>>Body Image>>When Is It Good Enough? It’s A Woman Thing ..

Tags

Beauty, blogging, Body Image, Bubble butt, Confidence, Curvy figure, Diets, Eating disorders, Eating habits, Exercise, Hollywood, Lifestyle change, Overweight, Self esteem, Skinny, Societal pressure, Vitamins, Why Diets Don't Work, Women, WordPress

First, a few facts>>

Body image is the way that someone perceives their body and assumes others perceive them. This image is often affected by family, friends, social pressure and the media

People who are unhappy with their bodies and don’t seek healthy nutrition information may develop eating disorders..Eating disorders are unhealthy relationships with food that may include fasting, constant dieting, or bingeing and purging

Body image is closely linked to self-esteem<

Approximately 91% of women are unhappy with their bodies and resort to dieting to achieve their ideal body shape..Unfortunately, only 5% of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed by Americans in the media

58% of college-age girls feel pressured to be a certain weight..58%!

Studies show that the more reality television a young girl watches, the more likely she is to find appearance important

More than 1/3 of the people who admit to “normal dieting” , will merge into pathological dieting..Roughly, 1/4 of those will suffer from a partial or full-on eating disorder

In a survey, more than 40% of women and about 20% of men agreed they would consider cosmetic surgery in the future..The stats remain relatively constant across gender, age, marital status and race..WOW

Students, especially women, who consume more mainstream media, place a greater importance on sexiness and overall appearance than those who do not consume as much

95% of people with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25

Only 10% of people suffering from an eating disorder will seek professional help

Only 4% of women globally consider themselves beautiful..

This topic has become personal for me as of late..First, time in my life(at 51 yrs of age no less!) I’ve realized I’ve got body image issues..Even though I’ve clawed and fought my way back from becoming overweight post-surgery & in full-blown menopause; it still isn’t enough. Even getting back into my pre-surgery sized clothes isn’t enough.. Mind you I was almost scared into keeping fibroids versus gaining weight..Who would rather risk possibly gaining Cancer over gaining a few pounds????? From the list above I’ve done it ALL with the exception of purging & cosmetic surgery..But I’m forever going on meatless week stints, gave up all juices/carbonated drinks, skipping meals, squeezing in speed walks in lieu of leisure week lunches, biking, treadmilling, weight lifting, and of course my beloved weekly raw veggie smoothie detox drinks(which I’ll probably drink for the rest of my life..

So just this weekend I found myself giving solicited advice to my bestie about losing weight..And out of my mouth came the words@ “Don’t diet. Diets don’t work for us, because we wind up feeling deprived & fall off.. Just adjust your lifestyle little by little & eating habits in increments & exercise more..Start slowly on the green raw veggie drink..” When I got home I realized I was telling her something I wasn’t practicing! I wanted her to start off in a healthy manner; yet when I want to quick drop pounds I dang near starve myself..I’m always hungry! Stomach growls seem normal..Today I caught myself trying to climb 2- 3 stairs at once(butt lifting exercise) while on my cell & almost fell..Not cool!

I decided to reach out in honesty ..Calling out all/any woman reading this..WE have got to stop this never-ending cycle of pushing for the perfect body image..I can’t imagine how this life-long behavior would’ve impacted the daughter I always yearned for , yet never birthed..Thankfully , I can sincerely say this wasn’t taught to me by my own Mom..She taught me always to love me for ME..Yet, even with constant & consistent positive reinforcement from parents/significant others/countless passerbys/friends? Still find myself pushing for something more..It was somewhat comforting to read the above statistics; for a moment. I’m not ALONE in this struggle for the perfect body. It is deeper than just being vain..But when does it stop??? When is good enough(& healthy!) , enough??

IF one can’t be honest with self in their 50s; probably won’t ever be! Naked truth exposed feels pretty liberating & hopefully admitting it can lead to positive change..Anyone out there that can relate & would like to share?

#ONE 2013! New Years’ ReSOLUTION that I plan on KEEPing..*DP CHALLENGE

Tags

*DP Challenge*, Biking, Diet, Discipline, DPCHALLENGE, Dumb bells, Exercise, Fast walk, Firm body, Fitness, Gym, Health, Holidays, Jogging, Lifting weights, Light weights, Motivate, Muscles, My very 1st! DPCHALLENGE, New Year, New Year's resolution, Nutrition, Power lifting, Regular work out plan, Running, Self motivation, Sit ups, Squats, Stair climbing, Stay motivated, Staying fit, Strength training, Toned, Toned body, Vegetable nutrition, Walking, Women, Working out

From now till the New Year comes in I figure we might as well have some fun with our list of New Year resolutions..Yep, most of us have them! But the question IS will YOU keep your promises to yourself? Hmmmm I’ve got to admit 2012 was one of the very 1st years I kept every single resolution/self vow/& goal I made for myself for the year. And kicking off the list for 2013’s New Year resolutions for me IS..staying FIT. Be back shortly to have fun with this topic…

