What Being Healthy Means

Balance.

That's it, it's balance. It's something I've been thinking about a lot this week.

I want you to picture in your mind two teenage girls. The first one has been on at least four different diets, claiming she is fat though she looks quite average. She is trying to be vegan, workouts seven days a week, and if she slips up and eats a cookie then its an extra workout a day to punish herself.  When she goes on vacation, the only thing on her mind is, "How will I eat healthy? and, "I'll get back to my normal self when I'm home," as she allows herself to have ice cream. All this poor girl talks about is health, her weight, how she hates her thighs, and pretty much every part of her body. She doesn't realize it, but all her friends and family do.

Now let's imagine the second girl. This girl eats when she's hungry and stops when she's satisfied. After a meal, it's quickly forgotten as she occupies herself with other things. Sometimes she'll eat chocolate, or maybe some fries. But, she never punishes herself for it. This girl doesn't really like lifting weights or doing burpies, but she loves yoga, Pilates, and running.

She tries to do a few workouts a week because she loves the way they make her feel. When she goes out on vacation, it's about enjoying time with family and the places they go, not about food. Ice-cream, cookies, and fries are eaten on the trip, but in moderation. This girl doesn't really think much about food. She knows what is healthy and she knows what's not. Instead of loving food and letting most of her day revolve around calories and how to burn them off, this girl likes food just fine and enjoys life.

Which girl do you think is having a great life? Plot twist, they are both the same girl. Another plot twist, that girl is me. Well, I haven't yet reached total second girl status yet, but I'm striving too. I can honestly say I am changing and changing for the better. You know how? It's balance. Let me break it down for you.

Balance Is:

Eating reasonable portion sizes
Enjoying food
Working out to reap the benefits it
Spending some time on social media, then putting it away to enjoy other things in life
Being conscious about health and what you put in your body, but not being obsessed with it
Spending time inside but also getting outdoors for a breath of fresh air

Balance Is Not:

"Lose up to 20 pounds in two weeks!!!"
Skipping a meal to make up for eating that brownie last night
Planning out everything you're going to eat the next day as you lie in bed
Getting angry after eating something that wasn't the healthiest and promising yourself you're going to go on a juice cleanse or something to get back on track
Spending hours on social media rather than reading the five unfinished books you started

I could go on. The only diet I have found true and lasting results from is the "Balanced Lifestyle Diet." This is where I say to myself, "Shelby, you are not fat. You are a beautiful young woman. Why? Because you were created by a loving and caring God who made coco beans so that we can have chocolate. So, eat the food God has given to us to enjoy. But, be balanced about it. Enjoy everything in moderation. Be happy because who knows what tomorrow may bring? You only have one body, so I suggest you treat it well and don't call what God made in his image 'fat' or 'ugly.'"

Does it work? Yes. Is it easy? No. Anything worth something will take work to gain. Letting go of these habits and thoughts can be hard. But, just think about that second girl again. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to start training myself to be her. Let's all go on this "Balanced Lifestyle Diet" together. In fact, let's just call it "God's Intended Way for Us To Live." Because God wants us to enjoy his creation, he wants us to be happy with how he made us, and he wants us to enjoy all things in moderation.