Lifelong Health vs. Short-term Fads

Today I was joined in my Groove class by my 17 year old daughter, Kimi. It was a small class - only one other student besides us - which normally would make Kimi feel self-conscious but I think her concerns were set aside pretty quickly by our instructor, Leanna. A very good thing!

A predictable thing happened as we did our dance moves - Kimi & I played off of each other. Our normal goofiness reared its head including one amusing (to us, at least!) moment when we "challenged" each other & postured as if we were enemies. We quickly got back to business and had a great workout.

Kimi isn't new to group exercise classes - she used to do ballet, jazz, and gymnastics when much younger and, more recently, ninjitsu. She is actually quite strong, energetic, and very flexible - which might not be your first thought looking at her. While petite (pocket-sized, she likes to say), right now she is not slender. The girl's got curves...not excessively but more than she wants.

Since our move in October Kimi has embraced healthier habits. First, she changed her diet and became a vegetarian, something that's rather easy to do where we live. Now, she's seeking more opportunities to be physically active. The key here is she is choosing this - all of her motivations are intrinsic and come from a healthy place inside her. Too often motivations are too external - we do things because it's fashionable (do a cleanse, eat lots of protein, hot yoga is the best yoga....) not because it makes sense for us. Paying attention to what we want and what we need is so important for not only starting a healthy lifestyle but maintaining it as just that, a life style - not a diet, not a fad.

This is what I did three years ago when I decided I needed to change my habits. I lost 35 pounds over 6 months, focusing on quality and quantity of foods and on increasing regular activity, and I believe that my example helped Kimi see what healthy looks like.  No yo-yo'ing, no self-loathing, no deprivation - I still eat chocolate, drink beer, and enjoy myself at parties. I also stay mindful of what any given week's worth of eating and activity is for me and make sure that I am maintaining my sweet-spot of balance.

Lifelong health, not fitting into a too-tight outfit for a special occasion, should always be our primary goal.