CURVY girls/THIN girls....Why LOOK at the BODY INSIDE as much as OUTSIDE????

This week, a photo of a nude, but carefully posed picture of Plus Sized Tara Lynn, a model featured in Elle magazine, appeared on FaceBook. It included a story of whether one wanted to be a whale or a mermaid. The whale was portrayed as nurturing, loved and surrounded by friends and family, and being more concerned with living large, than worrying about her larger size. The other choice was really not considered realistic, as mermaids cannot have babies, be moms, be social and nurturing and wisely live life to the fullest, since they are who they are, a fantasy with limitations.  And so the controversy sparked  lively discussions. And lots of thumbs ups!

I found the discussion of interest, since I am fully aware of both sides of the coin! I know that most people think I have magically always been thin and trim and can eat whatever I want. Well, surprising to many, because we all carry our weight differently due to our bone structure, height, etc. I tipped the scales at 50 pounds heavier some three decades ago. I tell you that, because I am very aware of the media fueled, unrealistic portrayal of beauty and fitness and the continuing use of too thin women as "examples" of what fit and beautiful are supposed to look like!

My title of weight coach Linda should really be Health Coach Linda, because my goal is only to get your weight in line where you are HAPPY and HEALTHY. I know a person can count calories on the new sites that do it not considering QUALITY of the calories and you can become a toothpick if you wanted. That's FOOLISH, in my opinion. And yes, as Oprah taught, shame on the media to promote super thin as the standard for beauty! It's just plain wrong and creates non self acceptance for many.  Having said that, NOT paying attention to MORE live, whole, non processed or refined food for your HEALTH, is like waiting for a ticking time bomb to implode! Don't dwell on the weight. Dwell on your health! You can still have goodies, you can have family food favorites, you can have most anything! But why not try to substitute, even on a small scale at first, some of the refined, processed, dead foods that beget ill health and for some, possibly even death.  The results CAN and ARE amazing. To be truthful, I'd rather have you be a size 16 because you ate too large a portion of healthy, wonderfully empowering food, than for you to be a size four who overexercises, counts calories and eats empty, dead, processed, refined foods! The story with the picture might have been better to have used the analogy, do you want to be a dolphin, or a mermaid? Using the excuse that we have to overeat, be overweight in an unhealthy way, to enjoy Life, Food, Family....it's not wise nor realistic in my opinion!  And yes, obesity, as most know, can often contribute to diseases from heart disease to cancer to diabetes. To best gauge your acceptable weight for optimal health, consider finding out your BMI or Body Mass Index by going to:  http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/bmi.php  This gives you an idea of your fat content in your body. But even it is arbitrary. Do allow if you are large boned, are above 5'6 or taller, and if you carry your weight more in your legs and arms than breasts, abdomen, or hips. Now let's quickly talk about why eating refined flours/sugars and NOT eating complex fibers like brown rice, veggies in the raw, some fruits like apples, pears, berries, etc. can create a fat that can be deadly.

Here's a picture to show you what happens sometimes when you eat ice cream as a regular treat, drink pop for a beverage, eat too many white flour or white sugar carbs.  Fat under the skin, is subcutaneous fat, and while it can increase weight and affect how your clothes fit, it is not as dangerous as VISCERAL fat! This fat accumulates if there is substantial intake over time of highly refined foods from Mac N Cheese to ice cream, cookies, pop, fast food and well, you know it, chips and lattes, and need I go on. VISCERAL fat the BAD fat. It encourages high production of triglycerides and the bad cholesterol, LDL, as well as may be a top breeding ground for cancers since it can extend in women to the breasts, and female pelvis area. So having too much fat, of the wrong kind, is not about VANITY, it's about preventing and living without disease. And don't be lulled into thinking if you are younger, you have no worries. Many folks are getting sick in their 30's, dying of sudden heart problems and breast cancer is striking women earlier and earlier on.  So this is not about, is the Plus Sized model beautiful??  She is!  It is about OPENING YOUR MIND, that you making a few small choices I recommend in this blog can make a huge difference in securing your health. And if you are toned from enough walking or exercise, and are beginning to substitute from the dead/naked/stripped stuff to food from Mother Nature at her best, then be happy with the best weight for you, IF YOU ARE INCORPORATING at least some of the suggestions in changing over to healthier eating. READ, EDUCATE, and you WILL NOT HAVE TO BE DEPRIVED! I plan on having my cookies/chocolate/a cupcake here and there/spaghetti/mashed potatoes, and on and on. BUT I change up the ingredients w/out taking the taste away. Give yourself time. Take baby steps. And for you folks counting calories and thinking ALL CALORIES are ALIKE, they are not. Again, 1800 calories of processed colored "wheat" bread, white rice, white noodles, milk chocolate, quick processed foods are NOT the same as complex carbs, like brown rice, unrefined sugars, dark chocolate and so on and so forth. LET ME EDUCATE YOU. Be the BEST you can be. And whatever you do, do not think you can eat junk food as your mainstay without paying a huge price whenever the body decides, enough is enough. CHEERS, and I hope you find LOVE, HEALTH, HAPPINESS, ACCEPTANCE of yourself, and above all, I will share everything I know for you to succeed in these things. Hugs and G'nite!