My Quest is taking me in a new direction...

I've been thinking about this for a while, and recently read something that has me giving this Quest of mine some serious thought. What are we measuring ourselves against? Who says that I need to wear a size 2? What's wrong with wearing a size 6? Or a size 8? Or a size 12, for that matter? I mean, really, life is short, and as long as I'm eating healthy and clean, and exercising regularly, then why am I pushing myself to do more? Why not just live each day the best that I can?

A friend of mine writes has been writing a column for a local newspaper for the last few years; a chronicle of sorts, based on her struggles with weight-loss (http://www.montrealgazette.com/columnists/june_thompson.html), and in her last column she asked for some input from local personal trainers.... input on what their philosophies were on diet and exercise. Now, the two of us have had quite a few conversations about life in general, but this was a bit different. I had to ask myself "what ARE my philosophies on diet and exercise?"

I'm a certified trainer, so you would think that I would have very strong opinions on exercise and be pushing everyone I know to hop on the exercise bandwagon. And I believe in eating a variety of good, healthy foods (which is pretty much how I was brought up, although healthy then and healthy now are not exactly the same... but my parents didn't feed us junk, that's for sure!) so you would also think that I would be shoving my diet beliefs down everyone's throat. But I don't, or at least I don't think I do. But here I was, being asked (sort of) to put in my two cents, and explain what my philosophy was. I suddenly realized that I needed a philosophy. Not just because I wanted to send her a little something (and maybe get mentioned in a future column...), but for myself. I needed to be able to explain what it was that I believed in. And I had better make sure that it was a philosophy that I could live by, that I DID live by. Something that wasn't just a whim. But also something that didn't sound like I was preaching, because I never want to come across as if I'm preaching. So I thought about it, and I sent my friend an email... and here is a bit of an excerpt from it:

Okay, ........ I had to put in my two cents and take you up on your invite to send you my philosophies on diet and exercise. First... DIET! I really do believe that there are no rules - you can have your cake and eat it too - but how often you have that cake does make a difference.... .... Looking up the definition, I liked the first one I found... diet: "The usual food and drink of a person or animal". As a certified personal trainer, I am trained to put exercise programs together for my clients based on their goals... But I am not certified as a nutritionist, so when it comes to questions about food intake, I tell my clients to use common sense when it comes to eating - eat a variety of wholesome foods and stay away (as much as possible) from processed foods. Now comes the difficult part... how do you know what is wholesome and what isn't? The way that food companies label their products, it's hard to determine whether or not you are making the right choices. That's when it's up to the individual to take some responsibility for their own health and educate themselves on what healthy eating is. I suggest that they make an appointment with a proper nutritionist, read books on nutrition, and then, once they have the knowledge, they will be able stock the pantry and fridge with healthy foods. But what I do urge them to do is to eat!! Too many people I know (those wanting to lose weight AND those who don't) never seem to eat. They skip breakfast, they don't plan healthy snacks, they buy their lunch every day (sometimes not until quite late in the afternoon) and rush through a quicky dinner so that they can get to the arena, or to a class, or even just to bed ('cause they're exhausted from their day -- well, no wonder! They were running on empty!!) But their argument is that they are not hungry, that they feel fine, etc., etc. They are so used to feeling the way they do that they don't realize how much better they would feel if they actually paid attention to what (and when!) they eat. Of course, it takes time to prepare healthy meals (and snacks) but it's worth it. As for EXERCISE, again, there are no rules. We all need to be active. If you don't use it, you'll lose it. As we get older (and we all do, no matter how much we try to fight it), we want to stay as strong and healthy as possible. But that doesn't mean that everyone needs to take out a gym membership, take up running, or buy expensive exercise equipment. What it does mean is that we need to move! Find out what you enjoy (maybe it is running, maybe you get a kick out of power-lifting, or maybe you just enjoy an early morning brisk walk and spending time weeding your garden). Moving, bending, reaching -- these are the activities you want to be able to continue to do for as long as possible. I enjoy the rush I get when I complete a run, or get through three circuits of strength-training, but not everyone does. (I also enjoy brussel sprouts, but that doesn't mean that my husband has to eat them.) Try different forms of activity (or exercise), education yourself on what healthy eating consists of, experiment with different foods, have that piece of cake on your birthday, and enjoy life. It's too short to waste. On that note, it's time for my healthy morning snack :-D Have a great day, L

So now, with my philosophy in hand, I am going to continue to just do what I do. And live life. And make plans for that beach vacation. AND go bikini shopping, even if I don't end up losing that extra 5-10 lbs that I think I need to lose. Because, really, what difference is that 5 or 10lbs going to make in the long run? ii think my philosophy is a good one, no matter what size bikini I buy.