So often in the pursuit of "health" and "fitness," we get caught up in a number on the scale or on some goal created through the lens of pictures of supermodels and professional athletes. Sure, it's great having a visual image to which you aspire. That Dara Torres picture is still on my refrigerator.
But being healthy is about more than fitting into the jeans you wore in college. It is about having the energy and stamina to truly live and enjoy life. Keep that in mind as the week kicks off and you're seeking that inner drive to get to the gym or go for that long run. Remember the long-term goal -- being healthy and feeling good -- as you struggle with the urge for a candy bar mid-afternoon.
The end result of exercise and healthy eating is often clothes that fit better and a scale that registers lighter. But the real benefits are more practical than glamorous. I was reminded of that last week, as I found myself having to sprint from one end of the Charlotte airport to the other to catch my flight home. I made it in under 6 minutes, carrying a laptop and purse -- just enough time to get onto the flight. And I thought, "If I weren't in good shape, I would have missed that flight."
So if you had to book it through an airport, could you? If you're going on vacation, do you have the stamina to walk around all day exploring? Are you fit enough to run around after your toddler or young child without sucking wind? Those are the measures to remember in the pursuit of Badass.
My dear friend Kim told me recently how she got all caught up in a certain number on the scale. It was making her miserable trying to maintain the lower weight. She was feeling run down, stressed, and so finally she got practical and realized she was being too hard on herself.
Because guess what? The number on her scale doesn't tell this awesome fact: She has the strength and stamina -- and great legs to prove it -- to have cycled through three intense stages of the Tour de France a couple of years back. And she's planning a return trip with her husband, who is a grandfather yet has a six-pack and the strength to cycle the Tour right there with her.
That, my friends, is totally Badass.
Coming up: Eating healthy really can be simple, and fast!