You look thinner…

So we had a fire drill yesterday, and on the way back to our desks a coworker said to me “you look thinner, have you been trying?”

I was in shock.  What was I supposed to say to that?  I didn’t know that was something anyone would say to me around so many people.  I mumbled something about how I was trying a little bit, but didn’t think it was noticeable yet.  In reality though, I’m not really trying to lose weight.  I just want to get fit, strong, and be able to run the Broad Street run in May.  If I lose weight in the process, so be it – but that’s not my ultimate goal.

It’s funny to note too that Robert and I had a conversation about this just yesterday morning as we were getting ready for work.  I admit – I had gotten on the scale that morning, and the number was lower than it was before.  I mentioned this to him as we were getting ready for work. 

R:  Oh, that’s good.  How many more are you looking to lose?

(Side note:  we are really open with each other regarding weight.  I feel absolutely comfortable with him, no matter how I’m feeling with myself.  He is my biggest supporter.)

C:  I don’t know how much I want to lose.  I’m not really putting a number on it.  When I stop losing weight, that’s where I’m supposed to be.  I’d rather not lose any weight, so long as I’m toned and healthy.

What I guess I’m trying to say is that I’m trying to get a grip on my life.  I don’t need to lose weight.  I am enough just as I am.  If I can improve my life by eating healthier, excercising more, and setting fitness goals for myself, then things will just fall into place after that.  By setting up my healthy habits now, I hope that I will be able to pass them along to my children, and live a long happy life.  Health shouldn’t be a race to lose the most amount of pounds in the shortest amount of time. 

While I’m glad that obesity and health are in the spotlight now more than ever, I think that we are having conversations about the wrong things.  While I do bring my dinner to work, and I do wake up early to make sure I have time to work out, this isn’t a crash diet.  As a society, we are bullied into focusing more on losing the pounds as opposed to overall health.  Between 100-calorie packs, The Biggest Loser, and co-workers who notice that you are losing weight, it is almost taboo to mention overall health and fitness without sounding like a preacher.  My hope is that one day this will no longer be true.  I am grateful for this healthy blogging community for truly inspiring me to be my best self, and until the rest of the world catches on, check out Operation Beautiful for a fantastic example of a blogger and a community that gets it.

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Is weight loss a big topic where you work?