Intro to My Views on Health

I know women through the ages have fought with standards of self-image concerning just about everything: hair quality/length/size, foot size/shape, curviness of body, weight of body, shape & size of boobs (Kali's book on the history of corsets is quite frightening), etc. You know what I mean.

So although I'm not going to tell you how much I weigh, I will tell you about my recent "progress" concerning my views on physical health and my health in general. I'm not at all unhappy with my body, especially after seeing some horrifying naked older ladies as I walk into the women's locker room at the gym. (No offense, old fat ladies.)

But last year I posted this entry about how I planned to pretty much starve myself by eating 1000 calories a day to lose weight and said I would report back in September. Obviously, I made no such report in the fall as to my progress with the 20 pounds gained at the initial launch of marriage, so it's about time. (However, calorie counting for a couple weeks was actually very beneficial (although it didn't last).)

So while artist/musician/creative types may not be known for exercising habits of proper hygiene and health (i.e. staying up all night munching on Teddy Grahams and mixed nuts while slaving away at a song/painting/piece of writing/craft project after many nights of just a few hours of sleep)--(which I have never done)--(I mean, at least not with those particular snacks), I hope to be an exception to the most extreme left-brained or genius types (neither of which I am) who are slaves to their creative minds at the expense of their overall health--yes, even as much as I admire you, Mr. Einstein, and you, Mr. Holmes, and you, Mr. Newton.

Okay. So I'm down about 10 pounds from the peak of post-marriage weight gain, which I'm happy about. I've been deathly afraid of being overweight after being a fat kid (I weighed 30 pounds more in middle school than I did by high school/college and had one of those terrible experiences involving wearing a cow-print sweatshirt to school and being laughed at by the cheerleaders as if I were a fat cow. This has been a motivating factor in my life to both avoid wearing cow-print clothing and eating entire family-sized bags of Doritos after school).

The formula for success I've found in my gradual weight loss (although I'm still not at my "ideal" weight, if such a thing exists) includes

1) Eating Less
2) Exercise

Sound familiar?

Coming up: The Subject of Eating
Photo by FL4Y