| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| farmmilkmama |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 05:33:32 AM
A couple cousins and I were talking at our ladies weekend a couple weeks ago about eating naturally and weight. One of my cousins is a vegetarian and was telling us that the meanest thing someone ever said to her was "You're a vegetarian? You don't looklike you're a vegetarian..." (meaning she wasn't stick thin.) She's of the belief that you can eat very healthfully and your body still "sets" at a certain weight. As in, even if you are eating naturally and healthfully, and somewhat active (she's not at the gym everyday, but isn't on her butt everyday either) that it doesn't guarantee you're going be a size 2.
My other cousin (who is super thin) thinks that you are what you eat. If you've got any extra padding on your bones, its basically because "you put it there".
What do you ladies think? I know plenty of farmgirls in real life who are busting their butts doing farmwork and eating decent food (and not necessarily too much of it either!!) who aren't skinny minnies, and others who are...what do you think? Does it depend on age? Body type? Hormones? You just are who are? Is the really super thin woman so popular in our media natural for some, but simply unnatural for others....or do you think everyone can get there? (Needless to say, it was an interesting discussion between cousins.)
--* FarmMilkMama *--
Farmgirl Sister #1086
Be yourself.
Everyone else is already taken.
-Oscar Wilde
www.wakeupstartlearning.blogspot.com
www.farmfoodmama.blogspot.com |
| 19 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| LakeOntarioFarmgirl |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 6:22:58 PM
I really do believe a lot of it is genetics(as others have said here), and then the hormones kicking in when we get older of course. :( Both my parents are on the thin side, I am built like my dad, long legs and thin, however.... once I hit my late 40's I put weight on in my belly area, a place I have never had a problem before- usually it's my hips, lol. No matter what I have done, it's really hard to lose it. I will admit I could be just a wee bit more active... but I don't sit around all day either. The belly fat comes from, you guessed it, menopause time of life. I remember my mom was the pudgiest she had ever been for about 3 or 4 years during that period of her life.
I hate seeing these skinny supermodels and listening to them talk sometimes. I had 4 girls and taught them to love their bodies, eat healthy, and exercise(things they loved doing, not just going to the gym every day). I think they are all beautiful and their own ideal weights.
My oldest grand daughter said to her mom and I not too long ago: "I need to go on a diet". We told her no she didn't, she is a dancer and is not skinny, but just right for her age. She tried to squeeze together her stomach to show us she had fat there, which she didn't. She had seen all her friends do that, and so thought it was normal to think that away. You know how old she is? 8!!! I wanted to cry. Peer pressure is so strong in young girls.....
We are the way God made us, and as long as we do what we can to take care of ourselves and treat our bodies the right way, then we can know we've done all we could to be healthy.
Brenda
FarmGirl # 711
Nothing we achieve in this world is achieved alone. It is always achieved with others teaching us along the way. Lee J. Colan
http://theviewfromhere-brenda.blogspot.com/ |
| Farmtopia |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 6:02:11 PM
I'm a vegetarian, and I'm no skinny minny. Remember, cookies, mac and cheese, and cake are all vegetarian too. Now, mind you, I am average size, but I've long gone past the days of denying myself certain foods at all, because I'm just not built that way. The skinniest I've EVER been, as adult was a size 10 and that was back in my dancing days when I worked out for FOUR HOURS A DAY! That skinny look is just not gonna happen for me or my body type, and when I was younger, I'd do the whole starving thing in order to look like the girls in the magazine before realizing--hey, I'm active, I eat really well 90% of the time, exercise--and I'm not meant to be thin. Once I got happy in my own skin did my life really make sense. Wish more people realized this.
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| coffeemom |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 5:48:19 PM
Here is my take on this subject...
Vegetarians can be fat if they eat fattening and unhealthy foods. I hate it when someone makes such a comment to a vegetarian.
