I know I've talked about my relationship with my weight in the past, but I really think it's quite an issue for most women and men. I believe that the quality of your heart, who you are as a person is the most important thing. How we treat each other, animals and our planet show everyone who we are as a person. We really shouldn't be judging a person on their looks, their style or their size but the fact is that we do respond to first appearances. I have had friends in the past that when we first met we did not get along at all, but when you take the time to get to know someone they can actually be more similar to you than outward appearances would lead you to believe.
You can be the most beautiful and stylish person outwardly but on the inside you are rotten through and through. There's a great book by Oscar Wilde called The Picture of Dorian Gray, which has been adapted into film on more than one occasion. It's about a vain young man who believed that beauty and sensual fulfilment where the only things worth pursuing in life. He sold his soul to ensure that his outward beauty would never fade, all whilst the portrait of himself ages and shows his every sin. I was fascinated by this film as a young teenager and the very idea has stayed with me since. And sadly I have met a few people in my time whom I consider to have a Dorian Gray attitude towards life.
So there are much worse things than being fat...
But...
If we are talking being seriously over weight, no matter how kind hearted you are, it's an issue. Health wise we need to monitor our weight. So that is the main reason I worry about my weight. For all I'm not obese I have a couple of issues that this slight weight gain and lack of exercise have caused, and I need to face them head on and resolve them. Ofcourse I'm vain enough to want to look and feel nice. Most of us are. But my most important factor is that I want to be healthy and to do this I need to lose a few kilos.
I'm not naturally inclined to be sporty. I hated PE in school, I felt threatened and defenceless. I was the chubby one who had no natural sporting ability that no one wanted on their team; I was always the last to be picked which is a horrible feeling. I can still remember my PE lessons with dread, and cross country still makes me quake. But as a young mum I started to walk everywhere, and I'd do step classes twice a week. We had home cooked meals 6-7 nights a week. I baked with my children. I wanted to instil upon them the importance of a healthy lifestyle. I was never neurotic about it but we didn't have much junk food. No crisps or biscuits in the house when they were younger; plenty of fresh fruit, although I could never persuade them to like vegetables! The idea of eating your five a day is brilliant and easy enough to follow with juices, smoothies and soup. Three to four times per week I make soup from scratch, always vegetable using organic stock cubes. All I do is boil whichever green vegetables I've decided upon that day in a litre of stock, then blitz it before serving. I might add chilli powder or Mediterranean spices but otherwise it's the most simplistic soup possible and it's really good!
Exercise and keeping fit should be a part of our weekly routine and encouraging young children to enjoy keeping fit is very important. 30 minutes of cardio each day has massive health benefits. Use the stairs instead of the lift. Walk instead of taking the car whenever possible. Get a dog then you are enforced to do a 30 minute walk twice a day and who doesn't want a puppy!! But all this is easier said than done in these days of frantic living. I wish schools did more fun things during PE. I would have loved aerobics or dance classes, Zumba and step but instead it was rounders and netball, hockey and tennis. Sports that show up the lack of athletic ability in the majority of children and just leave them hating their sports lessons.
So yes, there are worse things than being fat but we do need to be healthy too. There's a balance. Life is too short to lose the pleasure of a great meal, the taste of a glass of wine, homemade Victoria sponge and pizza. So eat the food you enjoy within moderation, drink within moderation and exercise within moderation. I try to be exceptionally healthy during the week so that I can enjoy my weekends. It's a balance.
Eat, drink and be merry but work off those calories at every given opportunity. Right I'm off for a swim and hopefully burn off a few more calories. Rome wasn't built in a day.
You can be the most beautiful and stylish person outwardly but on the inside you are rotten through and through. There's a great book by Oscar Wilde called The Picture of Dorian Gray, which has been adapted into film on more than one occasion. It's about a vain young man who believed that beauty and sensual fulfilment where the only things worth pursuing in life. He sold his soul to ensure that his outward beauty would never fade, all whilst the portrait of himself ages and shows his every sin. I was fascinated by this film as a young teenager and the very idea has stayed with me since. And sadly I have met a few people in my time whom I consider to have a Dorian Gray attitude towards life.
So there are much worse things than being fat...
But...
If we are talking being seriously over weight, no matter how kind hearted you are, it's an issue. Health wise we need to monitor our weight. So that is the main reason I worry about my weight. For all I'm not obese I have a couple of issues that this slight weight gain and lack of exercise have caused, and I need to face them head on and resolve them. Ofcourse I'm vain enough to want to look and feel nice. Most of us are. But my most important factor is that I want to be healthy and to do this I need to lose a few kilos.
I'm not naturally inclined to be sporty. I hated PE in school, I felt threatened and defenceless. I was the chubby one who had no natural sporting ability that no one wanted on their team; I was always the last to be picked which is a horrible feeling. I can still remember my PE lessons with dread, and cross country still makes me quake. But as a young mum I started to walk everywhere, and I'd do step classes twice a week. We had home cooked meals 6-7 nights a week. I baked with my children. I wanted to instil upon them the importance of a healthy lifestyle. I was never neurotic about it but we didn't have much junk food. No crisps or biscuits in the house when they were younger; plenty of fresh fruit, although I could never persuade them to like vegetables! The idea of eating your five a day is brilliant and easy enough to follow with juices, smoothies and soup. Three to four times per week I make soup from scratch, always vegetable using organic stock cubes. All I do is boil whichever green vegetables I've decided upon that day in a litre of stock, then blitz it before serving. I might add chilli powder or Mediterranean spices but otherwise it's the most simplistic soup possible and it's really good!
Exercise and keeping fit should be a part of our weekly routine and encouraging young children to enjoy keeping fit is very important. 30 minutes of cardio each day has massive health benefits. Use the stairs instead of the lift. Walk instead of taking the car whenever possible. Get a dog then you are enforced to do a 30 minute walk twice a day and who doesn't want a puppy!! But all this is easier said than done in these days of frantic living. I wish schools did more fun things during PE. I would have loved aerobics or dance classes, Zumba and step but instead it was rounders and netball, hockey and tennis. Sports that show up the lack of athletic ability in the majority of children and just leave them hating their sports lessons.
So yes, there are worse things than being fat but we do need to be healthy too. There's a balance. Life is too short to lose the pleasure of a great meal, the taste of a glass of wine, homemade Victoria sponge and pizza. So eat the food you enjoy within moderation, drink within moderation and exercise within moderation. I try to be exceptionally healthy during the week so that I can enjoy my weekends. It's a balance.
Eat, drink and be merry but work off those calories at every given opportunity. Right I'm off for a swim and hopefully burn off a few more calories. Rome wasn't built in a day.