Tuesday 18 May 2010

So, yesterday I pledged allegiance to yet another country, this time it was to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It was the loveliest of ceremonies and a very warm and gracious welcome into the fold!!! Now I'm as multi-national as those rotten corporations that pilfer the globe ... kinda horrible company to be in, right?

Anyway, yesterday's swearing in left me reflecting on the nature of "home" and national identity. I feel at home in Barbados, Paris, New York and London, yet when I'm in the UK people assume I'm American or Canadian(no one I've ever met here can differentiate between these two accents), in the USA they think I'm British, in France they think I'm continental African and in my birth place Barbados, they ask me where I'm from (even though my family swears my accent hasn't changed one iota).

We are educated and encouraged to put people into all sorts of little boxes which amount to a "us" and "them" kind of world, but in my experience most people don't fit neatly into their little boxes, simply because we are richer, more complexed and fascinating than any little box can ever accommodate. What do you think?

On to another topic ... do you ever feel that it's so unfair that you have to watch what you eat and exercise mucho just to achieve a body size you are happy with?

I used to feel that way all the time, but I've had a huge shift in my attitude (thanks I have to say to the mind work I've been doing). According to Dr. Beck the percentage of people who can eat anything they like and be naturally thin is quite small. Most people who are slender maintain their size because they move more and habitually watch what they eat. This was news to me. I though most thin people had the best of both worlds, meaning I thought they were eating with wild abandon and not really exercising but were remaining thin because of genetics. Then I thought back to all my slim relatives, friends and even my husband and I realised that she was right.

For example, my husband is tall and slender and I'm always telling him how much I envy him because he can eat whatever he likes and not put on weight, but the fact is that without consciously trying to, he doesn't overeat or eat a ton of sweet, fatty stuff on a daily basis. He eats a balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner (i.e. carbs, protein, fruit and vegetables) almost never snacks and only has a sweet treat occasionally. So theoretically thought he is not "on a diet" he actually eats as though he is. I can't believe I never noticed this.

Noticing it now made me realise that where I use to think there was genetic unfairness involved in body size differences, it's less to do with that and more to do with learning and maintaining healthy and self-responsible habits of diet and exercise. In other words if my husband ate the way I've been eating for years, he too would be overweight and come to think of it, he sometimes puts on a little weight (usually no more than 2kg/5lbs)when we go on a holiday because we're eating richer food, but drops back to his regular size within a week or two of coming back home because he goes back to his regular eating. In addition, in a normal day he walks far more than I use to. Where I was taking the bus at every opportunity, he would opt to walk instead.

This realisation has done wonders for my attitude to diet and exercise. That lingering sense of resentment of the "naturally thin" has dissipated and has been replaced by a more realistic understand of the reality of things. If I want to have Jennifer Aniston's body then I have to make Jennifer Aniston food and exercise choices ... maybe not a good example, I'm NOT eating baby food for anything ... and if I want to retain my Rubens body then I can go back to my old choices. It's really as simple as that. My choice!!!

Another .5kgs/1lb gone this week.

20 comments:

  1. I think this is broadly true - and certainly the super-slim celebs work very hard (both in the gym and in denial of most foods), whatever they say. It doesn't stop me wishing - if I had a fairy godmother - that I could be one of those super-lucky few who can eat exactly what they want, when they want and don't put on weight. I'm actually almost the exact opposite, sigh.

    love
    Peridot

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh this is such a great post! Doesn't Beck talk about thinking like a thin person? I would love the day to come when I just eat when I need to fuel my body and naturally make healthy choices. I remember times in the past when I was pretty thin and eating pretty normally but just wanted to lose a couple of pounds so started dieting and I think that all got out of control and led to gaining! And more yo-yoing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This was a great post. When I was thin I ate like a horse, but I guess I was always on the go and burned it up. Now I am paying for it. I am going to get a book by Beck and read it. Have a nice day.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congrats on the weight loss this week! I loved this post! I had a trip down memory lane when I was thin, running track, playing basketball & softball almost every day. I started my weight gain after having my 1st child and it was all down hill from there. Thank you for sharing and hope you have a great day!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. it's true! i recently read that thin people are more aware of when they are filled with food which is why they don't overeat and stay thin.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oooo... interesting stuff. I wish I functioned as a thin person. I don't - and I need to figure out how to do that!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I totally agree. I think my Hubbend naturally moves a lot, and wants to move a lot. Where his obese family members and myself look for reasons why we 'can't' move. Interesting.

