To the Wifey and the Mommy

"The man may be the head of the household. But the woman is the neck. And she can turn the head any direction she likes."
-My Big Fat Greek Wedding... One of my favorite quotes =)

I've been thinking lately about the tremendous influence us girlies have on our husbands, and our families.  We have a responsibility to nurture them, take care of them, and keep them healthy.

Do you know where this is going?

I think in general, girls have a tendency to be more health-conscious, and well, guys generally don't. It's more accepting for a man to be heavy and I feel like unless he's threatened with something serious, he's not about to start a diet or opt to sweat it out at the gym.

However, I do think that if women take care of themselves, men are more inclined to follow suit. My husband gained sympathy pregnancy weight with me, but then lost it with me too! Since I've been training for my competition, he doesn't want to be outdone by a super-fit wife, so he's been pushing it hard in the gym. And quite honestly, we just don't have junk food around.. we've both become very accustomed to healthy snacks, and healthier versions of our favorite meals and treats.

I mean, check out HIS before and after!

Ladies, it's SOOOO important to be the instigator of healthy habits in our homes!!
It's not about nagging but just being careful and selective.
Our men and our kids are not going to pick up carrot sticks on their own and eat them! And if you're ordering pizza every other night, or making high-calorie, fattening casseroles, things are gonna add up.

Have you heard about the pending bill about obese children being taken away from their parents?? It's controversial, I know, and I think it's unethical to take a minor away from their families. BUT obesity has a root, and often times, it's the parents. It's sooo so sad to me that parents are too lazy, or uneducated, or caught up in their own bad habits to stress the importance of healthy living to their children.

There are easy ways to encourage physical activity as well as healthy eating in our homes: Taking walks, bike rides, hikes, anything to get the family outside and moving.
Enroll kids in sports!
Be an example. If parents sit in front of the tv all night, snacking on junk food, what's going to be the fate of their children?

The End. I will get off of my soapbox now =)