Operation Beautiful

Happy Monday bloggies!!  After a rocky start to the day (forgot half my lunch, co-worker spilled my post lunch snack all over the fridge (I forgive you :-)) and a zillion billion things thrown in my inbox and phone duty, I was pretty fried!  Thankfully, things turned around, as they usually do, and the day is looking up :-)

First of all, I got in a nice relaxing swim during lunch.  Sometimes, this is the best escape from the world-no one can get to me underwater!  I swam a leisurely 1.5 miles with some chill tunes, grabbed my lunch ( a flat out wrap with ham and hummus, broiled grapefruit and greek yogurt) and got back to work, ready to rock n' roll. 

Second of all, I got a really nice pick me up from one of my favorite food blogs!  I started reading healthy living blogs back in 2009, with Self's "Eat Like Me" blog and then "Kath Eats".  Since then, I've expanded my list of faves to a  dozen or so blogs I check in with daily, including "Healthy Tipping Point", a blog written by a woman in Florida who originally started blogging her meals to keep herself accountable for her big wedding day, and now spreads a healthy living message through the blog world via yummy vegetarian recipes, running escapades (and some multi sport, too, so we love her!) and a message of positive self image. 

One of her biggest messages is through "Operation Beautiful"  which encourages people to end "fat talk" and focus on positive self worth through things OTHER than a number on a scale or what you can see on the "outside".  The message is spread via post-it notes in random places-the bathroom, gym locker room, anywhere!  Check out her site for more information.  And feel free to spread the positive word!

For me, this movement is extremely exciting and motivating.  As a teenage girl, I never worried too much about "being fat" until my dance teacher in high school told me I would never be able to dance en pointe (on my toes) until I lost weight.  I wasn't fat...maybe a little chubby, but overall really healthy.  This line of thinking sent me in a downward spiral that only got worse once I went to college and was surrounded by girls in size 0 jeans.  (Interestingly enough, I danced ballet, pointe, jazz and modern for all 4 years being "too chubby"). 

 It wasn't until I became a senior that I tapped into healthy eating and living, and took the weight of sensibly.  However, as the "healthy girl" I  still struggled with harmful behaviors such as bingeing, restricting, and sadly, for awhile, purging.  It took a long time for me to realize that being healthy had to do with more than just a number on the scale or what size jeans I wore.  And now....I eat veggies cause they taste good and I like the way they make me feel.  And I still haven't met a reese's pieces I don't like, but I eat them in moderation.   Rather than restricting, i appreciate food for it's yumminess and fuel.  And I know that I am beautiful just as I am (90% of the time.  I am still a work in progress!)

As an athlete, I am very in tune with my body, and still sometimes struggle with the "perfect image" of what I want to be and want it to do...especially when my sport involves tights, trisuits and a certain amount of disrobing for longer distances :-)  However, I have come to a point in my life where I focus on how I feel and what I can accomplish, rather than how I look.  And it's a message I hope to pass onto my kids, and to Girl's on the Run this season!

And for a little Monday tunage, check out this empowering video, based off of Lady Gaga's "Born this Way"

How could you not SMILE?

Have a wonderful day, friends!