Hey everyone!
I know it has been a while since the last Healthy Habit and I apologize for that! I've had so much going on with traveling, my business and things going on in my personal life. It never quite felt like the right time to make a video, but today I felt inspired to bring you the next habit on your journey to better health.
Most of the habits so far have focused on nutrition, and that is because a fit, healthy body is 80% what you put in your mouth. Now it is time to start moving your body. I want you to start making exercise a priority in your life if it isn't already. I want you to find an activity you love to do and do it consistently! Consistency is the name of the game here, folks. You could work your tush off for a month, and then slip up, not work out for a month and all of your progress would be lost. I don't want you to put in all that energy for nothing! Stay consistent! Even if it is only a quick 10 minute workout, MOVE! I know life can get in the way. We all get busy. There will be days when we just can't work out. That's okay. Don't beat yourself up about it. It happens. We're in it to win it, for life, and one day off won't kill us. Two days off might hurt. You'll start to feel sluggish and beat yourself up. But even two days off is okay.
I personally do my very best not to let three days go by without moving my body in some way. A perfect week for me would be exercising Monday through Friday, and taking the weekend off to rest and recover, and maybe just do something light and fun. Those recovery days are just as important as the days you work out, if not more so. Those are the days your muscles repair and build themselves up. The rest days give you results.
All I'm saying, is PLAN your rest days instead of being a victim of them because of your schedule, your broken down car, the babysitter cancelling, or whatever other reason pops up to prevent your workout. In the video, I also go on a bit of a rant about body image.
Lately, as I've struggled with my own "last ten pounds," I've come to the conclusion that perhaps we shouldn't stress on those last few pounds as much as we do. I have a little sumthin sumthin hanging onto my hips, but you know what? It is NATURAL for our bodies to hang onto those last few pounds! Our evolutionary history has taught our bodies to keep a little fat in case of famine or a harsh winter. Those pounds are there to protect us! And to be perfectly honest, when I get much smaller than I do now, I just don't feel as good, or as healthy. I've read quite a few articles from fitness models and figure competitors lately about how unrealistic it is to keep their "perfect body" all year round. They have to severely restrict their diet to end up on that magazine cover, and that restriction can lead to all kinds of health problems, from poor digestion, loss of their period, not to mention the dry/brittle hair, skin and nails. And even then, they get Photoshopped!
We live in a Photoshop world, where the idea of beauty has been severely distorted. I posted a picture recently on my facebook of a model and how she was Photoshopped to be on the cover of a magazine. Her cellulite (yes, she had cellulite--it's NORMAL) was smoothed out, a hip roll was removed and she was made to look like a plastic Barbie. She looked beautiful before, and they distorted her image to something ridiculously unattainable. And this is what they tell us we need to look like.
Well, I for one am DONE with this fake body image nonsense. I love my body exactly how it is. And I vow, right here and now, to focus on how my body feels and what my body can do, instead of how I look. Looking amazing will be a natural by-product of eating delicious, nutritious foods and moving by body daily. I don't need to worry about it. If I'm consistent, my body will become the best it can be. My body will feel energetic and light and strong. I will be able to lift myself up, touch my toes, run fast and far--and look great doing it.
I challenge you to change the way you think about your body. Ditch the Photoshop mentality and be easier on yourself. Accept that the idea of beauty changes with the decade. One decade, curvy is on, the next it is skinny. Accept that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder and what is beautiful to one isn't to another. Accept YOUR body as it was created. Accept the little bit of fat that nature gives us for protection. Eat well. Move your body. Love your body. The rest will fall into place.
Much love to you all! Find me on my facebook and tell me how you are moving your body this week!
Monica
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