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Health vs Aesthetics

Take this scenario…


You’re motivated to start a new workout and/or diet program! You stay dedicated and on your “A” game …until 1 week, 2 weeks or even a month goes by... You don’t get the results you expected (aka the numbers on the scale don’t drop as you had planned they would) and you get discouraged and give up. Sound familiar…???


I want women to retrain their brains! I want the focus on exercise and healthy eating to be a lifestyle, NOT a means to an end! The goal should not be a pre-determined set weight or pants size, but to feel better and have more energy. Would you rather be thin, yet you're tired, have no energy and are hungry all day…OR not necessarily be the dress size you may want to be… but feel good, be strong and have the stamina to run and play with your kids all day?

My inspiration for this blog comes from recent personal experience. When I got out of school for the summer, I had this idea in my head of how my summer would go…. Working out every day, having more time for myself and losing 5 lbs to get myself to my “goal” weight. Well, needless to say that’s not what happened! Between planning a wedding, studying for my ACSM personal training certification, starting a blog, and of course keeping my 2 crazy kids entertained every day, not only did I not lose any weight... I GAINED weight! But I’m the strongest I’ve ever been, I’m eating healthier than I ever have, and my husband thinks this is the best I’ve ever looked! My body is a well-fed, well-oiled machine right now and THAT is my new goal… not the numbers on the scale! In fact, right now is the most I’ve ever weighed, without being pregnant, but because I’m working so hard to build muscle, I’m actually PROUD of this instead of ashamed!
 
Me at 126 lbs and probably around 19% body fat

What I want women, and people in general, to think is this:

“I’m going to eat healthy and exercise…because I want to BE healthy! I want my body to feel good. I want to avoid heart disease and high blood pressure. I want to ward off osteoporosis by being strong and fit. I want to have more energy to keep up with my kids and grandkids….and if I lose weight in the process, then so be it…But THAT IS NOT THE GOAL!!! Wellness is the goal, happiness is the goal and feeling good IS THE GOAL!”


 

Once this mindset is established, there will be NO MORE quitting, no more giving up and no more getting discouraged…because the rewards will come from within, not externally.


On top of all of this, a person who is thin and wears a size 2 can have more body fat than a person who is a size 8, that is fit and has muscle. Furthermore, a thin person with a poor diet and is physically out of shape, is at higher risk for health risks than a heavier person who exercises regularly and has a healthy diet.  This is where the term “skinny fat” comes from. The term refers to a person who is thin, but has a high body fat percentage. And although they are small, they are soft with no muscle tone. I don’t know about you, but I’d MUCH rather wear a bigger size of clothes or weigh more, if it means I’m curvy, toned and look fit!

The woman on the left is "skinny fat". She is tiny, but looks terrible!
The woman on the right is bigger and weighs more but looks amazing!



 

All of this being said, I do still think that a person needs goals and should monitor their weight, body fat, etc. However, I don't think that those numbers should be the only motivating force or factor that drives an exercise or diet plan. All factors must be taken into consideration but at the end of the day, you will be more motivated by how you feel, not by how you look.


Make sure to follow me at House of Glutes on Facebook for even more recipe ideas and workout tips!
 


 
 

Comments

  1. Nutratimes Garcinia CambogiaFebruary 26, 2019 at 1:46 AM

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    The Article on Health vs Aesthetics is really awesome. I enjoyed reading the article ,Thanks for sharing the information about it. Actually I was looking for the best Garcinia Cambogia brand in India Can you Suggest me anyone them

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