Alright going to have to complete this topic in increments..doing alot on this end due to holiday prep..BUT I promise 2 things. I’ll finish this segment  AND hopefully can give ya’ll some good TIPS on how to begin & more importantly KEEP a good fitness routine UP..Cause any of us can “say” we’re going to get fit, right? But with oh so busy schedules of holding down an 8-5 M-F, plus church activities, other random projects ..i.e..extra work projects , reading, socializing, writing!, family time, gardening, chores, routine dr. appts, ..I’ve found I had to MAKE time to exercise and eat right…but if I can do it, which I can assure you I did..anyone can do IT. I worked hard this entire year to “tweak” my physical being..from the inside out. (and mind you I wasn’t overweight when I began…) With 50 yrs of age rushing upon me I decided I am/will B the best dang(translation dayum!) >50< I can possibly  B. From head 2 toe. Inside N Out. I took it one day at a time, without any direction from anyone else..just winged IT. Final result? Well, I lost so much weight so quickly my pants were literally falling off me! Real talk (thankfully my GodMom can sew awesomely well and tailored my clothes for me, whew!..bummer about losing weight is the high cost of clothes replacement) Loving what I see in the mirror N just as important I feeeeel great. Probably better than I did in my 20s.  Now I’m just trying to maintain the size I am because if I lose 1 more inch or pound I’ll loooook anorexic..and that isn’t cool, nor healthy, N  is not the look I want.  So lets see if I can break this down for ya’ll soon as I come back I’m going to dive INto this topic. Oh, the pressure LOL . Had special requests for this topic so hope I can deliver..

                                             

First things first! And , in my opinion, and from my experience first STEP in doing anything..is deciding one wants to do something. Mentally picturing the final result. And figuring out what it takes 2 get..there. Then exerting extreme will power and DISCIPLINE to attain that end result. That is what I did 2 go from being “just in shape” to being totally fit. My doctor has co-signed on that by the way..I’ve no health issues nor health concerns. Just had full lab work to confirm .  No meds nor need for meds. For anything. What I do take, as I have for the past 35 yrs. is a multivitamin a day. A really good one for women 50 yrs & UP..I also take a probiotic packet every day(which I began taking almost 6 months ago when I began drinking a raw veggie smoothie. ) I also take a all natural Ginseng capsule every day(which I’ve done for 20 yrs) I also take a fish oil capsule every single day. Also I gave UP my love of Diet Pepsi a few years back.(now I drink no carbonated drinks at all)  I drink ALOT and I mean alot of water. Gave up drinking alcohol socially about 10 years back.   Desire of mine to be healthy from the inside out is very strong…

First, I started walking. Alot! I was new to the state N didn’t yet have friends here so I began walking by myself..Fast walking almost the pace of a light jog. During very hot months I was walking at O’dark thirty hours. Sometimes on weekends while it was still hot outside I’d walk the full length of the mall. I still do alot of walking during my work lunch breaks at the mall, alot! The great thing as the added bonus is I love window shopping N shopping ..So anyways what needs to be remembered is walking is a  fantastic way to drop pounds! Add scenery to the walk and fave music on your Iphone/Ipod(I don’t walk without my tunes..) and you can add the miles up quickly. What also counts is every , single step one takes during the day..so its good to remember that while at work in an office environment to add walking/climbing steps(when possible).  Instead of clicking to email coworkers; try getting UP to walk  to deliver the message from timetotime.  Long prolonged periods of sitting make ones’ fanny spread! And again, each step one takes during the day adds UP ..After months of walking last year and amping my pace UP..I began to jog. Now I’m up to a full run for short distances and alternate with fast jog in between.

Next, figure out what type of exercise routine you want to take on…I started off slowly. I knew I needed to add to my walking routine;  so  I began with morning situps, squats, dumbbell arm workouts…Was important to me to get my arms firm/toned/slight muscle definition  again. Got it now! But it took consistent working  out and slowly adding more to my routine. I’m up early in the mornings so its the best time of the day for me to do most of my exercise routine. Total morning work out time is about an  hour.  Now though I’ve also added a mini work out in the evenings..I’m working on defining different parts of my body now and I do a section every other night. All it takes is about 20 mins every evening. My suggestion to anyone starting fresh with exercise is FIRST check with your Doc. Don’t do anything new without first doing that…then slowly add little by little to your routine. As you see results it will get SO goood to you it will motivate you to..continue. Or least it did with me. Motivation is key in my opinion. And also always keep in the background of your mind what you want your end result to loooook like…that will keep driving you and driving you.

