Body shaming

 

Yet another new day to be the person you want to be; not who everyone else wants us to be. 

I hate it, I absolutely hate it.  Why do people feel the need to judge others physical appearance?  Feeling good about the way you look is tough, no matter what you look like.   The "if I only were thinner, taller, shorter, curvier" plagues almost everyone.  The "perfect" body is unobtainable.  Why?  Because it doesn't exist. 

Feeling good in your skin should be our goal; being happy with the person who looks back at us in the mirror.  A goal to get and be healthy is important; health yes, but not the unobtainable goal of perfection.  Who says what is perfect anyway?  Who are we trying to impress?  Is there perfection police out there?  Well sort of and their name is the media.  Look at what has happened with Kelly Clarkson these days; it really is no one else's business but her own. 

Should people feel horrible about themselves if they don't fit into a perfect mold?  How you look and feel is all about you and you alone.  If you are happy looking the way you do, GOOD FOR YOU.  You are one of the very few.  There is something amazing about a person who is confident with who they are and how they look.  It is entirely different from someone in pursuit of the perfection that society puts on us all.  Both sexes are targets, men and women are made to feel that they need to be a certain size and shape to dodge the finger pointing.  Life is just too short not to be happy.

Being happy in life means a whole lot more than our exterior shell.  But, we do have to live in these shells so we should make the best of them, right?    We will live out our life in one body; so we need to take care of it and make living in it the easiest that it can be.  That means keeping healthy.  It does not mean keeping skinny, nipped, tucked and tweaked into perfection.  It means eating well and moving.  There is no perfection pinnacle; perfection is unobtainable.  Who are you on the inside?

Eating well and moving will create a happy body.  A strong and agile body will be the fruits of your labor, rock it. 

Claiming equipment rules

Not only do people "claim" machines, they claim weights too.  Honestly.

There should be a list of rules listed on the wall of every gym.  That said there should also be "gym police" to enforce them.  One of the things I hate most about gyms is when someone claims a piece of equipment.  You know those people who put their stuff all around and on the equipment but they aren't using it?  I saw a guy yesterday, grab his towel and walk away from a machine I was waiting for.  As I head towards the machine I realized it was still claimed; even though he'd taken one towel with him he had set up camp around the machine. 

Now, normally when this happens I will use the machine anyway.  YOU CANNOT CLAIM MACHINES.  If you are on a machine, fine.  Claiming a machine for your workout circuit is lame.  If you want to use a machine, leave and come back, fine; then leave and come back later.  You cannot put machines on hold; keeping them out of commission until you return.  It is extremely rude to do so and doing it makes you a lame ass in my opinion.

People do it all the time and if you happen to step in and use their machine when they consider it spoken for, you may hear about it.  I have often used equipment that people have put on layaway.  I get the dirty looks, of course I can't hear their rant because I have turned up my music.  I'm in my own little zone and they can just wait until I'm done.  I in fact am using the equipment, I'm in the moment and not putting the machine on hold.  I'm USING IT. 

I will step in, use it and step away when I'm done.  Some people think that they own the place when in actuality it is a public gym.  Use some common sense folks.    

Better

Working on my shoulder stand while Elsa waits for me to toss her ball, AGAIN!

For several months I have been babying my arms.  I had an injury so I've been ever so careful not to aggravate it; and have been working out everything around the injury.  I took several weeks off but that didn't help at all so I decided to get back at it and it is now better!!!!  I absolutely HATE not working out and even after a mere two weeks off, I felt it.  No, that was just not going to work for me.  So without hitting the injury spot I worked around it (my elbows) literally.  My triceps, biceps, forearms and chest while resting my elbows.  

I'd been pushing it too hard for a while and so my body let me know.  I had what is commonly known as climber elbow injury or golfer's elbow.    Ahhh, age, ain't it grand?  Not always.  :(  As we age we must adjust and be smart about working out.  Admittedly I often push myself a tad hard; I am very self competitive and hate when I can't do something that I could in my 20s.  An injury is your body speaking loud and clear.  "Okay, okay I get it, I'm almost 53," I relent to my body.  But being over 50 does not mean that you stop; no, it means that you get going.  

The less you move the more you lose, fact.  You don't have to be over 50 to lose it either; although for some reason many people think that age and losing mobility go hand in hand.  No, no, no.  As we age we must work harder to keep toned and flexible.  If you don't you will lose it, fact.  The move flexible you are and the more muscle tone you have, the better you feel when you move.  

Getting started can seem daunting but if you take it slow, succeed and see progress then you'll keep it up.  If you look at exercising as a privilege and not a punishment or torture then you'll be more apt to continue.  You will have more aches and pains as you get older just because; but having the body that you want is worth it.  Do you want to be one of those on the sidelines saying "I can't?"  Not me.  

Not even tempted

Made by me, yes the baker me; and I have to say "worth every calorie."  :)

Everyone has a food weakness; mine is potato chips, salted potato chips.  I love them and if they are in the house, then they are in my mouth usually.  I don't have very many weaknesses as far as food goes which is a nice thing.  Even those evil potato chips can be passed up these days; once you reach start to see results from working out and eating right, it's easier and easier to look the other way.  Of course I think everyone should indulge; I believe that it helps you to stay on your proper eating regime. 

As far as candy and those disgusting little Peep things, not even tempted.  I could not be more turned off by all that stuff, pure garbage.  My idea of a sweet treat is probably a piece of really amazing cheesecake.  Anything else really has too much sugar which in turn will make me feel really crappy.  I do enjoy a piece of dark chocolate now and again; but we all know that is good for you. 

The old saying "it better be worth the calories" is a good one.  If you think that eating something you shouldn't will make you happy, be good and sure before you consume those calories.  There is also the fact that when you eat really well, eating crappy food makes you feel really crappy. 

Life is really about being happy.   If that means feeling great, then skip the crap.  The better you eat, the more you move the greater you will feel.  That crap food will have less of a hold on you and a happy feeling life will take over.  Now, you decide whether or not to eat it.  It's all up to you.