    I'm glad you're having helpful epiphanies.

    My bro-in-law from Southern USA moved with his wife to New Zealand. His accent is ALL messed up. :) Although people down under think he is Irish and people at home think he's from Australia.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I used to think the same way, envying thin people because I thought they didn't have to try, or even if they did try it was easy for them because they had personal trainers and cooks.

    But then I read an interview with Jennifer Lopez (I think) and she set out a typical day which involved getting up at about 4:30am to do a workout before appearing on a movie set, spening about 12 hours working on the movie, and going home to bed. I have since paid more attention to what celebrities do to stay thin and I have to say, it doesn't seem that easy - they just have the self-discipline to do what they need to do.

    In terms of eating, I have found it helpful to pay attention to what reactions I get from eating. I've definitly noticed that when I eat things with sugar in them for a few days, I get progressively more tired and cranky. This helps to keep my eating on track.

    ReplyDelete
  9. First let's start with your accent. That is funny. I am from Michigan and when we travel to southern U.S. Ialways ased me where I am from, I appartently have a strong accent, they usually think I am from minnesota. Cracks me up. I see what you are saying about thin people and if it is natural. I agreee with what you are saying, fit-thin people usually live that sort of lifestyle. It is like being envious of the person in the gym looking great... Maybe they once weighed 300 pounds and have made a commitment to healthy eating and exercise and it doesn't come easily. I am trying to think of this weight loss as just making better choices in everything I do. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  10. In my observation, slim people don't eat a lot. They eat a few bites and complain about being full. Some talk about a sweet tooth, have one little piece of chocolate, and that's it. Some simply say they don't like sweets (must be from mars). In general, they don't seem to be as attached to food as I am. What a great point that only a few people are like this. The rest of us must work at it.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I like that, the "Rubens body" type. I'm not fat; I'm Rubenesque.

    I think that when people try to find out one's national origins, it is usually a "make conversation" type of thing than "putting people in little boxes" of us vs. them. I understand that this can sometimes seem offensive. Sometimes people really are racists, nationalists, sexists and the like. Recently someone asked if I was Jewish. I immediately felt wary even though, as I found out later, the person asking the question was Jewish himself.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Nona, Thanks for visiting and the sweet comment!! Thank you!
    Follow my lead and get some new undies this weekend!
    Have a pretty day!
    Kristin

    ReplyDelete
  13. Congrats on the citizneship (if that's what it's called these days). I'm sure you'd fit in wherever you go. My brothre's family trots round the globe and he has a malaysian wife so they are always saying they have no idea where they're from but they don't seem to mind!

    Anyway, back to food - a great point. and one I will bear in mind.

    Lesley x

    ReplyDelete
  14. and you are a kitten! seriously! i'm sending you a virtual hug!

    ReplyDelete
  15. and how pleased was i to see that avocados were included in low pesticide link you sent me! thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I LOVE this post!!! VERY well said :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Congratulations! It is funny though how living in different places can really make a hodgepodge out of a person's identity-- I have definitely experienced that!

    Thank you so much for your insight regarding your plan and how it has brought you success. I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to respond as things on this end have become quite hectic. Based on what you told me I have been able to come across something quite similar and it has been working wonders for me! What you've said about holding yourself accountable for calories consumed and losing the bad habit of mindless eating has truly been what has made the difference for me. I look forward to posting more frequently about how things are going, and I'm so glad to hear about your continud success!! *Hugs*

    ReplyDelete
  18. Enjoyed this post! Got me thinking...which is a good thing in my case:) i just wish I could view food as a fuel for my body and nothing more..... unfortunately I am too attached to the "emotional" side of the food....use it for "feelings" more so than fuel....back to the drawing board!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hey Nola

    I thought you'd fallen off the blog sphere radar. Glad to see your up and running with some weight loss success to boot.

    ReplyDelete
  20. you make a good point... my bf can eat what seems like a ton and never gains weight, but he also almost never has sweets and is constantly on the move. unlike me :)

    ReplyDelete

What's it all about Alfie?