"Whenever I feel like exercise, I lie down until the feeling passes." -Robert Hutchins
Every time that someone overhears one of my conversations about working out or committing to a healthier lifestyle, it is always followed by the same types of comments, "But why, you're so small? You need to eat, etc." This is just another example of the double standards that seem to plague society. My slender build suggests that I am a workout guru, food deprived, and starving for more than affection. However, if I was to respond to an overweight person with, "Maybe I should eat some of your lunch chunky monkey, because you don't need it," I would be escorted to HR trying to plead my case. The skinny girl battle is one that I have fought all of my life, and I don't think anyone but another skinny girl, can relate to the struggles of gaining healthy weight.
Currently, I am 5'4, 108 pounds. Even my mere 108 lbs can be viewed as an accomplishment, because the freshman 10 lbs that was promised to me in college decided that I wasn't worthy. It wasn't until I hit my 20's that for the first time in my life, I was able to reach a weight over 100 lbs. Ideally, I would like to be between 115-120 lbs, but this has been more than a difficult feat. Anytime that I have come anywhere near my desired weight, I get food poisoning, suffer from a bad breakup, become overtaken by stress at work, or some other ailment that snatches my lbs off like I owe money.
Along with thousands of others, wellness and fitness were part of my New Years Resolution. I started off hitting the gym hard everyday for cardio and abs and was enjoying my newfound energy. However, when my work schedule increased, my workouts decreased and next thing I knew, I was back to being a sofa bum after work. However, I had gained weight, my appetite was healthy, and I was enjoying the way that I had started to fill out my clothes. And then the inevitable happened. A bout of food poisoning would sweep through after Valentine's Day and literally shake me back down to size.
So, for the month of March, I have picked up a challenge that many have already started and quit since their New Year resolution inception date. My schedule rarely allows time for careful meal preparation in conjunction with a workout schedule, so I have joined many other Americans and turned to a meal preparation company. These companies prepare your meals for the week and restore a piece of your schedule, in return for a piece of your paycheck. As a picky eater, my weekly dinner choices are going to be limited to tilapia and chicken, but that has to be better for my new workout plan than one of the normal heavy pasta or red meat dishes that I usually whip up following a day saving the world, one child at a time.
In my delusional mind, I pictured myself having a six-pack for my photo shoot this coming weekend, but just like about every other woman in America, I have perfected the suck-in (yes, skinny girls can have a little pooch too). So, tonight when you get ready to go to bed, say a little prayer for me and my fitness aspirations, because I'm going to need it. After my initial 30 days of working out, I will start posting pictures of my progress on my IG page, ToniatheAuthor. They say it takes 30 days to form a habit, so let's hope that they are right (whoever "they" are). And if you don't see any shirtless pics on my IG page in April, that means I've probably fell my ass off the bandwagon (insert clenched teeth emoji).
Tonia
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