Fitness – Health

What does healthy mean to you?

Does healthy have to mean skinny? If you base your answer solely on the photos you see in magazines, catalogs and advertisements, the starlets you see on the big screen, and even the opinions of many people, that answer would be a resounding yes.

We’re constantly bombarded by what fitness and beauty are supposed to look like, and they’re definitely not supposed to look like a size 14. When I was searching for a photo to use for this post, I wanted something that showed a woman who looked healthy, but not skinny. In my collection of fitness photos, I couldn’t find a single one. There was no one bigger than a size 4!

Not to mention, skinny doesn’t always mean healthy. Starvation is not healthy. Excessive exercise can lead to injury. Fad diets can sap your energy and leave you malnourished. Truth be told, in the past my own get-healthy efforts were all about doing whatever it took to lose weight fast, regardless of my health, because I was either trying to attract a man or please a man by living up to society’s standards. This was rooted in low self-esteem and not in a healthy attitude.

Besides, when you lose weight due to external influences, it either won’t work, won’t last, or will make you emotionally and physically miserable. It shouldn’t be all about looking good, it should be about feeling good and being well.

Nowadays, healthy means to me eating healthy foods in right-sized portions, regular exercise, lots of water, getting enough sleep, positive thinking, affirmations, meditation and gratitude. It also means staying away from the scale because it can so easily derail my efforts. I’ve redefined healthy for myself and life is so much better not chasing after an impossible ideal.

So, what does healthy mean to you?