Food For Thought

I was able to watch about 1 hour of Biggest Looser last night.  (then I fell asleep)  What appeals to me about the show?  I like seeing the participants make life altering changes.  Of  course I do wonder what happens after the show is over, clearly the contestants go back to their lives and do not have as much time to work out as they do when they are on the show, but I like to hope that they have taken what they have learned and continue on with a healthy lifestyle. 
As you continue to get to know me through what I write you will find out that I have VERY strong feelings about living a healthy life.  Now before you think I am a self righteous person I will explain some things to you.  I was a fat an obese child.  I remember at the start of 7th grade I had a sports physical to play soccer.  I tried to hide my physical form because of what my weight was.  I realized it wasn't good, I was scared and embarrassed, no one in my family is overweight and we lived an active lifestyle.  I was afraid of what my body was and how I could change it.  Over the course of that year the weight melted away, it was in combination with little changes to my diet and with an increase in exercise (soccer everyday after school and on the weekends) in combination with what, I am not sure but it came off.  Up until I had my first child I struggled internally with my weight, my weight did and still does fluctuate.  (I have two children and put on 50lbs. with my first child and have gotten back to pre-pregnancy weight) 
**Please don't think that I believe all who are overweight are unhealthy because I know many people who are at a good weight who are internal time bombs because of diet and lack of exercises and other things.**
I never want my children to go through what I did.  I want them to have a healthy outlook on themselves and life.  It worries me that I hear over and over that this generation is not expected to out live their parents and that childhood obesity is on the rise.  At the same time I do not want my children growing up obsessed with food especially my daughter, I want her to realize that she is beautiful and not feel that her weight determines who she is.  It took me a while to understand that there is a difference between being healthy and thin.  I believe that excess FAT on your body is not good, but you can weight less than someone and have more fat on you than someone who weighs more.  I want my children to understand that, that and the importance of movement.  I tell my students this all the time, you don't have to move fast, just MOVE!!!
Again I am not a self righteous person.  Trust me there is room for improvement with me on my diet and how I exercise.  I eat a little chocolate everyday, if not I would consume all of Chocolate World in one day!  I LOVE to exercise, I don't have enough time/days in the week to do it as much as I would like.  I wish i could do more cardio, time just doesn't let that happen.  I do try to exercise most days of the week (cadrio, strength training, stretching).  I love to strength train (free weights, resistance bands, body weight as resistance, you get the idea).  I eat what I want, I feel there are no "bad" foods just "bad" portions.  This is something I want my kids to really understand.  Trust me, they eat junk food, more than they should, but my kids do know what strawberries are (I have some students that don't) and my son will choose broccoli over mashed potatoes (change that to french fries and you might change his mind) but my son is also learning about exercise.  He has his own resistance band and he uses it when I use mine.  He says its "mommy exercise time", I love that!  I just want my children to grow up healthy, physically, emotionally, mentally, and for them to realize that they have the power to shape who they are (no pun intended there).  Watching Biggest Looser last night just reminded me that it is hard to break that cycle of inactivity and poor diet, but I believe ANYONE can do it!