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9.24.2012

WEEKLY WELLNESS// how and what and why


to say that laura is a friend i met through blogging seems (and sounds to my ear) false. it's more like... i was destined to meet and know this person and then spend quite a bit of time on long phone calls with her and planning trips and on and on and blogging just happened to provide the introduction.

this is all to say, she's for keeps.

a little while ago, on one of our long phone calls i hold so dear, i suggested that we tag-team a health discussion that have nothing to do with body shape and weight loss and everything to do with what's good for our us--a whole body sort of health.

so laura and i came up with twelve ideas--one a week--of things we want to try. it's a grand experiment! a sort of try this, how does it feel? how does it affect us? game, if you will.

the first week is basic: water. more water.

start with today. have an extra glass. resolve to have one less diet coke. one less lemonade. buy yourself a soda water instead, squeeze in some fresh lemon.

i do need to say, that for me, it's not just about the twelve experiments, it's really about thirteen.

the one small thing i want to do for each of the next twelve weeks in addition to whatever that week's challenge is is this: cut out fat-talk.

what is fat-talk? i feel fat today. oh, i'm so bloated. you look thin, have you lost weight? oh, i'm such a cow. i wish i had your legs. i can't believe how much i just ate. and on and on and on. it's one of those things that once you're tuned into, you realize is everywhere. you do it. i do it. and everyone around us does it. and the thing is, it's incredibly damaging, whether we realize it or not.

{for more information: read this. watch this.}

words are important. how we speak about ourselves is important. i want to accentuate my waist is very different from i have to accentuate my waist. can you see that?

a few months ago i noticed that all of the girls in my closest circle had a hit a body-image wall, all of us struggling. and i began to wonder why we'd hit that wall at the same time. had one person's poor joke about her thighs turned into another's rant about her stomach? had the language we used to belittle our bodies (even in jest) in some way contaminated the people around us? had our ugly thoughts begotten their ugly thoughts? and i have to tell you, yes, i think so.

so for the next three months, i pledge, right here right now, not to engage in fat-talk. i pledge not to confuse self-deprecation with body bashing. i pledge to call people on it when they're doing it. and when i can't do that because i don't know them well enough and it'd be rude i pledge to change the subject, lovingly, or walk away.

and in place of fat-talk i'll discuss the benefits of water. of unplugging my computer before i climb into bed. or giving up television for a week (that's going to be a doozy).

you with me?

i want to see how small changes can add up. how just the simple act of eliminating one bad behavior can transform my life.

it's an experiment, remember?

laura has put together a list for us (and described the whole thing with a bit more clarity on her blog):



we want you to join us. whether it be just for a week. or two or three, we invite you to get in on this. and to let us know what you think. 

alright, off to set down my coffee and pick up a water bottle...






30 comments:

Brittany said...

I love this so much already. Can't wait to read along and learn from both of you.

Unknown said...

i am doing some of these now--trying to drink more water; eat more vegetables particularly the dark greens; and cooking proper meals at home. generally it is going well and i feel much better and i have fallen back in love with cooking again, it is amazing what a little bit of effort can make :)

Annalisa said...

I love what you both are doing! I posted something kind of similar on my blog recently. I picked three goals to try and strive for, but I love how you are dividing it up in weeks. I will definitely join in!

Jessica said...

I like it! Jumping ahead, but I've been unplugged from a lot of technology (by accident- my home computer broke back in March and I've been having too much fun to fix it) all summer and it's basically been the best and most healthy summer of my life. AND I LOVE IT.

I also love this- excited to follow along!

Heather said...

I am def. on board! I love the different exercise/stretch week too!

Anonymous said...

Gonna grab my water cup before i leave for class instead of coffee! this sounds like a great 12 weeks.

laurrdunn said...

water, here we go!

jackie said...

ooh I love this. I started a new health thing today, mostly in the form of not shoving my face with cheese and beer, but also starting to train for a 5k. I'm excited to see what comes of both of our resolutions :)

kate said...

Great timing! I'm slowly trying to get myself back to taking great care of myself. So 12 weeks, 12 things will really supplement this. I went and bought a vitamin water (extra vitamins for the sicky) in the middle of reading your post.

Diana said...

I love this post and agree with it completely! I'm in!

Maria Larsen said...

