The Secret to Staying Slim and Healthy

I really enjoy reading your advice column at CWO. What a wonderful resource. Thank you for being the God-centered, Christ-loving woman that you are! 

I too, am a mother of 3 young children. Between Bible study, homeschooling and caring for my home and husband, I struggle to find the time to exercise and eat properly.  I  wondered what your secret was to being so slim and healthy?

______________________________________

My secret to staying slim and healthy is (drum roll please!)…eating well and staying active.

OK, I know that was a pretty simple answer, but it’s the truth. Over years of being on a weight roller coaster, I finally got to the point where I wanted to stay fit and feel good ALL the time. I always feel healthier and prettier when my weight is lower, and of course my clothes fit better. I had to change my eating habits and lifestyle once and for all. Luckily, my husband was 100% on board and was probably the biggest encourager to our family in this area. So, eating habits changed not only for me, but for my children and my husband.

As I’ve said here before, consult your doctor before choosing any diet or fitness routine, then consider what’s best. For me, the key has been eating fresh, healthy foods and not over eating. I’d prefer to eat more of the yummy foods I enjoy in smaller quantities, rather than eating large portions of ONLY healthy foods that I don’t really enjoy. For me, eating is about the taste and not the quantity. A lot of woman I know are just the opposite, where quantity is important, rather than quality. You have to figure out what is important to you and get into a new way of eating from there.

Include your whole family. If you just try to diet on your own, it’s not going to last for very long. If you change your whole family’s eating habits and fitness/sport routine, you’ll have a better chance at sticking to it.

I take pilates about 3 times a week as well as play tennis, and I walk about 1 1/2 miles every day (around my neighborhood). The kids either walk with me or ride their bikes. This turns into family time not only to share and laugh, but also exercise. (When the kids whine about walking the circle… telling them “no desert” usually quiets them up pretty fast.) And FYI… desert is usually fresh fruit. They have ice cream or something sugary sweet once or twice a week. (And we keep that to a small portion). Trust me, this makes the once a month trip to Cold Stones–for whatever they want–all the better!

Ultimately, I had to give my “food issues” over to God. There are bad habits I’m prone to repeating, but they never make me feel good for long. That’s when I ask myself, “Is food or God more important to me?” This usually stops my bad habits as well.

I hope this helps and encourages you.

5 comments for “The Secret to Staying Slim and Healthy

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *