I have come to believe that true health has many looks, many shapes and sizes.
My partner, Donna, is a perfect example of this. She weighs about 300lbs, which is about 60+ below her top weight. She has worked hard to get to this point, and continues to push herself. Donna's resting heart rate is right around 60 beats per minute. She can do 90+ minutes on the eliptical trainer, and she is currently training for a 10K. And I can guarantee that most of the people who see her make assumptions about her health, her eating habits, and so on.
My father was a tall, thin man. I'm sure people considered him relatively healthy. He died in his sleep from heart failure at the age of 41.
My point is this: Good Health is NOT defined by body shape. Our society promotes fast food, huge portions and simultaneously insists we won't be healthy -- or happy! -- unless we're unrealistically thin. The truth is, good health is within reach. All we have to do is follow some basic rules:
- Listen to your body! It well tell you so much about what you need to do if you'll pay attention to what it's saying.
- When eating out, eat sensibly. Just because the restaurant brings you a plate of food doesn't mean it's a single serving. Try cutting it in half and see how you feel when you're done. Take the rest home for lunch the next day.
- Move more. Take yourself for a walk several times a week, ride a bike, try something new. Make physical fitness a priority in your life.
See? Just three little steps and we can make a big step toward being healthy. In the end, it's more important about how the insides are working than about how the outside looks.
Happy Walking!
Elizabeth
