Watch Out! Iva's on a Mission

This article was originally published for the Women Within Voices newsletter I did eons ago (Do some of my long-time readers remember?)It's kind of funny how some things change but stay the same, isn't it?

This year is my year to get mad. I’m on a mission: to change the world’s perception of eating right, exercising and permanent lifestyle changes. I get so angry when I hear the media setting the guidelines for what is healthy; not even healthy – what a woman should look like!

I am here to tell the media (and anyone else who feels a woman should be a size 0) that the Constitution might say that all men were created equal, but all women don’t fit into a perfect little box! No! Real women have curves! Yes, some of those curves fit into a size zero pair of jeans but not all of them do. And if a woman’s curves fit into a size 18 jean, so what? She is no less a woman, no less beautiful, and no less worthy of love, admiration or prestige.

Yes, I’m a little ticked.

Anyone who talks to me on a regular basis knows that I’ve made a resolution of sorts to begin a new healthy lifestyle. With the help of a friend, I was directed to a website that has allowed me to gain the knowledge and the support to succeed. Am I done? No. But guess what? I will never be done! This is a lifestyle change. Sure, I’m in the process of losing weight, but eventually, I won’t be. Eventually, my healthy lifestyle with merge with who I am and no one will say ‘Oh, you’re on a diet?’

NO! I am not on a diet. I couldn’t stick to a diet for two seconds. I couldn’t stick to a plan that told me what not to do. Don’t tell me what not to do. Don’t tell me what to do. Telling me what I can or cannot do is a guarantee that I will do the opposite of what you say. No. This isn’t a diet. On a ‘diet’ I can’t eat bread. On a ‘diet’ I can’t eat red meat. On a ‘diet’ I can’t eat chocolate. On a ‘diet’ I’m hungry all the time and salivating, ready to pounce at the first chance I get to ‘cheat’. And if I were on a ‘diet’, I would give up the very first time I fell off the wagon.

No, sorry…no diet for me.

So, this year, I will bring the information that I’ve learned (and am still learning) to you. Maybe I’ll share something that you don’t know or (a more likely scenario), I’ll share something that someone in your circle needs to hear. (Don’t underestimate your circle. It’s amazing how deep into our families the media has actually invaded. My 9 yr son [The Boy is now 13] refers to what I’m doing as a ‘diet’. Of course, I set him straight, but that night, as I pondered my day and our conversation, I was utterly disgusted that a 9 yr old boy would be tuned in to what society’s view on beauty and health actually is. It really is disturbing! And this from a boy! What are your daughters thinking?

If I can make just one woman think about herself differently, I will have achieved this year’s goal. We are our worst critics, ladies. We are our worst, when we should be our best! After all, if we don’t take the initiative to take care of ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually, who is going to do it for us? The media? Please!!