Hi guys! Hope you’re all having a good week. Hurrah it’s Friday!
Right, I have a bit of a rant. OK, maybe rant is a bit strong. A reflection then.
You might have noticed I enjoy exercising (most of them time when it’s not stupidly early and I’m feeling grumpy). As much as sometimes I’d just rather have more sleep or sit on the sofa watching TV, I ultimately enjoy what exercise brings me. I love the rush of endorphins. I love the satisfaction of completing a challenging run or finally being able to hold a plank for three minutes. I love setting goals for myself and striving to complete them. I’m competitive with myself. And others. If I hear someone I know has run further than me I have a strong urge to race out the door to beat them.
I love feeling healthy and strong. Knowing that I could out-run a lot of people (who don’t exercise regularly) is a good feeling to me. Aesthetics aren’t everything I know, but I like the way I look because of exercising. Let’s be honest, I wouldn’t be over-weight if I didn’t exercise. But I wouldn’t feel as confident with myself.
I eat healthily as well. No I’m not on a diet. No I don’t stop myself eating certain food groups. Yes I do have preferences for certain foods and yes they’re highly likely to be on the healthier side of the scale. I have a massive appetite and eat a lot, but generally it’s mammoth salads and monster veg portions. That’s my thing. I think about food a lot. What’s for lunch? What’s for dinner? Do I have enough apples??
Source: muffintop-less.tumblr.com via Jordan on Pinterest
So why do people feel the need to tell me “I’m so lucky”. When I reach for the a biscuit or a slice of cake people say to me, “Oh you’re so lucky. You’re so slim. You can eat anything”.
Hang on. Yes I can eat anything – anyone can pretty much eat anything. I just don’t eat anything all the time. That biscuit isn’t my fifth biscuit, it’s my first. I might go back for a second or third if I particularly enjoyed it, but I don’t do that every day.
Lucky? I like to think that luck has a small part to play in the way I am. Maybe it’s lucky that I have a small frame – genes? Maybe it’s lucky I have a tendency to enjoy fruit and veg. I’ll give you that.
But I put a lot of effort into being healthy. Every day. I love exercising but it’s tough. Mentally and physically. Consistently exercising every week and pushing yourself so you’re not just ‘ticking the box’. Just getting out of a warm bed earlier than you have to is tough!
I make sure I eat well. It’s so easy to eat rubbish. Cheap microwave meals ready in 2 minutes. Fast food restaurants on every corner. Buy one get one free. Now, don’t get me wrong. I eat rubbish too. Mainly sweets (pic ‘n’ mixes are my nemesis) and desserts. But I prepare and cook all my meals. Lunches are pre-packed in the morning or weekend. Dinners are made when I get in from work. I’m not talking crazily exciting meals with a hundred ingredients and hour long cooking times. Omelettes, stir fries, salads…I plan at the weekend the meals we’ll have, buy the food at the supermarket and then make the meals in the week. It does take effort and time to plan ahead but I think it’s important.
This isn’t luck. I’m pretty sure if I ate rubbish and didn’t exercise I wouldn’t look so slim. My hair probably wouldn’t look as shiny. My skin would break out in spots more often. Yes I can eat anything – I just choose not to. I smile and nod and looked flattered when people say I’m lucky. But inside I’m proud. Because I earned that biscuit.
Source: shrinkingjeans.net via Sjoerdtsje on Pinterest
Does anyone else get annoyed at things like this? I just needed to shout about it!
ahhh it makes me sad when people have the “all or nothing” mindset! You CAN eat whatever you want, you just have to do it in moderation! I know it’s easier said than done (I’m STILL working on figuring out the balance) but it really is a lifestyle, not a fad or a diet!
I totally agree!
Oh yes, since loosing weight I get this a lot! I think what people don’t realise is that generally there is a process going on for most people that stay slim and healthy – like you said its more moderation and effort in exercising! Just remember that I bet you are inspiring a lot of these people too!
Yep, it’s not easy. They don’t call it working out for nothing! Thanks 🙂
I feel this way sometimes too. It’s good to vent about it!! I do know some people who are truly “lucky” (e.g., they never work out OR eat healthy) but I’m honestly not even jealous of them. I like knowing that I have more muscle mass than they do and my body is happier with what I put into it.
Yeah there are those people who just literally can eat anything. But I think it does catch up with them eventually. It’s not necessarily about staying slim like you said, I can’t imagine that they are that healthy inside.
That all or nothing mindset is the WORST. I think it is more harmful than good. Ultimately, I really think it just comes down to balance. Enough exercise, but not too much and enough food, but allowing for splurges 🙂
Exactly! Life would be boring as hell without dessert. And earning that dessert just makes it that much better!
I think that you can eat whatever you want, just not every day/ all the time. I do think genes play a part- but it is only a part. You need an overall healthy balance.
Working with a lot of women I see people doing faddy diets all the time- they will have no breakfast, and only a pear and a banana for lunch (or a cup a soup or something else silly) but then be so hungry and eat 4 or 5 biscuits from the staffroom. I always bring a cereal bar (yummy nakd bar usually) and have that at break time, as there are often chocolates and biscuits and cakes and things available. (I do occasionally have something from there, but not every day like some staff members.) It just does not make sense to me because they would be eating far more than if they just ate normal meals. Like you say, a bit of planning helps.
A while back I lost about a stone in weight, and a few people asked me how I did it. When I said that I was writing down what I ate, and also going on walks after dinner, and going to gym classes, I was told “oh no, I would not do that”. People want a magic formula. And something easy too.
Yep I totally agree with you. I’ve seen those women too. I guess it doesn’t help with the media and celebrities with their crazy fad diets. No one wants to know about the life-time plan that slowly helps you lose weight and become healthy. It just doesn’t sell. They want their cake and they want to eat it too. They want to go on a diet for a short amount of time to then go back to eating exactly like they ate before. I do agree that genes does start the ball rolling and some people do find it harder than others, but a lot of effort goes into maintaining and being healthy in general I believe.
Yes, I’m so with you! And why do people say it almost accusingly?! it’s like when I’m freezing when the air conditioning’s on at work and people say “it’s because you’re so skinny” in that same accusing way… aaarghhh!
Same as you, yes, I eat chocolate and biscuits but yes, I also exercise a lot and don’t make a habit of eating fast food, ready meals and crap. So glad you posted this 🙂
Yes! I know exactly what you mean about the feeling cold one. Oh it annoys me so much. And in meetings people turning the cold on because they’re a lot bigger.
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