Let's rewind all the way back to 3rd grade. I was a skinny, long-legged, athletic kid. A tomboy at heart, I was always active in sports, and like most kids, I just ate whatever I wanted! That year, I got involved in competitive dance (tap, jazz, ballet, etc.) which kind of took over my life (in a good way!). By 7th grade I was at the studio 6-7 days/week, plus got involved in school sports. As active as I was, though, my eating habits were atrocious! Balancing school, sports, and dance left me hungry, and I tried to fill that void with Little Debbie treats, sugar cereal, glass after glass of chocolate milk, Oreos, baked goods, and white bread galore. Yikes!
Add to that unhealthy diet the fact that I developed earlier than my peers, and I'll admit that I felt like I was overweight. I wasn't...but I was more what they refer to as "skinny fat." I knew I had to make a change.
So, I got a subscription to Fitness magazine. I started carrying a water bottle with me everywhere I went, I gave up soda, and started eating more salads. Little Debbie was banned from our house. Mom introduced wheat bread. And I began jogging our 2-mile neighborhood. The world of heath and fitness was open to me for the first time.
With each passing year of high school, I lost a little weight. I was learning more about fitness, and high school sports challenged me to push my body to its limit. By the time I reached my college graduation, I had lost almost 10 pounds from my 8th grade year. For a 5 foot 4 girl, every pound counts.
What I learned from the whole experience was this:
- Being healthy is not a number on the scale. When I replaced all that junk food with nutritious food, I felt better about myself and I had more energy.
- I can still have the sugary food I crave...IN MODERATION. Balanced with fruit, the occasional vegetable, and protein.
- God has given me the precious gift of health. I have two working legs and arms, a great set of lungs, and a healthy heart. I need to treat my body with respect with healthy food, exercise, and positive thinking.
So what inspires me? A desire to not go back to my old ways. Success stories in Fitness magazine. Pictures of other women who have achieved defined abs. Friends who work out consistently. And most importantly, every blessing God has given me that I don't intend to waste.
Keep dreaming, dreamers!
What inspires you to live a healthy lifestyle?
