Healthy Chicks

In college counting calories, unhealthy     Now @ my happy weight – 15 lbs. lighter

Yesterday while organizing my room, I came across a purse I used back in college. I decided to look through it, mostly to see if I could find a random $20 bill. No luck. But I did find an old “meal plan” I used to carry around with me Junior year and I was appalled by what I read. “Breakfast = puffins or egg beaters with veggie cheese Lunch = handful of grapes & walnuts Dinner=sweet potato.” Um, what? Grapes and walnuts for lunch? That doesn’t even equate to a good snack considering the way I eat now.

Not to mention, my lifestyle and thoughts on healthy living were completely distorted. I was counting calories. I was letting food consume my life. I was unhealthy. Flash forward a few years and I’ve completely transformed the way I view health, and even more so the way I view myself. I now fill my plates with hearty, wholesome meals and have learned to love cooking and creating delicious meals for myself, my family and even my boyfriend. I am a 100% new woman.

So since my blog is called “Healthy Chicks” and all I decided to let you all in on what exactly healthy means to me. Here’s a hint: It has nothing to do with counting calories, using fat free dressing or signing up for boot camp. Read on…

What Does Healthy Mean to me?

• Learning to cook… really tasty, wholesome meals for yourself & knowing exactly what goes into them
• Looking at the ingredients on food labels & understanding what’s going into your body
• Having a “glass is half full” mindset 75% of the time
• Experimenting with exotic foods & learning to try something new
• Smiling. A Lot.
• Drinking lots and lots and lots of water
• Having that cup o’ Joe in the morning (or three) if that’s what gets you going. Hey, my great-grandmother lived to be 99 and drank black coffee every day
• Not allowing the scale to make or break your day. It is just a number. If it’s going to control you, throw the darn thing out.
• Staying away from processed foods & crap as much as you can, but not beating yourself up for having a handful of Doritos or some chicken nuggets
• Doing whatever it is you do that makes you your happiest & encouraging other’s to do the same
• Exercising because it makes you feel good – for health, strength, toning & mental stability, rather for looking “skinny”
• Letting go of jealousy for other women’s jobs/bodies/lifestyles & learning to support one another
• Finding your “happy weight” by simply being
• Giving yourself enough “me” time whether it’s taking a long walk by yourself, or curling up with a glass of Merlot & a good book
• Drinking when you want to drink…but knowing your limits
• Having a burger & fries when you want burgers & fries..but not every day
• Rocking the body you got, be it curve-a-licious or tall & slender
• Listening to your body & eating when it’s hungry not “just because” or “every 3 hours”
• Making fruits & veggies your best friends
• Learning what foods sit well & what foods don’t & treating your body with respect. I have a gluten sensitivity so you won’t find me digging into the bread bowl, but if I want a brownie I’ll eat it. Be willing to pay the consequences.
• Believing in yourself & all you can do
• Practicing yoga, meditation or whatever it takes to find peace & serenity from the hectic world & taking the time to breathe
• Going on adventures like hiking, kayaking, or skiing – it’s liberating
• Losing weight or joining a gym for you not for your mom/your boyfriend/that frat boy
• Loving others, & above all loving yourself

What does healthy mean to YOU? Has your view of health changed over the years?

XoXo,