Last June I bought about $300 worth of bikinis from Victoria Secret without ever trying them on.
I would rather pull a rusty nail out of my foot than try on a bathing suit at a local store. (There aren't any swimsuit stores where I live anyway, but even if there were.) I'm not exactly a model. And I have a huge scar, so I've always avoided mirrors and half nakedness anyway. None of this is new.
The stupid part is that last June, and parts of May and July too, I was skipping meals. Maybe eating 700 or so calories a day, so I could drop 5 or 10 pounds and look my best in those overpriced bikinis.
No, I'm not a kid. I should be a lot smarter than this, but I'm not. Or I wasn't.
Those fabulous bikinis were destined for use in the Turks and Caicos islands. This was a trip I'd dreamt of doing. It's currently rated the 3rd most spectacular beach on earth (and always in the top 10) by travel magazines and web sites. I just wanted to look "Top 10" too. I had wanted to go to the Turks for soooo long, I just wanted everything to be perfect. Somehow, I lost my way. My brain took a leave of absence thinking if I was skinnier things would be happier.
And while I looked about as good as I could, without any sort of surgical enhancements or air brushing or trick lighting, what was the point? No point at all. No one loves me any more. I didn't win the lottery, become President, cure Cancer or anything. All I really did was waste some money on some little chunks of fabric. Some of those bikinis didn't even make the cut... they were left at home and never saw the ocean. Did I enjoy the trip with my family any more than I would have if I was my regular, healthy, life-long weight? No.
Oh, and I did one of those ridiculous spa wraps where they essentially wrap you in saran wrap and steam your water weight out of you so you "lose inches." Embarrassing and dumb. That was evident in the moment.
Am I any smarter now? I'd like to think so. It's a year later. I'm a little more comfortable in my own skin. I'm indulging in tea and ice cream whenever I feel like it rather than depriving myself for vanity sake. I'm even bold enough to write about it and share my stupidity. Learn from my mistake. Enjoy life on your own terms. I think "bikini money" would be better spent on nutritious groceries and family activities. Vanity has a price in our society and that price is too high.
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Monday, June 3, 2013
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Change the Input... Affect the Outcome?
Most of my days start with a coffee and some procrastination. Most nights end with tea and ice cream. There are some assorted vegetables, some protein and some water in between. If I remember (which was one of my goals for this year) there are a few vitamin tablets added, generally with the tea.
Most days I start sluggish. I'm not really a morning person, or so I've always said. What if I'm just starting off wrong? What if, I pounded a glass of orange juice before I even brush my teeth and wake up?
What if I woke up and ran screaming out my front door? I'm certain my dogs would chase me and we'd end up laughing and barking like lunatics before I got to the road. The adrenaline would flow, and there'd be no snooze button action, that's for sure. (Especially since the puppy is like a wild panther. She could outrun her shadow!)
So if I change the input, will the outcome change too? It sounds logical. Because if you do the same thing over and over and expect things to change aren't you just an idiot?
Most days I start sluggish. I'm not really a morning person, or so I've always said. What if I'm just starting off wrong? What if, I pounded a glass of orange juice before I even brush my teeth and wake up?
What if I woke up and ran screaming out my front door? I'm certain my dogs would chase me and we'd end up laughing and barking like lunatics before I got to the road. The adrenaline would flow, and there'd be no snooze button action, that's for sure. (Especially since the puppy is like a wild panther. She could outrun her shadow!)
So if I change the input, will the outcome change too? It sounds logical. Because if you do the same thing over and over and expect things to change aren't you just an idiot?
Monday, February 18, 2013
Fast Five: 5 Bucks for your health
Put down the bag of chips. Step away from the sugared drink. And try these five super foods next time you are shopping at the grocery store.
You can buy these for about $5:
1. A pint of blueberries, blackberries or raspberries. If they're on sale, you might get 2 pints!
2. Pomegranates. Typically, 2 or 3 for $5
3. Jug of cranberry or a cranberry blend juice.
4. Almonds. About 200 grams or so. Unsalted are best.
5. Citrus fruit: lemons (6) oranges (10) or grapefruits (5). Whether you eat them fresh, make a fruit salad, juice them or add slices to water they are great for your health. Vitamin C and so much more!
You can buy these for about $5:
1. A pint of blueberries, blackberries or raspberries. If they're on sale, you might get 2 pints!
2. Pomegranates. Typically, 2 or 3 for $5
3. Jug of cranberry or a cranberry blend juice.
4. Almonds. About 200 grams or so. Unsalted are best.
5. Citrus fruit: lemons (6) oranges (10) or grapefruits (5). Whether you eat them fresh, make a fruit salad, juice them or add slices to water they are great for your health. Vitamin C and so much more!
Your fragile health
It's 6 weeks into the new year. So, where are you on your own health?
The Heart and Stroke foundation has launched a new set of ads referring to your last 10 years. How will you live your last 10 years? With health, or using health care? I think they are the best ads I've seen in years, with regards to taking care of ourselves.
