What I realized.

I’m not being overly dramatic when I say that the Healthy Living Summit changed my life. Call it a revelation or a healthy tipping point, but something in my mind definitely “clicked” this weekend.

In the past few years, I’ve moved farther and farther away from disordered thoughts and behaviors, but I still have to consciously push them out of my mind. It’s one thing to embrace self-love as an ideal, but it’s entirely another to actually love yourself.

I spent the weekend surrounded by 200 women of all shapes and sizes, every single one of which was absolutely beautiful. I’m not trying to be cheesy, but in all honesty, I was completely floored by the warmth and positivity radiating from everyone.

During the “Fueling for Fitness” talk on Saturday, a slide came up showing two rail-thin models in bikinis. For the first time in my life, I didn’t want their bodies. I thought of the women surrounding me- women with real bodies that were both fit and womanly, perhaps imperfect but able to have babies and run marathons- and I wanted to be one of them instead.

I’ve gained several pounds since starting this blog in January, and until this weekend, I wasn’t 100% comfortable with that. Logically, I knew it was necessary and healthy, but on my worst days I’d still look into the mirror and wish for something different. This weekend, I finally kicked that way of thinking.

My stomach could be flatter, my boobs could be bigger, and my nose could be smaller. I could also be more patient, I could be less judgmental, and I could strengthen my relationship with God. Which is more worth my energy? Which would make me a better person? It’s a no-brainer.

It’s not about just accepting myself; it’s about loving myself. As hackneyed as it sounds, I want to be a woman whose inner beauty creates her exterior beauty, and I know that seeing myself in that way is the only way for others to see it, too. I truly believe what I only told myself before: that by honoring my body when it comes to food and exercise, I will have the body that may not be perfect, but that’s perfect for me.

So, that’s my lesson learned. I want to thank every HLS attendee (and so many other bloggers I haven’t had the privilege of meeting) from the bottom of my heart. You have made the most positive impression on my life. I love you blends!

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In other news, I’ve been enjoying being home again! I don’t have much time before I head back to school, so I’m taking advantage of these last few days in Pennsylvania.

Breakfast this morning was a bowl of Cascadian Farms multi-grain squares, Uncle Sam granola, a sliced peach and a sliced banana. All the granola went straight to the bottom of the bowl, which made the last few bites extra tasty :)

Post-breakfast I popped in Jillian Michaels’ No More Trouble Zones. Chandra’s session on weight training this weekend really inspired me to incorporate more strength into my workout routine. There are so many long-term benefits!

For lunch, I broke into my swag bag sample of Eden’s Organics kamut ditalini. I tossed the pasta with olive oil, veggie marinara, nutritional yeast, sliced tomato, basil leaves and chopped spinach. Yummy!

I also had a pink lady with Naturally Nutty butter toffee peanut butter.

And an Adora dark chocolate calcium disk. I’ve been popping like three of these a day, no big deal…

I’ve got a lot to cross off of my to-do list this afternoon. Better get cracking!

Have you ever had a healthy revelation or tipping point? What set it off?

Is there any specific blog that you look to when you need a dose of health sensibility?