i haven't been exactly too sure how to approach all the drama recently, and honestly? i don't really care about it.
i think everyone is so caught up in "whose side" they're on that they're missing the point. anytime the poop hits the fan, we should try to step back, chill the heck out, and see the nugget of truth in the situation.
so i don't really care how you feel about the article, truthfully, but i do care about you. instead, i'm asking you to really dig deep and consider these questions:
how's your relationship with food? how do you feel about the way you eat and your body? how do others react to your habits?
-rebekah
I'm going to take this opportunity to respond and share how my life is going.
ReplyDeleteMy relationship with food is getting better. Far from perfect, but getting better. On a positive note, I no longer fear [soy/regular/almond] milk. By that, I mean I can pour it into my overnight oats or use an amount in a smoothie without measuring it or restricting it because of calorie fear (which is one benefit of almond milk due to its low calorie status).
I wish I would listen to my body's hunger cues more often because I tend to let hunger linger in hopes that my next meal will either taste better, or that I'll be able to cram more in me and get more money out of my meal plan. In general, I feel so-so about the way that I eat. I love that I eat healthy about 99% of the time and the foods I eat are no sacrifice in my eyes. There are times I wish I could eat certain foods with less worry and anxiety, but I see the milk thing as one step closer toward the right direction.
I get ups and downs with my body. I'm glad that I'm learning to listen to it in regards to exhaustion and exercise and I've been able to cut back when I need to or exert myself when I have a bit of extra energy and it doesn't feel like it's going to kill me. When my abs or legs aren't as defined on a given day, I still get that feeling as if I'm doing something wrong with my diet or "getting fat" again, but I know now that that's a bit silly and our body changes all of the time - we can't be "ripped" 24/7. I'm learning to accept that maybe a body that's not cut as steel is worth not doing endless crunches or running extra hard for, and that the sanity and enjoyment of being able to carry myself through the day makes up for all of it.
My Mom thinks I work out too much, but I've kept it to 20 minutes 6 times a week (now including jogging class but that'll be over after this semester and I'll do my best to adjust) and I've been incorporating strength training in place of half of the cardio for those 20 minutes on half of the days and I'm hoping that it's working. Most people respect that I choose to eat healthy and forego treats when they're offered (ice cream and cookies are made everyday at the dining hall). There are times when I'd love to have a piece, but I tell myself that something homemade would taste much superior and the negative feelings that may or may not ensue probably aren't worth it.
It's all a work in progress but at least there's progress at all. Thanks for providing an outlet to share my current thoughts and relationships. :)
Awesome, awesome point.
ReplyDeleteRebekah,
ReplyDeleteyou are making a fundamental point. This debate should not be about creating conflicts, and discussing for days which side one is on.
We should all be on the side of health and life. Focus on our needs as individual, do our very best to not compare ourself to other. It is dangerous when people are blindlessy idolized, when the words of somebody is understood as the Big Truth about healthy living. There are no such truth, what might be right for me is not necessarily right for the dude next to me on the bus.
My relationship with food is truely improving, as I've come to realize that food is a great companion in life. Actually, it is what enable us to live. Calories no longer cause as much stress and anxiety as previous, rather I've come to view calories positively. Plenty of them too, they are my medicine.
Eating more has made a world of difference to me, and not a day goes by without me wondering how I could ever survive on as little food as I did. It makes me sad, yet so thankful for my body and its refusal to give up. Each day my goal is to give life to my beautiful body, making it stronger and happier. It deserve it.
Keep being you - your voice and person are amazing and important.
<3
Oh, sweet Rebekah! Thanks for this laugh and for making an excellent point. Drama sucks. Literally. It sucks the life out of us. It sucks up all of our beautiful energy and distracts us from what really matters.
ReplyDeleteI've turned my head away from this whole "article" thing because it really felt like a whole bunch of drama to me and drama isn't what I want to spend my energy on. I had moments of feeling a bit guilty - like I wasn't contibuting to this "big thing" that seemed to matter so much to so many people, but every time I listened to my inner wisdom, I felt content and peaceful to just let it wash on past and to keep my focus on the things in my life that feel nurturing, creative, abundant, peaceful, and powerful.