Next, out of the blue the introduction of  a raw veggie drink called, The Glowing Green Smoothie, entered my life! And all I can say about the results is WOW.  And WOW one ‘mo time. See a full description and explanation in the post I did couple nights ago called ‘Berna’s Book Reviews’..the book the recipe for the smoothie comes from is called ‘The Beauty Detox Solution’ N I’m living proof it works IF you work it. It is a drink I’ll make & drink for the rest of my life. Energy level is amped way UP..I feeeeel as if I could climb tall mountains! (and I was already a naturally  hyper person so can you imagine after this veggie smoothie??? OMG..energy galore) My oily acne prone skin(which I’ve had my entire life) is absolutely GLOWING. I can’t think of another word for it..so muchso that there are times I don’t wear make UP because I don’t want to cover my skin up. Yep, this smoothie and its results has been that gooooood  2 me and for me. Imagine every day getting an instant shot of about a cazillion vitamins???? That is the best way I can describe being on this smoothie for the past 6 months…

The bottom line is for all of us eating well & exercising should rightfully B a part of our daily routine. Earlier we implement such a plan, and stick 2 it!, it becomes so routine that it doesn’t seem like alot of things to recall or DO. It isn’t about being on diet after diet after diet(which btw has an awful impact on a womans’ body..) in my opinion we have to learn to make eating right/exercising daily a part of our lifestyle. IF we can do that it won’t be something that we have to add to our list of New Years resolutions year after year after year! Lets hope from this day forth that our resolutions from here on out will B to…stay FIT/maintain our fitness/and strive to consistently improve on a great foundation. Ready? Get set…GO

 

@U Must Read This in 2013..Berna’s Book Reviews

Tags

acne free skin, Clear skin, Digestive system, Eating, Energy level, Exercise, Fruits, Glowing Green Smothie!, Glowing skin, Health, Health matters, Healthy hair/nails, Holistic, Less bloating, Natural eating, Peak energy, Raw veggies, Vegetable nutrition, Vitamins, Vitamins from fruit, Vitamins from veggies, Weight loss, Wellness

Welcome all 2 the day after the 21st of December! Yep, I had a feeling we’d still be HERE. Thanks sincerely to my God for giving me yet another day to get closer to fulfilling my God given purpose..

Always wanted to join a bookclub N yet for one reason or another haven’t. Solution? Starting my own!  Whenever I complete a book I’ll post my review here in this category…feel free if you read the book to also post yours here N if you’d recommend it as a must read or not.

I’m going to open this with my number ONE pick/read for 2012. It was recommended to me by my eldest son & is a book that changed my life! Sounds dramatic, right? But it is true. Reading this book changed how I eat, when I eat, how I exercise, amped UP my energy level by 85%, cleared my naturally oily break-out prone skin, got my digestive system running at an elevated level,  dropped 4 sizes(yep! and I was only trying to drop 2 sizes..), firmed/toned my body, made my hair healthier, etc.

The name of the book is “The Beauty Detox Solution” by Kimberly Synder. She’s a clinical nutritionist , fitness expert, & founder of the holistic health company called KS 1Life. The concept of the book is NOT a diet but a change in eating to eat healthier. The book quickly became a best seller and I’ve now read it back to back..twice. I believe in testing books before purchase so I borrowed it from the library several times. And was on a waiting list every time I wanted to renew the book..it is that HOT of a read.

I’ve got to add here that starting on the Glowing Green Smoothie drink is how I began 6 months ago..and it took alot of effort to continue past Day 1!. When I first began on the smoothie I had to literally eat it with a spoon! It was that thick when I made it according to the book. And I’d bought all organic veggies N I refused to let that money go to waste. Organic IS expensive..I’ve since tweaked the recipe so now I can actually drink it with a straw. I began with 6 oz a day and I’m now up to 55 oz a day..that I drink by noon. However, because I dropped so much weight(and don’t care to lose anymore) instead of 6 days a week I’m drinking it 3.5 days a week. I suggest starting off slowly and backing off a bit if you lose too much weight too fast like I did…

While I’ve not yet dropped meat from my diet..as the book hints is best(but I love meat too much!) I do take a daily probiotic as suggested in the book. Believe it or not ingesting that many raw greens can back your system UP..or least it did mine at first. One would think it would be the opposite but for me it wasn’t. Taking a daily probiotic packet did the trick for me. There is alot of effort & discipline involved to continue to make this smoothie to consume the amount I consume. Plus! it doesn’t stay fresh long in the fridge..max I’ve let it stay is 1 day. And I’ve not yet frozen it. I only bought organic my first batch. The amount I consume would cost FAR too much…so now I buy pre-cut pre-washed kale(yep, bitter but I use kale because it has the most nutrients…)  and spinach. I’ve added an extra apple/banana/and frozen strawberries to the recipe also. Still bitter! but not as bitter as it was. Once the results were so evident to me I quickly grew to endure the taste…it is worth it to me healthwise.

If anyone out there decides to try the smoothie feel free to ask questions here N I’ll do my best to answer them. And as with anything new you implement check with your doctor FIRST.  Enjoy the read & please let me know what you think about it…

home cooking: “get me glowing” green smoothie (Photo credit: wyn ♥ lok)