Saturday, September 29, 2007

Love Your Body Day

Love Your Body Day is October 18, 2007. Its an annual event sponsored by NOW. Its a shame that in 2007 we have to have a day to celebrate this. I need this event. I have to reconcile who I am with how society sees me. Maybe I am hypersensitive because I am fat. Fat people are the last group its ok to make fun of and even though I am not morbidly obese, I am sensitive to it. I know that people stare at me in the mall, or wherever. I know also that when I am eating out, people do look at what I am eating. Most of the time now, I am eating a protein bar and water in the mall. Or a salad or fruit. I limit my soda consumption, and actually prefer water. But I know that people do stare, whether they mean to or not.
So, NOW is sponsoring Love Your Body Day.
I know that I am sensitive about size. I am not happy with how I feel at my current size. Like I said, I am about 25 lbs overweight. My cholesterol is good, my blood pressure is low. I do not have high blood sugar. A few years ago, this was not the case. Three years ago, I was 25 lbs heavier than I am now. My triglycerides were through the roof (normal is 150, mine were 444). I had elevated blood sugar, my cholesterol levels were extremely unhealthy. I was constantly exhausted. I could not get motivated to do anything.
What changed? My doctor told me that I was a heart attack waiting to happen. It no longer was about weight loss, it was about getting healthy. It was about lowering my numbers. It was about getting my act together. I started walking, with the dog and on the treadmill. I did a 3 mile walk for breast cancer this past May. I started drinking more water. I changed my eating habits. More fiber, less fat. I started doing yoga regularly again. I began to meditate again.
When I became Little Man's mom, all of this fell away. I stopped all of this and began eating poorly again. I gained weight. I felt sluggish and exhausted all the time. I just couldn't get it together and was foggy. It wasn't mommy fog, it was fat infiltrating my brain.
Once I switched back to eating better and exercising, I instantly felt renewed, enlightened. My mood lifted. My energy returned. And I am a much better person.
Back to the topic at hand, love your body day is coming up. I know that I am going to work on doing things to show that I do love myself, and that I am worth loving. I am worth the time everyday to work out, eat right and be healthy. I deserve my yoga and meditation. I deserve happiness and bliss.

No comments: