Vandy girls, let’s face it. Coffee is not breakfast, lettuce with a few carrots is not a proper meal, and there’s only so much Greek yogurt can do. If, like me, you’ve felt the pressure to change your body since being at this school, then listen up: Stop it now, and start loving yourself. If you feel uncomfortable with your weight or appearance, do something positive about it, but never stop loving yourself. The truth is, no matter how pretty or fit that girl down on the next treadmill may be, she has insecurities too. Who knows, she may hate that she can’t fill out dresses, or that her boobs haven’t grown since 8th grade. The truth is, no one is perfect. The sad truth at Vanderbilt, though, is that everyone thinks they are supposed to be. The result is unhealthy under-eating during the week, binge eating on weekends, and self-hatred in the gym every day. Why are we doing this to ourselves?
I want to put things in perspective for you: In the fifth grade, I was a foot shorter than I am now, but I weighed exactly what I do now. 131 pounds, 4’6” tall. After struggling with chronic knee pain at the age of 10, my parents and I made the life-changing decision to put me on Weight Watchers. My parents, friends, and teachers all supported me, especially during those first few weeks when I had to re-learn how to nourish my body. Even in my fragile pre-teen years, I knew that getting healthy had to be my first priority, and I counted my “points” religiously. My best friend was even inspired to adopt my new healthy lifestyle (even though she really didn’t need it) and every night, we called each other to discuss new, creative meals to put in our lunchboxes. Those six months taught me discipline, but more importantly, they taught me how to care for and accept myself as I was. I want to share with you some of the healthy habits that I learned then that I still adhere to today. Why? Because they work. I don’t starve myself, criticize myself, or punish myself. I’m not saying I don’t have days where I lift my shirt up and stare at the mirror, disappointed in the way I look. That is far too normal. However, what I don’t do, is then proceed to starve myself or overexert myself! Try incorporating some of these healthy habits into your daily routine, and I know you will start to feel better about yourself almost instantly!
1. Diet Theory: Eat what makes you happy.
How many of you follow this kind of routine: Coffee for breakfast, Greek yogurt for lunch, salad for dinner? How many times a day do you actually appreciate the food you are eating? And then, whenever you get sad or bored, how many of you run to the Munchie Mart, buy a box of Pizza Rolls or a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, and then consume them all in one sitting? …Go ahead, raise your hand. And of course, all the while, you’re texting one of your girlfriends, telling them about what a “fattie” you are being.
There are so many things terribly wrong with this kind of routine. First, your body needs more than that to function at its full potential. Taking a “minimalistic” approach to eating for too long will start to make you habitually tired and cranky, and consequently do things like binge drink/eat. Stop it. Also, have you ever heard the phrase “Everything in moderation”? When it comes to eating, this could not be more true. What sounds more normal, adding a 200-calorie cookie to a meal every couple days, or eating an entire pizza/pint of ice cream/family-size bag of Doritos once a week? Your body is made to enjoy things in moderation – the healthiest diet is one that includes a wide variety of frequent, small meals (6-10 small meals a day). A healthy diet also includes a little bit of fat (also known as energy). If you want pasta, get pasta; just get it as a side with a large mixed salad with grilled chicken and unsweet iced tea, and you’ll have a balanced meal. Something a healthy diet does not include, however, is abuse – don’t call yourself a “fattie” for having a treat every now and then, and don’t force yourself to binge eat by starving yourself on a regular basis.
2. Gym Theory: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
Teddy Roosevelt as a 19-year old boxing champ.
I doubt Teddy Roosevelt had the Estrogym in mind when he recited these famous words, but they could not be truer anywhere else. Another flurry of destructive habits occur inside the gym: That casual glance over to the girl’s treadmill next to yours, the sneaky pushing of your “level” button to match hers… the secret name-calling and body-bashing you do inside your head (“Yeah well at least I have a butt” or “Look at how awkward she looks running” or “What is that move even doing? She’s not working anything”)… the self-destructive thoughts you have as you are forced to push the pause button to take a break… the list goes on and on. Once again, ladies, stop it. Invest in a pair of blinders and focus on yourself. Go into the gym with a goal, select a motivating playlist, and focus on improving yourself. The girl on the treadmill next to you could have been an All-American sprinter, and you might have just started working out. You are not going to have the same endurance or strength, so stop trying! Instead, focus on achieving your own personal goals. Every day you go to the gym, try to do just a little more than you did before: Run an extra minute, do another set of abs, whatever. Point is, our bodies are not built the same way, nor are they intended to function the same way. Improvement is not doing as well as the girl next to you, it’s doing better than you did before.
3. Fun Theory: It’s a Lifestyle
This is something my mom taught me a long time ago: Health isn’t something that happens at certain meals, or in the 30 daily minutes you spend in the gym. When you compartmentalize the “healthy” parts of your lifestyle, they become a chore and something burdensome to have to focus on. However, when you incorporate health and fitness into every area of life, it becomes a natural part of your lifestyle that you don’t have to stress over. Here are some creative ways to get fit and stay healthy:
· When you watch TV, if you actually have time, do jumping jacks, planks, or crunches during commercials!
(i.e. burn off the ice cream you eat while watching The Bachelor with your girls!)
· Take walking talks with friends instead of chatting in your room.
· While sitting at a table studying, do leg lifts or flex and un-flex your abs.
· When you go out, make a pact with your friends to dance the night away. Sweat: Optional. Swag: Essential.
· Instead of going out to eat with friends, try new workout classes or go on adventures together. Instead of a weekend of partying, try a weekend of hiking or canoeing.
· Any time you feel sad (or are having a “fat day”), go for a run. Exercise boosts endorphins and will put you in a better mood!
So ladies, anytime you start to feel those negative thoughts creep into your pretty brains, remember to keep things in perspective. You have your health, you go to a great school, and you have people that love you. That’s more than a lot of people can say!
Just remember a few things- having a cookie every now and then won’t kill you, working out is an act of self-improvement and not a competition, and health is a lifestyle, not an assignment. LOVE YOURSELF.