Thank goodness its Wednesday and I am ready to take the rest of this week by storm!! I really want time to come fast because Thanksgiving is sooo close and I love turkey day. The day itself has changed a lot since my parents divorce a few years ago (splitting time between 2 family sides now) but the thought of the day is still the same.. good food, family time and this year an added little piece of amazing.. my wonderful boyfriend will be coming with me to share family time too! We have decided to split the holiday traditions and spend half the day with his friends and half with my family : ) Grown up decision huh?
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| Because we are obviously grown ups : ) |
So lately I have been thinking about the long term effects of our healthy decisions.. I have some history of bad health in my family and I am starting to wonder if I am doomed by it or if my healthy decisions now can help me avoid the health traps that I have the potential to fall into. For example, I have a history on both my mother and my fathers sides of cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and weight problems. Now everyone knows that these things do not just pop up over night, that they are a product of your decisions and your genetic predisposition. . but the question becomes.. Am I doomed anyway? Will working out everyday, eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains matter if I am going to have diabetes when I turn 50 anyway? This line of thinking is kind of similar to the "I could be hit by a bus tomorrow so why not enjoy a 3 pound bacon cheeseburger today!"
So should we have this "throw caution to the wind" attitude when it comes to our lives? Should we say screw it because we all die in the end anyway so whats the point in killing myself in the gym and eating a salad instead of the half a pizza that I really want while I sit on the couch! Well while I love the seize the day mentality I think that it all comes down to a matter of happiness.
I know that I was unhappy when I realized I had gained my "freshman fifteen" ok... really it was a Senior twenty.. but shhh. : p I didn't like to look in the mirror, I was always tired, I didn't feel confident when I went out with my friends and I dreaded shopping for jeans.. and who wants to wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and not like what they see? Who wants to think "I didn't take one minute yesterday to care enough about myself, my body and my future to take some action to keep it healthy." So when I decided to do something about it and I started seeing the numbers go down.. I realized that it was making me happy.. I was hitting personal bests in the gym.. running more than I ever had before in my life, building muscle and really surprising myself. Not to mention eating well and exercising makes you happier overall just because of your hormone balances and endorphins released during hard exercise! And its continued to make me feel happier because I got back down to what I weighed in high school and have been able to keep it off for over a year now.
I think a lot of people don't realize how being healthy can make them happier.. and don't get me wrong here! I do NOT mean thin! Thin does not equal happy ..healthy equals happy. I think some of the most beautiful women are the curvaceous ones.. Hell, I like to think I am a curvy little thing myself! But even the thought of knowing you gained some muscle and are stronger than you were before or that you may be doing something that will teach your children good habits when they grow up should make you feel very good about yourself and that will make you happy.
I sometimes think that this "I could die tomorrow" mentality is simply a cop out for people who don't want to have some kind of excuse, even if it's a very flimsy one, to justify the unhealthy things that they do... because lets be realistic will you die tomorrow? Probably not.. but will you die fifteen years sooner because of a heart attack or diabetes? Yes..
Just a few thoughts on this chilly Pittsburgh morning...
What do you think?
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