Podcasts

I heard about this podcast a few days ago and I've been listening to various episodes every day on my commute. The first episode I listened to was about weight loss. The woman in the interview has lost about 70 pounds without dieting or even 'diets in disguise', like portion control. I followed that one up with an interview with Elyse Resch, co-author of 'Intuitive Eating'. Now I've moved on to other topics, and so far they've all been good.

If you aren't sure what is meant by Intuitive Eating, or how it's possible to lose weight without dieting, I highly recommend these podcasts. You can find them on the website 'How She Really Does It'

Happy listening.


 

'Mean Eyes'

I saw this post recently and wanted to share.

'.....How confusing it must have been to have me say to them [my daughters], "You think I am beautiful, but you are wrong. You are small and you love me, so you're not smart enough to know how unattractive I am. I know I am ugly because I see myself with mean eyes. You are my child and I love you, but I will not allow myself to be pretty, for you. No matter how shining you are when you watch me brushing my hair and pulling my dress over my head. No matter how much you want to be just like me, I can't be beautiful for you and I don't know why.".....
http://offbeatmama.com/2012/11/telling-daughters-im-beautiful

That very day I had heard a woman speak of herself in mean words. Words she would never say to a friend. Words that took my breath away.

How many women see themselves with 'mean eyes'?

How few women don't?

The Least I Can Do for Me

I mentioned a few months ago that my life had undergone a major change. I made a career change that has thrown my professional and personal life into...well, not exactly chaos. But close. Months later  I'm adapting to it, but it's still taking up most of my time and energy.

One of the things that has changed though is the food landscape. Before this happened I lived in a pretty self-contained world. I didn't get out around other people much, especially at meal times. Now I am with people all day long. Lovely, wonderful, (honestly) generous people. And of course, there is a lot of food.

I have found myself eating food I don't want. Sometimes even food I don't enjoy. But worse than that, I have been eating food that makes me feel unwell. I can live with sometimes eating the don't want/enjoy food, but food that makes me feel ill, just to be 'polite'?

Most of the time, I don't want anything, so I don't eat it. Occasionally, however, I do. Usually nothing happens, but a few times I've begun to feel ill shortly afterwards. A few days ago it happened again. It got me thinking how whatever I ate was totally not worth how lousy I felt.

It's time to stop allowing food I don't even enjoy to interfere with something as important as my health and well-being. It's what I would do for someone else. It's the least I can do for myself.

Assumptions

Do you ever get tired of people making assumptions about you? I know I do. People take one look at me and decide what kind of life they think I lead.

Obviously I 'don't exercise'. Right? a) No one who exercises stays overweight and b) everyone who is thin, exercises. Only problem is, that's wrong. I know plenty of people who take up running thinking they'll lose weight, but they don't. They're always training for a Tough Mudder or a half marathon, or some other event. They do quite well, but they never get thin. I also know plenty of very thin people who hardly move off their behinds.

I fall somewhere in between the Tough Mudder and the couch potato. I am on my feet most of my work day and run up and down the stairs several times a day. I lift weights a couple of times a week, take long walks on mountain trails, and shorter walks close to home. I also like gardening -  and all the digging, raking, hoeing, clipping and sawing that comes with it. For fun I like to skate, swim and play tennis. 

Yeah. I really should start 'exercising'.