I've been trying to decide whether to throw my two cents in on the health/blog debate that has sprung up recently, thanks to an article by Marie Claire.
And I guess I'll say a few things, but with the disclaimer that I think everyone's journey/beliefs on health are their own. While I'm sure there are some unhealthy obsessions out there, there are also many people just striving to lead healthy lives.
Also, I haven't read a lot of the blogs that were named in the article.
Before I get into my own beliefs a little, I also wanted to point out that Marie Claire has a virtual weight loss tool. You can enter your own picture (which I did) and see what you would like if you lost weight. For me the suggested weight loss range went all the way down to 53 lbs. lighter.
I'm not sure that really strikes me as healthy.
That said, I am not nor have I ever been a skinny, slender, thin girl. I say that based on real measures, such as BMI.
I'm not calling myself fat. I was above average on BMI even when I played 3 sports in high school and when I played basketball in college.
For me, weight is just one way to track how healthy I am. And that is what is really important for me, being healty.
Recently, my cholesterol dropped back down to healthy levels. I have had high cholesterol since early in college, it's partially genetic for me, and I have it under control again. Even with my love of cheese.
I'm not saying weight doesn't matter or mean anything, but it shouldn't mean everything.
I am the same person whether I am overweight or underweight, whether I fit into my clothes from high school or I have to go buy bigger pants.
I want to take care of and honor my body. Eat right (mostly), exercise somewhat regularly, stop comparing myself to others.
I want to be healthy so I can live a full, long life.
I'm all for health/fitness type blogs, even if that's not really my focus as I'm a little more all over the place than that, but as women we need to think about how we view, talk about and treat our bodies.
Let's be healthy together.
Totally agree- weight means very little to me. Everyone's built differently, so something like 150 pounds can look very different on everyone!
ReplyDeleteFor me, it's just a range to keep me in check from time to time. I don't really like talking about it because I don't find it important. "Healthy" should definitely be the goal.
i'm totally in agreeance with your viewpoint. and i had no idea this was going on! must go check out the marie claire thing..
ReplyDeleteHaven't read the marie claire thing. Headed there now. But, I agree. Weight is just ONE WAY to measure health. I've been thin all my life, but that doesn't mean my heart has been healthy. Just because I have a high metabolism doesn't mean I'm healthy, you know??
ReplyDeleteLet's!
ReplyDeleteWeight is only one factor, though it is a factor. I find the most interesting measure of health being your body fat and muscle percentage. Of course that doesn't take into account things like cholesterol levels. It's definitely a mix of important numbers (but it does come down to numbers). I just got my cholesterol levels checked (haven't heard back yet though) for the first time ever. And high cholesterol is genetic in my family...we'll see!