There is a lot of buzz about weight and being healthy, or I should say being skinny. I don't want anyone to think I am being a hypocrite with this post. I work out four to five days a week, and am a pretty fit person. This is a personal choice and isn't done because I am obsessed with being skinny. Working out is a true passion and something I enjoy.
I'm not on the elliptical for hours on end, or starving myself all week. I do a few group fitness classes like Absolute Core, and Cycle. These classes are so inspiring and uplifting.
I also work in some weight training for healthy strong muscles. Every women should know how to through a freaking killer punch...and hurt the person their hitting, not themselves. :)
There is a big difference between being healthy and being a skinny waif. Being healthy entails eating the right foods, integrating exercise into your routine, getting enough sleep, and drinking plenty of water. Someone can be skinny and be unhealthy. Your body needs food. We sometimes don't eat the right kinds.
There are certain vitamins and nutrients your body needs and fast food and soda isn't part of that at all.
We all need to maintain a healthy body fat level but it's hard to do that if you have no clue what yours is or what the numbers mean. Any local gym can test your body fat levels.
For women, the average body fat level is 25%-31% but keep in mind obese is 32% or more. Fitness is between 21%-24% and athletes are between 14%-20% below that we get into the Essential fat, 10%-13% which is the minimum amount of fat your body needs.
Body fat is only one measure of health, but there are dangers to having excess body fat. It's linked to things such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. If you are obese, it takes more energy for you to breathe, causing your heart to work harder to pump blood through your veins. All this extra work can cause your heart to become enlarged and result in high blood pressure and erratic heart beats.
Your body fat levels can also be too low, making you more susceptible to getting colds/flu. This can also stop your menstrual cycle making you temporarily infertile. If you stop menstruating, you could develop a condition known as amenorrhea, you may experience a decrease in hormones that can cause premature bone loss due to insufficient estrogen production.
The most important thing is to know your health. Know your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Our minds are fixated on fatty, sugary foods because they give us a quick boost of energy. But do you ever notice how quickly your energy plummets?
Beauty and health isn't whats on the outside, it's what's on the inside.
If you eat half a bag of baby carrots, I promise you won't feel full and sluggish the way you do when you eat half a bag of chips.
If you take care of your body, it will take care of you. Ask yourself this: would you sit down and eat little pieces of shit? Or drink processed chemicals? Probably not right? Well... take a good look at the ingredients of what you consume on a daily basis and think again!
You don't have to go on some freak diet, or starve yourself. You really don't. Just change your habits. Instead of going through the drive-thru, take an extra five minutes to pack your lunch for work. Eat more whole grains and minimally unprocessed foods. Toss that bag of Doritos and take an apple and a handful of almonds. You will feel more energized and remember a healthy you is a beautiful you no matter what size, shape, or color your body is!
YOUR BEAUTIFUL! Stretch marks are beautiful, shape is beautiful. Your body tells a story of the amazing journey you have been through as a woman.
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