The Friday Find

A few weeks ago, I ran into this engagement photo session featured on one of my favorite wedding blogs Green Wedding Shoes.

Surprisingly, this shoot comes together in a way that inspires me to stick to eating healthy and working out. I mean, look at that woman! She is absolutely stunning. She looks silently confident with how she is as a person, completely comfortable in her own body. I'll bet that this woman doesn't feel compelled to eat everything on her plate at a restaurant. I'll be that this woman likes the way an easy jog feels in the morning.

And look at the wedding photos. Such class, such style, such beautiful promise of a fantastic wedding and a wonderful love-life. Who doesn't want that?

A wedding reality show I watched lately featured a bride who was dizzy from not eating. She wanted to be skinny for her wedding. I made a sassy comment: "Well, she knew she was going to get married someday. Why didn't she start this diet years ago when she could do it healthy?" Chances are that Bride is learning very little about how to take care of her body and establish heathy habits. Thin women have thin habits. Just check out the Thursday posts. Sure, I want to be a Skinny Bride too one day, but I want that status to be long established before it becomes a do-or-die-two-weeks-before-my-wedding-point.

Photography by Simply Bloom.

Thursday's Things Thin Girls Know

Today's Thin Girl is a Miss Leah Watson from Denver, Colorado. Leah maintains a strong, healthy body through constant exercise, a healthy diet, and guilt about drinking malts. She shares her thoughts on being thin with us:

Well, first of all, I know for a fact that I wouldn't have transitioned from childhood through adolescence as successfully as I did without soccer. That definitely kept me from gaining weight through middle school and high school while setting me up for the exercise habits that I have now.

I also know that fitness and a sweet toned body are not things that happen overnight, or because of dieting by itself. It takes time every day (or every other day) and energy--because that's the point, you expend energy and your body responds by toning the fuck up. It's a habit and it won't ever produce results unless you make it one.

The most important thing though is that you figure out a way to enjoy the process of working out, because if your only aim is to be hot (or toned or whatever) then you're probably going to fail-- you have to love the way that it makes you feel after [working out], and then the physical part will follow. But it's not the immediate result. If that's all you're in it for, you won't see the physical results fast enough to stick with the working out.

So-- figure out a way to love how it makes you feel and one day you'll look in the mirror and see the results.

So suck it up and go to the gym or get a friend to drag your ass out of bed.

Miss Watson herself has been that friend to drag my ass out of bed. Our conversations often went something like this:

(There is a knock on Allyson's dorm room door. Allyson is laying in her bed, pretending to not exist. The knock happens again.)

Leah: (in a sugary sweet voice) Come on, little girl. It's time to get up and go to the gym.

(Allyson, of course, still does not answer.)

Leah: Little girl, little girl, come on, it's going to be fun.

(The door opens and Leah enters the room. She climbs on Allyson's desk and begins to poke Allyson, who still has not moved.)

Leah: Little girl, come on. (Poke) You know you want to come with me to the gym. (Poke)

Allyson: Leah! I hate you! Get out of my room!

Leah: (jumping off the desk and pulling Allyson's running shoes out of her shoe rack) Little girl, come on, you know you're going to love it.

Allyson: (throwing a text book at Leah from her lofted bed) NO! I DON'T WANT TO GO! LEAVE MY ROOM!

Leah: Come on, you're going.

Allyson: NO! I WANT TO SLEEP.

Leah: (still in the absolute most annoying sweet girl voice) No, you're not. You're coming with me. (Hops back up on the desk and proceeds to poke Allyson)

(Allyson groans, and rolls her lard butt out of bed.)

^This is an actual event, everyone. I really did yell to Leah that I hated her, and she really did not even care. Guess what? She got my butt to the gym, and I am more than thankful to her for it. She is the person that has set my exercise habits. Thank you, Thin Girl Leah Watson!

Who Am I?

Hello There!

This blog came about one day when there was a beautiful sugar cookie sitting on the kitchen counter at work, just waiting for me to eat it. I looked at it, and thought, what if I treated my food the way I treat the rest of my life? Only doing things that move me along in a positive manner, avoiding traps that waste my time, and solving my own problems simply because I know how to? "Sugar Cookie, don't even waste my time." I walked past that cookie, and walked straight into this blog.

I'm a smelly girl from exercise. Always smelly, always fabulous. Love it.

I'm currently 5'8", 154 lbs, and not happy with that. For the first time in my life, I don't feel thin. That is what I am working towards. A happy feeling with the way my body works. I'm constantly assessing and reassessing how I feel based on what I eat and/or how much exercise I've done. I pay attention to the way my body responds from what I do with it, and figure out what is going to make me at peace.

If you have your own inspirational stories, photos, ideas, or opinions, please feel free to email me at west.allyson@gmail.com.

Cheers!
Allyson