Forget skinny. Get healthy.

Wow! It's seriously already Friday? This week snuck away from me! I've been working on this post a little everday. It's kind of a tough and touchy subject so I wanted to get it right, but this morning I'm posting it imperfections and all! I'm sorry it took so long. I hope I get the right message across.

I am so heartbroken over the obsession with being thin. Seriously broken in half. Some people are so consumed by what they weigh, that they put all of their time and more importantly thought into losing weight, counting calories etc. On the contrary, I love that now more than ever our world is realizing that taking care of our bodies is important. It's becoming easier and easier to find inspiration to excercise or eat right. I had an instructor in cosmetology school who her whole life had been very thin and people would comment on that to her all of the time. "You're so skinny." "Do you ever eat?" You know the drill, and she would get upset about it and she explained to us, you would not walk up to someone and make comments on how fat they are. Which is true, you wouldn't. What makes it okay to comment on how skinny someone is?

It's funny that we don't see it that way, isn't it? Because so many people spend so much time wanting to lose weight, longing to be skinny. For the people that are born that way, it isn't their choice.

If you watch the biggest loser obviously the show is about losing weight, but do you see it's so much more than that? They're not starving themselves to lose weight. They're eating healthy, they're working out. They're getting strong. They're feeling good and they're dropping lbs.

Either way. So many people are focussing on what they weigh. I think health is so important. Not losing weight. Being healthy. Being healthy is so much more important than being thin. Being thin does not show that you're healthy or inshape. It's not about numbers on the scale. Muscles weighs more than fat. Working out isn't just going to make you look good. It's going to make you feel good. I think that's what it's about. Feeling good. Being healthy. Eating right. Exercise. I am not perfect at this by any means but trying is so worth it. I can really tell the difference in the way I look, in the way I feel when I eat right and work out.

My biggest pieces of healthy advice are going to sound a little crazy, but they make sense.

1. Drink water. Such a clique right? Do it! Some people that drink soda or coffee a lot don't realize that they don't drink water ever! This is a big step in getting healthy. If you need to start small start by adding one glass a day and work up. Water is SO important.
2. Look for whole grains. Pass on anything enriched or bleached. Whole grains. Nom, nom, nom. Noodles, breads, bagels, the works. It may not be the best tasting at first, but that is because you're used to the unhealthy. Once you get used to whole grains you won't go back. Nothing will satisfy you the way they do.
3. Avoid anything lite. I know you think, to be healthy you need to be fat free and lite everything. Wrong. Fat is what makes you feel satisfied. With out it you're going to continue to feel hungry. You want fat in your diet.
4. Avoid anything diet. Look for sugar on the label. In lite and diet they take out the fat and the sugar and replace them with substitutes. You want the real thing.

If you don't work out for whatever reason challenge yourself to something simple. Start with 10 push ups a day. You think I'm joking right? Try it! 10 push ups once a day. You will realize you can make a difference with something so little. I promise. At first it will start to get easier. You will feel a difference and then you will see a difference. When it's easier to do more, add on. It's as simple as that. Do something! Start somewhere!

I think that everyone has a weight that is right for their body. That your body is always going to take you to. I think eating healthy is about understanding what your body is telling you and listening to it. I think you should eat what you're craving, with in reason. I think your body will comunicate with you what it needs, listen to that. If you feel like your body is always telling you that you need dessert. Eliminate dessert from your diet for 10 days. That's it, 10 days will break you of the habit of eating sweets if you're doing it out of habit with out realizing it.

Please remember. It takes time to get unhealthy. It takes time to form bad habits. It's going to take time to get healthy. It's going to take time to form good habits. Don't give up on you. You're going to feel a difference before you see a difference. You're going to see a change before your friends do. Your friends are going to see your transformation before others notice. It will take time. Keep going.

We love you. Please love yourself. Be happy with yourself.