Editor’s Note: this post is part of the current series of posts submitted by healthy living bloggers on what health means to them. We are no longer taking submissions on this topic and will soon open the floor to a new topic.
This post is brought to you by Emmie at Skinny Emmie.
I’ve struggled my entire life with my weight, and also, with my health. While weight and health are often assumed partners in crime, (when one is good, the other is also) I’ve quickly learned that this simply isn’t the case.
I’ve been a 215 pound aerobics instructor in my early twenties. At 400 pounds I completed my first 5K. Now, at over 70 pounds into my weight loss journey, but still at 384 pounds, I consider myself healthy. What gives?
Health to me is proactively working to make sure your mind and body are well-functioning. Regular physical activity at least three times per week, plus food and drink consumption at reasonable levels. Health is also the ability to handle stress when it happens, and to be able to enjoy things when there is occasion to! Health is treating your body as the engine it is, and making sure you fuel it properly and don’t let it sit in park for too long.
Health is NOT necessarily being skinny or having a bikini body. It’s NOT necessarily being able to run a marathon or working out 7 times a week. Health is when your body and mind can rise to meet the challenges it faces, and to recover afterward.
Thanks Emmie! To stay updated on everything going on with HLB, please be sure to subscribe in your feed of choice!
Hey Emmie! I love your website and I’m glad you were featured here.
You got it right! Health isn’t at all about size. You can be healthy at a lot of sizes. Skinny shouldn’t be the goal.