Why?

So, why the sudden interest in getting healthy? Well, first of all there is the issue of my mirror. You know, the one that has decided to show me a much larger me than I am used to seeing. It has, apparently, been talking to my camera, since it has been showing me an unflattering view lately as well. I’m not huge; I couldn’t even apply to be on The Biggest Loser. But if you just look at my height and weight, I am definitely in the obese range. And while I am not someone who cares too much about my appearance (I am definitely one of those no-makeup-hair-in-ponytail-jeans-and-a-hoodie moms), I don’t like how I look.

The bigger reasons have to do with my daughter. I am trying to teach her that vegetables and fruit make a good meal and that snacks are small and healthy. This was easier when she was content to eat what I served her. We went through a phase where she just wanted peas and grapes to eat. She’s still very into fruit and would choose that over sugary sweets any day, but she is also starting to want to eat what I am eating. It doesn’t matter what it is – if it is on Mommy’s plate, she wants it. This works out well when I’m having a healthy snack or meal. But if I’m having chips or garlic bread (hey, don’t judge me), it gets a little trickier. I need to lead by example and have healthy foods on my plate to share.

There’s also the matter of my health. I am the unfortunate recipient of a laundry list of family health problems. You name it, we’ve got it. When I fill out one of those family health history forms at the doctor’s office, it’s often easier to just cross off the three or four things we DON’T have. When I was in the hospital with my dad years ago, his doctor looked at me and explained that the two main causes of his problems were family history and stress. Fantastic. I can’t control my family history. And, to be fair, I can only control so much of my stress-level. A certain 18-month old enjoys a chunk of control over that situation. But I can control my other risk factors. And I can do it now.