I talked to Gabby (almost 7) Sunday about my need to get healthy. I told her mommy wasn't so concerned with looking a certain way as she was about feeling better and doing more fun things with her and her sister. I am hoping in all of this she doesn't learn looking a certain way is the important thing--it's not... but feeling good and being healthy is the goal.
I want us all to make better food choices and be more active but I don't want my daughters obsessed with their body image at their present ages or at any age... they are 3.5 and almost 7.
The other day Gabby was whining about going to the Y "again". I reminded her mommy needs to get healthy and feel better and this is how it's going to happen. Any thoughts on how to help my girls build a healthy self image? :O I do pray they don't inherit my weight struggle but me being on this path should really help with that!!!
1 comment:
As much as it is possible, we try to tie our own exercise and anything we do as a family in with something fun and make that the focus. Even though we both have valid reasons to "need" to work out, we try to make the focus on the activity instead of the weight loss/etc. I grew up with my mom working out and making it about the weight loss (not for looks, just for health) and it really messed with my head. I came to dread exercise instead of loving it. I wasn't exposed to a wide variety of exercise methods and that's something we're trying to remedy in our own household.
We now have a variety of workout videos (from calisthenic type to shadow boxing), a boxing bag with accompanying gear, a recumbent exercycle, free weights, a chin-up bar and sports equipment of every genre (soccer, baseball/wiffleball, street hockey, kick ball, football, basketball, bikes...). I want the kids to exercise because they're doing something they love and the fitness (which I'm so happy to say they have) will be the secondary effect. Most of it has not cost much either, we gather it from used stores like Deseret or Goodwill, from Craigslist and Play it Again Sports.
We love to go walking on trails by the lake in better weather, in winter we do sledding and snow shoveling. They don't realize they're working out, they're just having fun.
Post a Comment