I love this so much. Being in college still, I see so many of my friends and coworkers having trouble with their body image, myself included. I can't wait to follow along with your chart and see how I improve for the next twelve weeks.

Venessa said...

Love this post and the weekly guide you both worked on. Thanks for the inspiration.

xo
Venessa
http://www.everything-pretty.com/

Venessa said...

Love this post and the weekly guide you both worked on. Thanks for the inspiration.

xo
Venessa
http://www.everything-pretty.com/

Marigold said...

I'm in! Posted it on my Pinterest and Facebook (attributed to your blog, of course) in hopes that others will join as well.

Alex said...

Great idea! I am regularly guilty of the fat talk, and I really need to cut it out.

Hope Johnson said...

Filling up my water bottle. AGREE re: fat talk. I would also add 'age talk' where people talk about how old they are...even though they are 22...32...42...because 'age' like 'fat' is connected to lack of worth, and I won't have a bar of it.

HAVEN said...

I read this first thing this morning then spent the whole drive to work thinking about it. Now I have logged in on my work computer to say how I really really REALLY love this whole concept.

I am now wasting work toner to print this out and it is going on my fridge as soon as I get home. If it works out, I wanna do it continuously, every week forever pretty much.

I always try to eat healthy, be healthy yada yada but it always fails because the whole idea isn't really a set plan, it lacks focus.

This is excellent though. To each week focus on one particular area of being it, well, it will balance the whole.

LOVE LOVE LOVE.

:)

hannah debbie said...

I need to participate in this. Especially the no fat talk.

Jackie Norris said...

What a great idea. I love how the focus seems to be on whole-ness... mind, body, spirit.

I think you are on to something about fat-talk triggering more fat-talk and subsequently negative body images. I remember very distinctly in the ninth grade sitting around with a group of girls, each going around saying something they hated about their bodies. It came to me. I honestly didn't have anything to say. I grew up in a home where we bought clothes that fit, regardless of size. I never remember my mother criticizing her appearance or anyone else's. But, as I sat around with that group of girls I became acutely aware of my thighs. They weren't huge, but have never been sticks either. I left that experience learning that it was somehow part of the feminine code to criticize your own body. I lived that way for awhile, but have now (mostly) moved past it. Now I bristle when I hear women engage in fat-talk. It does nothing productive. Let's talk about something that matters. Let's talk about how to make ourselves better human beings, not how to get back into our size 6.

Courtney said...

I'm in!

Shoshana said...

Wonderful!! I love all the steps. I just got off Facebook yesterday and I am loving it.
What you said about fat talk could not be more true- and its so insidious, it just seems like small talk. Way to be on guard.

Rachel said...

I am joining you for all 12 weeks, I need this change thank you for sharing.

Anonymous said...

this is awesome. it's really about making little changes, not huge overhauls. it's the only way they'll stick.

Jandy xx said...

i'm playing along!

living alone, i tend to live like my parents are away for the weekend and this is the perfect motivation to kickstart the change!

Holly said...

Meg. I just love you. I am self-proclaimed president of your fan club. I hope that's not creepy or inappropriate. Care to weigh-in on the t-shirt design? ;)

Count me in!

meg fee said...

@Holly: you're too kind. that made me laugh out loud this morning. in regards, to the t-shirt, something simple, maybe--so ambiguous that people have to ask questions. ;)

Megan said...

I'm excited to join you in seeing all these small changes add up. And it's certainly nice to not be alone in the quest for health. Thank you!

Holly said...

I left a comment earlier, but I also wanted you to know that I copy/pasted a link to your blog on my facebook group's "Get Fit" page and several of us have committed to the plan!

(The group focuses a lot on wellness as a whole...many of us have even taken to putting away our scales in the realization that being "fit" is about so much more than the number on the scale, just f.y.i.)

i don't know if you can copy/paste things like this but the link is below. Not sure if it is private or not...but the group is called Get Fit with Kendal and Alissa if you want to check it out. :)


http://www.facebook.com/groups/360246060689989/429800857067842/?notif_t=group_comment

Krys72599 said...

It's an amazing thing... I started more water the same week you posted this but I've been behind on my blog reading so I didn't read it until today!
Count me in!!!

Jay said...

I love this idea!! You can count me in as of now, starting back at week 1 :)