See them here: Heartandstroke.com
They also have helpful articles on signs of a stroke, prevention, health preservation.
February, is of course, Heart and Stroke Month. So this is a perfect time to tune in and to make the necessary changes to your lifestyle and diet in order that your last 10 years are as healthful and active as possible.
Heart and Stroke is of course dear to me, as my mother is a stroke survivor and continues to work at regaining mobility and independence. Emotionally and physically, there are many challenges.
I'm not asking you to donate, or to participate in any public way, my simple wish in this regard is that you to consider my request to invest in your own health. It could be a new pair of sneakers and a plan to walk more, or it could be doubling your fruit budget at the grocery store. Invest in your own health. It's so very important.
It's time that YOU and your health moved up on the priority list. No one is going to do it for you. Do it for yourself, please.
The Heart and Stroke foundation has launched a new set of ads referring to your last 10 years. How will you live your last 10 years? With health, or using health care? I think they are the best ads I've seen in years, with regards to taking care of ourselves.
See them here: Heartandstroke.com
They also have helpful articles on signs of a stroke, prevention, health preservation.
February, is of course, Heart and Stroke Month. So this is a perfect time to tune in and to make the necessary changes to your lifestyle and diet in order that your last 10 years are as healthful and active as possible.
Heart and Stroke is of course dear to me, as my mother is a stroke survivor and continues to work at regaining mobility and independence. Emotionally and physically, there are many challenges.
I'm not asking you to donate, or to participate in any public way, my simple wish in this regard is that you to consider my request to invest in your own health. It could be a new pair of sneakers and a plan to walk more, or it could be doubling your fruit budget at the grocery store. Invest in your own health. It's so very important.
It's time that YOU and your health moved up on the priority list. No one is going to do it for you. Do it for yourself, please.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
I Will Try Harder
Each January 1st people around the globe make resolutions. They start fresh, quit bad habits and try to make changes.
It frightens me at how intense the diet push is this time of year. It seems that every second TV commercial is regarding weight loss, or fitness. Now of course I understand marketing and timing... strike while the iron is hot, but still, I take offence to these messages capitalizing on people's personal insecurities. I do think that there are things that everyone can do to be more healthy. I support that fully. But emotional marketing and intense commercial pressure is what I object to.
I do my very best to only make promises I can keep. Not everything works out, but that's life. I try not to rationalize my way out of something that is difficult, but accept that things change and other things still are beyond your control. You can not control the actions of others, but only how YOU react to it.
In regards to New Year's Resolutions, I don't do anything formal or life changing. Instead I make vows to work harder and stick to the things I already believe in. As in... "I will try harder" because these acts are important to me and how I run my life.
Here's what I want to work on in 2013. I will try harder...
1) to make sure we (my family) take more vitamins and drink more water.
2) to keep walking and skating regularly.
3) focus more on quality rather than quantity.
4) give more compliments.
5) continue to support charities that support people, not corporations.
6) to purge the house and recycle as much as possible.
7) to sleep more.
8) to use what we have before we buy more. (groceries, gifts, shampoo etc)
9) to moisturize more.
10) to stress less.
Is there anything on your personal list? What will be important to you in 2013?
It frightens me at how intense the diet push is this time of year. It seems that every second TV commercial is regarding weight loss, or fitness. Now of course I understand marketing and timing... strike while the iron is hot, but still, I take offence to these messages capitalizing on people's personal insecurities. I do think that there are things that everyone can do to be more healthy. I support that fully. But emotional marketing and intense commercial pressure is what I object to.
I do my very best to only make promises I can keep. Not everything works out, but that's life. I try not to rationalize my way out of something that is difficult, but accept that things change and other things still are beyond your control. You can not control the actions of others, but only how YOU react to it.
In regards to New Year's Resolutions, I don't do anything formal or life changing. Instead I make vows to work harder and stick to the things I already believe in. As in... "I will try harder" because these acts are important to me and how I run my life.
Here's what I want to work on in 2013. I will try harder...
1) to make sure we (my family) take more vitamins and drink more water.
2) to keep walking and skating regularly.
3) focus more on quality rather than quantity.
4) give more compliments.
5) continue to support charities that support people, not corporations.
6) to purge the house and recycle as much as possible.
7) to sleep more.
8) to use what we have before we buy more. (groceries, gifts, shampoo etc)
9) to moisturize more.
10) to stress less.
Is there anything on your personal list? What will be important to you in 2013?
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Walk. Don't run.
The pace of things these days is incredible. Don't you feel like you live in your car? Isn't each day just a mad sequence of activities? Rushing here... rushing there. Do you ever feel like you are living on adrenaline and coffee? I know I do sometimes. Why is there never enough time?
If you were to slow down a bit, what would suffer? What would benefit? Would you feel more connected to your own life... to your own health...to your family?
I read a number of interesting blogs and writings on "The Perfect Day" just last week. The most interesting theme among the individual stories is that we are actually living, each and every day, very close to what people state as their perfect day.