As a circuit trainer at Curves, I see both sides to this story. As a person who battles weight problems, I can empathize completely. What I have learned is that, when a woman gets past 40, her metabolism DOES slow down. We have to work harder to conquer the battle of the bulge. It is very important to eat lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats. Shop the parimater of the grocery store. Stay away from processed foods as much as possible. Exercise and stay active(it's good for your brain also). We eat several vegetarian meals a week. I feel much better when I do.
I think we should all try to educate people who do not understand what it really means to be vegetarian. You have all had good comments about this and I commend you. Stay strong in your beliefs, but do it with love!
Melody |
| farmmilkmama |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 5:25:12 PM
You know, I was talking about this with my mom today and she said "What's the difference between people and animals?" We currently have four kittens, all from the same batch that we kept from awhile ago. They are now two years old. They all eat the same thing and have pretty much the same life...and they all look totally different. One is TINY, two are total chunks of muscle, and one is long and lanky and skinny.
Why would it be any different with people?
--* FarmMilkMama *--
Farmgirl Sister #1086
Be yourself.
Everyone else is already taken.
-Oscar Wilde
www.wakeupstartlearning.blogspot.com
www.farmfoodmama.blogspot.com |
| southerncrossgirl |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 4:55:49 PM
I also believe alot of it is passed down from parents and lifestyle. I am over weight. I should lose 50 lbs. If you knew me though, you would know that I don't eat as much as most people, and I eat fairly healthy. I don't know why I am over weight.
I do know that I don't exercise like I should. Maybe I will do better at that when my knee is all better.
I do know that my weight has nothing to do with my happiness. I like who I am, fat or thin.
"A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes"==Cinderella |
| prariehawk |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 4:43:01 PM
Another thing about being thin, especially if you are older--thin women are more likely to suffer from osteoporosis. Having some extra meat on your bones as you age can protect you from bone loss. I almost killed myself trying to be thin (size 2) when I was young, and nothing is worth the fear that I went through, worrying if I'd gain back the weight that I'd lost. I did, thank God, though it seemed awful at the time, but it probably saved my life. It's terrible the pressure society puts on young women to be thin and beautiful. And as for the men who pressure their wives and girlfriends to be thin--I hope they all end up fat and bald. (Can you tell it was a man who pressured me to be thin?)
Cindy |
| herblady55 |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 10:31:37 AM
Funny you should say the "adopted" thing Kristen, because my whole childhood, my parents use to jokingly tell me that, because I was tall and thin and didn't look like them. So I grew up believing it. Then one day I saw a pic of my moms'mom, the Grandma I never knew because she died in childbirth when my mom was 2. Anyhoo, I have her ears, her eyes and her smile. I actually broke into tears. I was never so happy to stare at a photo and see....well....me!! I told mom that parents should be very careful what they tell their kids at a young, impressionable age. We believe it! I also wonder if that's why I never could have children, I might have died in childbirth. Nobody else in our family had that problem. God knows best doesn't He?/! That's gonna be my thought for the day...."God Knows Best!"
Sister-chick# 905
Judy
Hugs&Squeezles!
I am not contained between my hat and my boots! -Walt Whitman- |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 09:41:30 AM
I would love to be a size 12 again! My sister and my brother are both thin. My sister has all kinds of health problems. She's always sick. Broncitis or something. Never works out. Does no physical activity at all. Works in an office all day. Smokes, too. My brother was in the Special Forces for 25 years and was always active. He's a year older than me. Very healthy. So I am not at all like them. I am the frumpy one. I hate to be around them sometimes. Anyway, I just don't know what happened to me. Where did I come from? I always thought I was adopted for some reason. I guess because I don't look like them. It could be the middle child complex. Who knows. But I think size 12,14, 16 is the normal size for most American women. A healthy size.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| herblady55 |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 09:04:18 AM
One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is, "Muscle weighs more than fat!" You farmgals who lift, shove, squat and just generally work hard HAVE MUSCLE!!!! Good for YOU!!! I applaud you. You ARE healthier than folks that weigh less, but never push their bodies to the limit! I read an article some years ago that said, "The new weight charts give you more lee-way. I am 5ft7in, 150#. The new chart said that I could actually be 160# and still be in my weight bracket. I have held onto that ever since. God Bless THAT person. No stick people on his chart. You are beautiful, my Farmgirl Friends! And if you are healthy too, then Embrace That! I Love You All!!