Love you, girl! Thanks again for putting the focus on self-reflection.
Thank youuuuuuuuuuuuu! Right now people are definitely taking sides and I think the majority of bloggers are being so blinded by their anger towards it that they really are missing the point.
ReplyDeleteWe all know that the article was poorly researched and we all know details were skewed. Knowing that, we should be looking DEEPER because as much as it sucks, there IS a grain of truth hidden amongst its words. To be honest, I think this could have been an absolutely great article if she had left names out of it and actually researched blogs that actually related to what she was talking about because there are MANY of them out there.
My relationship with food has its ups and downs. Some days it's fantastic and I adore my food while other days I hate it passionately. Thankfully I've been having more good days than bad. :)
if im honest, i have a NOT so good relationship with food. I feel guilty for eating still, deep down I feel like im doing something bad. But Im making progress, atleast im eating now and its more and more variety of food everyday! today i had a piece of non organic chocolate! Yay! (big deal for me)
ReplyDeleteDana xo
http://happinessiswithinblog.com/
My relationship changes daily....but it is getting better!
ReplyDeleteI always think media throws things way out of proportion....and only one view point to sell articles!
PS I love that picture!
Hee hee, way to bring things back into picture. There's so many debate going on that is just completely missing the point, imo.
ReplyDeleteMy relationship with food is getting better and better but it's been a very long and gradual process. I starved myself in my teens to fit in with friends at school thanks to the waif trend. As I went into my late teens I got addicted to exercise but lived on a diet of junk foods. When I went into my twenties, I found myself unexpectedly a single parent after my fiance left me. I turned to food for comfort which started off a binge eating problem that I'm striving really hard to overcome.
ReplyDeleteMy diet has improved in leaps and bounds from what it was and I now eat a wholesome, nutritious diet where nothing is off limits (though I do limit processed/convenience/junk foods because of how awful they make me feel). I'm learning to practice moderation and getting better at it. For a long time I had a fear of getting hungry and ate every 2-3 hours regardless so as to keep those feelings at bay. Deep down I was worried that hunger would trigger a binge for me but I realise that being scared of hunger is not healthy (or rational!) and I now make a real effort to only eat when I feel those hunger pangs. As a result I'm not eating anywhere near as much as I was but I'm feeling so much happier. The husband is also very happy as I was a bit of a nightmare when I had to eat every couple of hours as it meant we could never do anything spontaneous.
I think I'm on the road to healthy and I love it :)
Great blog by the way, I've subscribed.
Oops - mammoth comment
ReplyDeleteTruly, I think the foodblog drama is a bit silly. But I also have yet to read into it all, and I'm fine without doing so. I like food, I like eating the good stuff from the ground, and I love exercising. But? I'm not 100% - I feel lousy when I over-eat. Over-eating not having anything to do with calories, but eating RIGHT after dinner, when I'm not hungry at all, for no apparent reason. That just isn't healthy. Food is meant to be enjoyed, not wasted. And if I feel deprived of more muesli (?!) I just need to serve myself a comfy lil' bowl... when I actually feel hungry, and enjoy it completely.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I do have to say: I'm sick of all the companies making their 100 cal. packs, their sugar-free frozen cakes, their 0cal sports drinks, or their 5 hour energy shots. It's a lie, it's a joke covered in salt, artificial sugars, chemicals and trans fats. It's never going to stop, though, and I'm just one person, so I won't be starting any food revolutions any time soon. I can only hope people's eyes soon open to what they're actually eating. It's so, so, sad. What has happened with this country, honestly?
Love ya girl, hope school is going great and God continues to bless you in ways you were never expecting. You're lovely!
I have such a strange relationship with food... where to even begin?! I love it, sometimes too much. It fuels me, it frustrates me, it motivates me, sometimes it feels like it controls me. But it's a necessity! And it can bring people together, it can make people feel better, it can heal you, make you stronger. I'm trying to stop having such an obsessive relationship with food, and learning to let it fuel me without controlling me!
ReplyDeleteThere were moments of feeling a little guilty, as if not contributing this great thing that seemed so much to so many people, but every time he listened to my inner wisdom.
ReplyDeleteNo Deposit Poker