Most people say that they would wake up early (not wanting to miss a moment of their perfect day) and go for a walk, walk the dog, or some kind of outdoor activity. Then, at a leisurely pace, have a healthy breakfast, spend time with a loved one (yeah, some people said sex - but not everyone) and then do something "completely normal" and in their own city. Visit a park, go to the beach, take the kids to the zoo, go to a movie, attend a play.... something like that.
Then they would spend more time with loved ones, have a long delicious meal (often prepared themselves) and a quiet evening at home. Rarely did people say... "go clubbing and have drinks spilled on me and jerks hit on me." (Odd, I thought everyone loved that? LOL)
Some people said they would go to work, or work from home (but typically half or a shortened day) and mostly focus on health, family and relaxation.
So, the way I see things is during your perfect day you set your own agenda, enjoy the company of your loved ones, eat, use your body in a healthy/active manner and just take things at a relaxed pace. Is that really all that far off from what you do now? Doesn't it sound like a Sunday? Maybe our perfect day is in reach... maybe all we actually have to do is slow down long enough to recognize it?
If you were to slow down a bit, what would suffer? What would benefit? Would you feel more connected to your own life... to your own health...to your family?
I read a number of interesting blogs and writings on "The Perfect Day" just last week. The most interesting theme among the individual stories is that we are actually living, each and every day, very close to what people state as their perfect day.
Most people say that they would wake up early (not wanting to miss a moment of their perfect day) and go for a walk, walk the dog, or some kind of outdoor activity. Then, at a leisurely pace, have a healthy breakfast, spend time with a loved one (yeah, some people said sex - but not everyone) and then do something "completely normal" and in their own city. Visit a park, go to the beach, take the kids to the zoo, go to a movie, attend a play.... something like that.
Then they would spend more time with loved ones, have a long delicious meal (often prepared themselves) and a quiet evening at home. Rarely did people say... "go clubbing and have drinks spilled on me and jerks hit on me." (Odd, I thought everyone loved that? LOL)
Some people said they would go to work, or work from home (but typically half or a shortened day) and mostly focus on health, family and relaxation.
So, the way I see things is during your perfect day you set your own agenda, enjoy the company of your loved ones, eat, use your body in a healthy/active manner and just take things at a relaxed pace. Is that really all that far off from what you do now? Doesn't it sound like a Sunday? Maybe our perfect day is in reach... maybe all we actually have to do is slow down long enough to recognize it?
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Most Read Column of 2011
I write because it's a part of me that I can't turn off. It's a significant part of who I am and who I have been almost all my life. Heck, I was even the high school newsletter editor back in the day!
Right now, I write just to express myself and maintain some brain function. Other parts of my life, I can run on autopilot at times. A lot of it, like laundry and dishes and packing lunches just doesn't challenge me. Ha Ha. Please Lord, don't let the washing machine break down just because I said laundry didn't challenge me! I value that machine more than you'll ever know.
I took a little look back at some of the columns I've blogged here. Some are worth re-reading. Some... at least the spelling and grammar are sound... for the most part.
Typically the blogs attract somewhere around 100 readers per column. And I rarely check this data. It's not a popularity contest and I'm not writing about politics or anything remotely controversial. But I do find it very interesting, and you might too, that the most well read piece I've written here is the one called Bacteria in your pillow . It was read about 5 times more and shared widely. It was also read by folks on pretty much every continent. So, that was interesting.
This of course should be a reminder to all of us to change our pillows. It's a new year. Get a new pillow!!!!! And, while you're at Superstore pillow shopping, grab new toothbrushes for the whole family and some Cold-FX. And, if you haven't taken your "at work" coffee cup home and run it through the dishwasher lately... it's time. Or maybe just chuck that bacteria infested germ factory out and use a new one. After all, when we wish each other good health in 2012 we should take action ourselves too.
Right now, I write just to express myself and maintain some brain function. Other parts of my life, I can run on autopilot at times. A lot of it, like laundry and dishes and packing lunches just doesn't challenge me. Ha Ha. Please Lord, don't let the washing machine break down just because I said laundry didn't challenge me! I value that machine more than you'll ever know.
I took a little look back at some of the columns I've blogged here. Some are worth re-reading. Some... at least the spelling and grammar are sound... for the most part.
Typically the blogs attract somewhere around 100 readers per column. And I rarely check this data. It's not a popularity contest and I'm not writing about politics or anything remotely controversial. But I do find it very interesting, and you might too, that the most well read piece I've written here is the one called Bacteria in your pillow . It was read about 5 times more and shared widely. It was also read by folks on pretty much every continent. So, that was interesting.
This of course should be a reminder to all of us to change our pillows. It's a new year. Get a new pillow!!!!! And, while you're at Superstore pillow shopping, grab new toothbrushes for the whole family and some Cold-FX. And, if you haven't taken your "at work" coffee cup home and run it through the dishwasher lately... it's time. Or maybe just chuck that bacteria infested germ factory out and use a new one. After all, when we wish each other good health in 2012 we should take action ourselves too.
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