Sister-chick# 905
Judy
Hugs&Squeezles!
I am not contained between my hat and my boots! -Walt Whitman- |
| Ingrid |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 08:41:47 AM
Body image is a huge issue for everyone. The unfortunate part of nowadays is convenience is everywhere from fast food to ready meals in the grocery store. Computers, games that kind of stuff allows people in general to be more sedentary. Kids growing up with this stuff it is a natural part of their daily lives. Girls are bombarded with magazines, tv that sort of thing but so are the boys and they struggle as well. I think genetics for body size plays a big role. I have four siblings, two of my sisters are size 6 and 8 and myself and one sister 11 and 13 and my brother is slim. We are all active in our own ways and all eat as healthy as possible. We all need to stop stressing out about weight and size because I think the worry about it also adds to the problem.
Give thanks to yourself everyday for all the wonderful things you do! |
| farmmilkmama |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 08:35:05 AM
LOL Alee - your body rusting closed. My boys told me the other day while we were in a tickle fight "Mama, you have a little rusty belly." I laughed...but I wasn't sure what it was supposed to mean :)
--* FarmMilkMama *--
Farmgirl Sister #1086
Be yourself.
Everyone else is already taken.
-Oscar Wilde
www.wakeupstartlearning.blogspot.com
www.farmfoodmama.blogspot.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 07:59:24 AM
I definitely think that our genetics play by far the largest part in it- however what we eat also is there too. There is also the consideration of the right combination of nutrients- ie if you don't have enough of certain vitamins and minerals then you can be functioning just fine but your metabolism will suffer. And remember the 'good' food you eat is only as good as the soil it was grown in! Those carrots and brocolli are all well and good- but if it was grown in nutrient deficient/exhausted ground then it will be missing that extra vitamin or mineral "punch" for the body.
I also think that movement and exercise is great for the body- but the worst practicer of that belief! Somedays I feel like my body is already rusting closed! LOL
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
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| farmmilkmama |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 06:57:05 AM
I think what's maybe hard for my one cousin (the vegetarian) is that she's trying hard (maybe thinking she needs to be a stick) but its not working - for whatever reason. So then there is the guilt. I'm not doing enough, I must be eating the wrong things, I'm not active enough, I should work out *more*...and then to have a cousin who is just naturally thin who can eat just about anything and not gain a pound (even after having kids and everything)...I think its frustrating to her.
I'm of the belief that we should try to be our healthiest self (also admitting we are human and not beating ourselves up when we want to indulge in sweets and goodies from time to time)and realizing the size of one healthy person is not the size of another. Thin for my non-vegetarian, eat anything I want might be a size 4. My other cousin, the vegetarian, thin might be a 12, just because of how she is built. Maybe she shouldn't be focusing on shrinking to a size four. Maybe it isn't possible for her. Maybe she should instead just focus on eating healthfully...and throw away the scale!
We know when we are eating wrong or too much consistently. If I put on a weight around the holidays, I know why. I think the frustration is when you feel like you're eating the right things and aren't seeing what you *think* should happen.
Maybe the key is this: There is a book/poem/song called "Sunscreen" that was popular a few years after I graduated. One of the best lines in it is "Do not read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly." I mean...imagine a world where young women didn't have that stick thin image smacking them in the face wherever they looked...could we just be happy with whatever (healthy) size we were?
--* FarmMilkMama *--
Farmgirl Sister #1086
Be yourself.
Everyone else is already taken.
