Comments on: Will You Listen?

By: Heather Eats Almond Butter

Heather Eats Almond Butter — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:48:07 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving to you as well Michal.

By: Heather Eats Almond Butter

Heather Eats Almond Butter — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:46:54 +0000

Emily, It was really refreshing for me to read your comment. Thanks for letting me know I’m not alone. I just keep telling myself…focus on the time with family tomorrow…NOT on the dessert table.

By: Michal

Michal — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:28:25 +0000

Heather you have done it once again! You always seem to post the right things just when I need them most. I have noticed that because of the holidays I am beginning to fall into an unhealthy pattern, exercising more, and pinching my calories. I know this is not the way to go but the stress from the holidays is getting to me.

Having been extremely overweight I always have a fear of going back, it terrifies me. Sometimes I feel like if I eat or over eat a couple days and don’t get in my exercise that I will just balloon up again. However I know that’s false. I know that if I fall off the wagon I can pick myself up again. I know that Im young and at 17 I should be worrying about much more than my weight. Sometimes the pressure from the media and peers gets to me.

The reason why I love your blog so much is that it is all about balance, you show me an example of what a real balanced girl can be like. You inspire me. Thank you!
Happy thanksgiving ♥

By: Emily

Emily — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:24:24 +0000

I’ve been reading every day! I love your blog. I’m addicted.

I’ve struggled with issues like this myself. Whatever workout I do every day, never seems to be enough. And if I don’t work out, I get mad at myself and regret it all day and the next day. So basically, I HAVE to work out every day or I make myself miserable.

As for eating issues, I have those also. I’m actually worried about Thanksgiving dinner, because I know that over-eating is bound to happen, and then I’ll feel sick about it for the next few days.

By: Holly

Holly — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:13:29 +0000

i am so in agreement heather! just at work today, my boss was like how do you stay so skinny when you eat that much food? i am like because I EAT FOOD AND AM ACTIVE. and the foods i eat are whole, good foods. so yes, eat away! i just wish we could stop being so hard on ourselves and being our own worst critics – life is too dayum short!!!

By: poiseinparma

poiseinparma — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:15:56 +0000

There is so much I love about this post. I’ve taken the past week off from blogging so I can figure out my mental state regarding food. It’s been rough and I know it’s something I will always struggle with. But I feel like I’ve made my own progress in the past week by not giving into night time eating urges and letting go of some stress that I have. I will listen to my stomach and body, instead of my head! I must!

…and the pups are super cute.

By: Gena

Gena — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:22:01 +0000

This is such an unbelievably compassionate, sweet, and forgiving post, Heather. And it seems to have inspired a lot of readers. Thanks for sharing your insights, which are always empathetic and kind.

By: MaryO

MaryO — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:54:29 +0000

Hey Heather, I find your blog with its content and the responses you elicit from your blogging fascinating. Unrealistic beauty expectations and the disorders that result from them are a real issue in our society today. However, as a society I feel WE are setting those standards just as every (male dominated) culture has over the ages. As a consumer driven society (your blog is a prime example) every aspect of self expression is tied to selling something; beauty is a commodity which is used to sell goods and unwittingly our self worth. Those who are able to “divorce” themselves from this hawking of beauty are able to have a sense of self that is immune to these sales pitches. The actress, Gabouriey Sidibe, in the movie “Precious” comes to mind. She is a woman who is clearly clinically obese, but who has such a great sense of self that she refuses to be defined by her weight.
I bring this up, as I see a common thread with your response and many of your respondents’ replies to exercise, which is blame. Blame cardio, or blame an “intense” workout schedule. Although you advocate that everyone should exercise and eat in a healthy manner you then suggest Israel’s workout is extreme, which it is not. She’s basically burning 300- 450 Kcals a workout session (depending on body weight and exercise intensity) with 3 resistance/flexibility training sessions per week which burns minimal Kcals, maybe for a total of 325- 514 Kcals a day. As a 5ft 4in.122 Ilb woman my daily Kcal requirements without exercise, but normal daily activity, is a mere 1800 Kcals, with Israel’s amount of exercise I get to consume a whopping 2125- 2300 Kcals a day to maintain my weight, not exactly excessive numbers.
Maybe I’ve been lucky and always loved exercise; I don’t feel trapped by it or beholden to it. As I get older, I’m in my early fifties; I realize exercise is an essential tool to help maintain lean muscle mass, flexibility, strength, endurance, cardiovascular integrity, balance, appropriate body mass, elevation of mood, and ability to carry out activities of daily life to ensure an independent lifestyle. Weight control is one piece of the puzzle of total health, yet exercise, including aerobic exercise, is integral to all of the other aspects. I happily schedule my workouts for the week, whether a spin class, yoga session, hikes with my dog, or a speed session on the track. I use races to periodize my training, so that I take recovery breaks from more intense periods. This keeps me from getting bored/and or over-trained.
One of the American College of Sport’s Medicine (ACSM) stands is to weigh the benefits of exercise against the negatives before embarking on an exercise program. Clearly if exercise causes anyone to be miserable they should desist from it; just be sure it’s the exercise and not what the scale says that’s making them miserable.

By: Elina

Elina — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:56:25 +0000

Heather, you are awesome!
I go through stages when I take everything easy and then other times I am constantly feeling bad about not exercising enough, eating too much, etc. It’s so hard to turn your brain off when these things happen. What’s crazy is when I’m more relaxed, I actually eat better and still exercise consistently (I love it, so I need it for sanity!)… and when I stress out about it, I end up bingeing or at least over snacking. Thank you for this reminder!!

By: Jackie

Jackie — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:03:40 +0000

Thank you for this post!
Eons ago I gained almost 100lbs on a medication. I’ve lost 60lbs, and the last 35 was with Weight Watchers. I’m leaving that program behind because I’m tired of it and I became obsessed with it. I’ve recently switched to better foods, less sugar, and less wheat. I don’t really care how many points are in quinoa and coconut milk because they are great foods! I try not to think about food unless I’m buying it, cooking it or ready to eat it.
I have the tools all in my head. I know what to do food wise and I don’t have the time to be obsessed with exercise.