Someone is coming to my house on Wednesday to talk to me about why my kids are healthy. It is part of a USU study on healthy habits and healthy weight in children. Gabe is in the normal weight range for his age, so we were given the option to participate (and they pay you, so why not?). Since we made the appointment, I've been wondering what they are going to ask ... and what I would answer. Why are my kids in the normal weight range? I've been surprised at how many kids I see at Gabe's elementary school who are heavy. What am I doing right ... we eat okay, but sometimes we don't. We have a computer, and sometimes the kids play it.
I don't think I have any secrets. I'm one of those people who have struggled with my weight on and off. But I feel good now. And it doesn't have much to to with how much I weigh, just about how active I am. Being active -- right now in sports -- makes me happy. And strong. And I use calories without trying. And it is fun. And I get to socialize. And I have a sense of accomplishment when I learn a new skill. And I can eat what I want without the psychological distress I've had about food in the past. There are a lot of great things that come from being active.
I worked for three years at Zion National Park. It was paradise for a lot of reasons, but one of them was because I had to be active every day. I hiked, I jogged, I walked to work, I biked. It was just part of the lifestyle there. Everyone did it, and that made it easier to do. Most people didn't have TVs in their houses. We talked and played games. We read books and looked at maps. We told stories and cooked food. We had dumb contests. It was fun.
I remember a heavy man from Australia came into the visitor center one day. He had talked to several of the rangers behind the desk. He approached me and said, "Why is it that all you park rangers are so damn beautiful?" It wasn't a pickup, he was just curious. It was because we are healthy, I replied.
It is a priority for me to pass to my kids the benefits ... physical and psychological ... of that lifestyle. There are a lot of ways to get to the same end; some people thrive on competition, some people are motivated by love of nature, or adventure. The way I am trying it now is modeling it for my kids, and teaching them some skills. I want them to have a healthy body image, but more importantly, I want them to feel strong, and to know they have control over their muscles, their brain, and their health. But I don't want them to be paranoid ... to think that if they are overweight, they are somehow worth less.
What has worked for you?
4 comments:
Play play play! Usually outside, but inside when we have to. I'm a firm believer that just being outside burns calories.
I agree, we try to make sure we have fruit and veggies and whole grains, but I also believe in Intuitive Eating, our bodies will tell us what we need. If we aren't too overly controlling our kids will naturally will not over or under eat. Our family is definitely happier when we do things active together. However, I am getting a little antsy about working on my baby weight...
btw
I wish you could come over and hold Cora while I take a luxurious nap!
Beautiful post Lael. My sentiments exactly! We participated in the same survey. Not scary, but they do weigh you, so that is not fun. I don't like to weigh myself. The money was great! Hope it goes well for you. I didn't know it was for children with healthy weight levels, that makes me even happier- I must be doing a few things right!
I don't believe in intuitive eating...because we are programmed through evolution to want the highest calorie items with the least amount of effort...Having said that, I think we can change what we "want" by reprogramming our bodies to eat whole grains, REAL fruits and veggies and legumes and "meat sparingly." And reprogramming what we like to do by limiting our time on the computer and tv and planting a garden, playing WITH our kids and transporting ourselves with our own energy. Even if we are very active we can still be heavier than the model on the magazine and the chart that says what we should weight...but if we know what is going in our mouth and we know that our activity level is not being compromised we should be fine with our genetics....The real problem is that our society is not designed to help us be successful...and our children are really really suffering physically and emotionally...we have to learn to think outside the fruit snack box!! We want an easy answer for us and our children...but it's a very complex cultural problem that needs to be really thought through.(Sorry, but you brought it up!!)
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