Is Your Body Your Life's Work?

As someone who writes about health, fitness and body image, I’ve gotten to know many people who’ve made an admirable commitment to healthy living. For them -- and for me -- choosing to take the best possible care of our bodies is about so much more than just creating a nice appearance -- it’s about having the energy and confidence to meet life’s challenges and stay open to new possibilities. Let’s face it: When you feel good physically, those good feelings spill over into your work, your home and your relationships.

 

But there’s a point where the scales tip (no pun intended) and a commitment to healthy living becomes an obsession. You’ve probably met those people who won’t even take a bite of their own birthday cake or can’t skip a workout to meet an old friend who’s in town. I experienced a small dose of that obsession in 2007, when I wrote a monthly column for Shape, a women’s fitness magazine. Readers followed my year-long journey as I worked to ultimately shed 26 pounds through grueling two-hour workouts and constant scrutiny of every bite that went into my mouth. Through it all, my children watched…I was exhausted and cranky and though I was indeed getting thinner, my behavior wasn’t always pretty. I liked that they saw me make a commitment to something and see it through. But when the column ended, I knew I had to find a healthy balance.

 

I also knew I had to show my daughter that the end-goal of healthy living isn’t a smaller body. After a year of unnatural focus on my appearance, both of us needed to be reminded that there’s more to life than what you see in the mirror.

 

So how do we strike that balance between healthy self-care and over-the-top focus on our bodies? It’s about finding ways to move daily that feel right for our lives, not an inflexible commitment to a gym schedule. It’s about making mostly healthy food choices, while recognizing that it’s OK to indulge in a treat when you want to. And it’s about finding something meaningful, whether it’s a career or volunteer work or a hobby, that totally engages us -- and has absolutely nothing to do with what we look like.

 

 

Comments

[Sagan]

Important topic to address. I think nearly anyone who makes health their "life work" goes through some kind of an obsession with it at some point... For me, the obsession got a little out of control but in a way I'm glad that I experienced that because it enabled me to understand that you can get to the point of being healthy in an unhealthy way. We sometimes need to step back and not let it consume us completely!

[jamie]

Thank you for writing about that! A couple friends I met in college seemed to have their minds constantly thinking about what they ate, what they were going to eat, when they were going to work out. Its ALL they talked about, it made it hard to be friends with them, because I thought I should be doing the same thing. People can take it too far...

Happy for you you found the balance! Someday, maybe I will be balanced, too :)

[Charlie Hills]

I've been thinking of doing a post on this topic myself. "Do we diet to live or live to diet?" There's gotta be something more to life than just avoiding food.

And there is! It's called "blogging." :P

[Alyssa]

When I was younger I was obsessed with what I ate and with working out, which ultimately led to anorexia.
A few years ago I discovered intuitive eating, or "non-dieting." It is still a struggle, but giving myself permission to eat whatever I want and really listening to my body has been very freeing.
I used to be in a profession that placed a huge value on looks, and I never quite measured up, except for that time when I was anorexic. Now I've changed careers, and the focus is on health and well-being, rather than looks. I'm SO MUCH HAPPIER now!!!!!

[Lance]

Hi Dara,

This reminds me of a time a couple of years ago. And I had become obsessed with fitness and nutrition. I remember one day very well. My family and I stopped at McDonald's (we go rarely) to eat - I don't remember why we stopped instead of eating at home. The point, though, we went in and ordered - and all I had was a water. I decided I would eat when we got home. Because it was unhealthy. I had reached the point where balance was gone. I didn't realize it that day - it was probably several months later. Now...it's all about balance. I will have that ice cream cone with my family - because it's not all about losing weight. Sometimes it's about being together with those you love. Over an ice cream cone.

So, a great message you're sharing here today. We can become obsessed in many things - balance is the key. Including our own bodies....

[Dara Chadwick]

Thanks for chiming in on this topic, everybody! I appreciate hearing stories of how you all find balance -- and how you aim to teach your children to find balance, too.

[Kara from Mama Sweat]

Bravo, that was a beautiful post.