But I’ve also bulked up in
muscle. Here’s a photo of me flexing (or “sucking it in” as some may say)…
And here’s another…
I worked hard for that seven
pounds, but I know I could’ve worked harder. I got off track several times and
when I was off track, I was off track for a while. I would go a whole week or
two without running.
Since I was a member of the
Choose 2 Lose Committee (a subcommittee of Asbury Heights' Wellness Committee),
I had the luxury of talking with many of the participants. Everyone was eager
to lose weight. Some people wouldn’t eat lunch until they weighed in. A few
others wouldn’t eat anything all day. And while it was nice to see everyone so
focused on losing weight, it was a bit unsettling to hear what people were
doing to get there. And honestly, many of the participants were at a healthy
weight to begin with. Why were they so desperate to lose more?
We’ve all heard it before: Society puts pressure on everyone to be slim
and attractive. Blah, blah, blah. Well,
what’s society? A group of people, right? Why can’t we (the people) settle for
healthy? Why the hell are we so obsessed with being “magazine cover hot”?
Lindsey Smith had it right a few
days ago…
It's not about being skinny, it's about being healthy.
— Lindsey Smith (@LindseySmithHHC) May 6, 2013
She’s spot on. Choose 2 Lose was
about getting healthy, not starving for the grand prize or that skinny summer
body. Heck, maybe the committee wasn’t that clear… and maybe I was starting to
fall into that trap too.
Seven pounds is fine. I’m happy
with that. I’m living a healthy life and I’m happy with my body. Like anything
else, the body needs maintenance. Exercising regularly and not eating a lot of
junk is what it takes. That’s basically what I’ve discovered these last 12
weeks. And yes, I still eat junk food but less of it.