-Oscar Wilde
www.wakeupstartlearning.blogspot.com
www.farmfoodmama.blogspot.com |
| melanie47601 |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 06:24:08 AM
I believe it has to do with how you eat as well as what is passed down through your genes. I'm packing some extra baggage but I haven't been eating right or getting much exercise. That is my fault. And I know that admitting that I have a problem with food is the first step in helping myself lead a healthier lifestyle. I feel that the media and society in general pushes this stick figure for women- that this is "supposed" to be what a woman is supposed to look like. I can tell you that when I get the extra weight off, I will not have this figure. Even before my kids came along and the weight packed on, I did not have this figure. I have always had a curvy figure, even when I was slim. My oldest daughter sometimes frets about her weight. She is not overweight at all, so this image the media is pushing has me completely disgusted. She is a beautiful girl. And is built like the rest of the women in our family. She will never be a stick. And I think it's really unhealthy for society to lead our young girls to believe that this stick is a realistic and perfect shape for a woman to have. Sorry rant, rant, rant....
Melanie
Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says "Oh Crap, She's up!"
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| classygram |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 06:09:18 AM
I think alot of how you are built, which is handed down my your parents, is something you just have to deal with. I could afford to lose a few pounds but I know that I'll not ever be real thin. Mother, myself and daughter are all built alike. But we try to present ourselves with grace. Maybe, CLASSY, at times! hahaha But I do worry about our young girls today. All they see on tv, movies and magazines it the stick thin. As long as they are healty and get exercise is what is important. It's what is on the inside that is the most important. I do agree that there are those who are heavy or thin because of what they eat. But I think they know that. There's also health issues that can cause the difference. I just remember my son when he was just a little guy saying to me when we were giving big hugs, Mommy you not fat, you just fluffy! So no matter how we are shaped, we love each other and the Lord loves us, what else do we need!
Blessing, Brenda |
| aunt boby |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 06:03:34 AM
I recently saw on the news a story about body weight and your health. They focused on two women. One was a size 16, never exercised but ate a fairly healthy diet. Her cholesterols were good and had normal blood pressure. The other woman exercised four times a week, was on a strict diet and had an awesome body. Yet, she was on meds for high BP and bad cholesterol. I really think it has alot to do with our genes.
Also, this country is obsessed with body image. And I think it's the young ladies who suffer for it.
POOR IS THE MAN WHO CANNOT ENJOY THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE- anonymous |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 06:00:36 AM
Oh, and Karen, I think you are a normal weight. You are just right. Don't worry about it. You are a beautiful woman.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 05:58:20 AM
Amy, I am 51 and my motabalism has really slowed down. I used to be able to lose weight fairly easy. Now not so much. I think, though, if I did not live here and have all these animals to care for and feed and water every day twice a day and have the bog market gardens 3 seasons of the year, that I would be huge. I am lazy by nature but really have a lot to do that has to be done or it won't get done. I believe farm work is the best workout around. With all the heavy lifting and bending and squatting there is to do practically every day. I eat as healthy as I possibly ca. I grow at least 90% of what we eat. I do LOVE sweets, though. That's my dowmfall. But Lent id coming and I will be giving that up.
Amd I do believe heredity plays a big role. But my mother is super small. I am not. She is 76 but does have high colesterol. I HATE to excercise the traditional way. But like I said, I am up and outside quite a lot during the day.
I know what to do and what to eat. But sometimes I stray. I'm human.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Ga Girl |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 05:45:47 AM
Well I can tell you I try and eat as healthy as I can and drink 1cup of coffee and water the rest of the day and I can not seem so lose weight no matter what. I think it has something to do with hormones. I also think media has made Barbie type people some what as a role model and I think that has made many including young girls to worry some over there bodies. I do not think we should be overweight either but I think a healthy range is good for all. I guess thats why I struggle so much with my weight. Im sure that was a good discussion, which I could have been a fly on the wall. Blessings,Karen
Create in me a pure heart,O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalms 51:10
www.KKJD1.etsy.com
http://farmgirlingastyle.blogspot.com/ |
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