Wednesday, February 1, 2012

As a mother of a daughter



It's Wednesday. Time to Pour My Heart Out. If you've never been over to Shell's place today is the perfect day to go. It's so pretty and fresh over there. She's got a new look -- but peeps are still pouring their hearts out aplenty!

And I've been thinking about this post for a few days on and off. And now I'm here and I am trying to figure out what to say next. Oy.


So, if you read me regularly, I have been posting health and wellness updates on Sundays. I'm trying to make myself a healthier me. More fit. More aware. More alive.


And I love it. I do. I went through a "sad" week when on Sunday the scale didn't move, but I do try to feel that the scale doesn't matter that much.


And yet sometimes, well, it just DOES.


I'm OK, I promise. I will still keep at it. I'm still working out. Paying attention to my intake. But where does one draw the line?


The other night we went to Applebee's for dinner. Now, yes, they do have loads of WW meals there that convert to points. Of course, I don't like any of them. Shrimp? Never. Lime chicken? No thanks, not a fan. Whatever else wasn't what I wanted and I honestly wanted a SALAD. Of course, salads are good for you when there isn't fried stuff on them and not pound upon pound of dressing. So I ordered one with dressing on the side and it showed up ON the plate. O'course. I sent it back. No problems.


But here's the thing. The way I picked my dinner was by looking at my phone and my LoseIt app. Is that normal? Is that the way to go and choose your meal? My husband was going to toss the phone and never give it back.


I went to dinner with a friend last night at Panera, and she pointed out that the menu on the wall had the calorie info. Excellent. I didn't have to stare at my phone for 15-20 minutes to figure out what to eat!


But - you know - I try to eat healthy and yet there are things I like to eat. So what's a girl to do?

On top of all of that, what sort of example do I want to set for my child? I want to eat healthy, I want to teach her to do so, but sometimes she just wants chicken fingers and fries. And you know what? She ended up eating 2 mozzarella sticks and that was her dinner. Is that OK? It should be - right? She's only FOUR.

I don't want to stress my emotional eating or thoughts about weight onto my daughter. I don't want that to be a part of her life, but as a young girl it's sure to turn into that for her no matter how hard I try. Sigh. That sucks, doesn't it?

Anyway - I'll work to get myself on track. Teach her the fun of working out - which she is honestly already learning - and hope she sticks to my good and healthy habits and avoids the trap and catch-all of the non-healthy ones.

SO why is it that I feel teary-eyed as I write this? Now that - THAT sucks.

Oops. I somehow hit a double enter and published too soon. But that's alright. I was pretty much done. I guess I wanted to sign off. Wish you well in your journeys and ask you to wish me well on mine. And empower your daughters. Your sisters. Your women-friends. Show them that there is so much more to them than what the eye sees. They're amazing. Incredible. Beautiful and STRONG.

A-to-the-WO-MEN! (No religious beliefs are required to make that statement!)

13 comments:

  1. A-to-the-WOMEN is right! You are doing a wonderful thing for your daughter and you can tell that it is something to believe in with your words. Good luck to you in not only getting yourself fit and healthy but keeping your daughter on track as she grows.

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  2. You are setting a good example. I worry about my 6 year old. She told me her legs were fat the other day. They are totally not. Makes me sad. I try to set a good example too.

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  3. I think about this a lot too. I don't have a daughter, but if I ever get to have one, I want to try and set a healthy relationship with weight/food. It's such a hard balance. Thank you for your honesty!

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  4. My daughters are 14 and 10, and I live every day saying things like "I'm getting *healthy*". I don't want them growing up with a negative self image...I want them strong! You are doing a fantastic job! You're aware! Oh, and I use Loseit too lol...face.in.phone. xoxo

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  5. im glad you poured your heart out about this, and talked about being an example to your daughter. it resonates with me in more ways than you can imagine. great to be able to read you today, sorry its been a while since I visited! *HUG*

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  6. I love what you wrote and can relate to so, so very much here.

    You're doing great, mama! You;re showing that you're worth taking care of.

    {And you so are!}

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  7. Ugh, can't we just enjoy life??
    I'm eating nachos and pigs in a blanket on Super Bowl Sunday and I don't even watch football....I'll start a diet Monday.....

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  8. It's a balance, I think. My mom weighed herself every single morning and would juice fast if they scale had moved even a pound. That was a horrible example for me. Now, I don't even have a scale. I go by clothes fit or weigh myself at the gym. B/c I learned about numbers having power from my mom... and I hate it.

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  9. There is a healthy balance. You are trying to achieve health but you just can't let the numbers dictate what your health really is. Keep at it - we all know that muscle weighs more than fat, yada yada. yet we start these workout regimens and have trouble understanding why the numbers aren't moving.

    Aim for tone - not pounds lost. aim for strength - not calories burned. Aim for eating practically - not being a slave to your app. You will find in time that it becomes instinct and not driven by having to "look everything up." your body will ultimately crave healthy and know when its looking at junk.
    Kiran

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  10. I agree with many others it is about balance. I think it is okay to talk about eating healthy and moving, but it is not okay to discuss your body flaws in front of your daughter!

    Sooooo hard.

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  11. I think it's about finding a balance. Of course, you don't want to obsess and you want to set a positive example for your daughter too. Learning to eat healthy does in fact set an example for her. I think also, it's a matter of being a lot of work in the beginning to learn the way to eat. But, once you get the hang of it maybe you won't feel like you're checking your apps and going overboard.

    But, more than anything? Give yourself a break! You're doing great!

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  12. I don't have kids yet, as you know, but one of my BFFs has two daughters. She was JUST talking to me about this exact same thing. So hard to know how to handle it.

    I would imagine the answer is to treat your body well and eventually it will all become second nature for you- meaning it will rub off on your daughter the same way.

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