Body Drama?

[shootingstar]

Limewave, I was stunned when my 9 yr. old niece said that she didn't want eat something because she'll get fat. For sure, she is more girly, girly at this age, than her mother ever was. Her mother is (my sister) is 5 yrs. younger than I.

I doubt it's her mother saying anything but she is in good shape and health. My sister does jog several times a wk. But that's all and she's not much of a makeup woman because she's so busy. Her sense of fashion is like mine....kind of absent-minded at times, but stylish and practical.

I mean really, niece is very slim. All that soccer, hockey and gymnastics contributes to this. I am aware that my sister encourages each of her children to eat certain foods. (There are also 2 boys.)

Let's see when I was 10, I was more conscious on whether or not if I was going to get boobs. Ah, the fate of small women which is now a blessing in disguise as one gets older. When I figured out that I was skinny because of the softball and bicycling I was doing, I stopped worrying about my weight at her age and onward. (I was abit chubby ages 5-8 yrs.)

How parents communicate verbally and non-verbally with their kids is important. Also to constantly talk about weight negative or positive is not a good thing with kids.
Food was never a reward nor punishment as part of growing up in my family. It was just a neutral, nutrient/fuel for us that had to be portion controlled for us, with some pleasurable aspects of taste, smell and colour...which might explain all of us as children could eat all sorts of "unusual" foods.

[redrhodie]

Since you do cycle and some other form of exercise, are you really that concerned redhodie at this time? How old are you?

I'm going to be 44 this year, so yes, the 40+ year old body, and its changes, are a concern for me. I'm not saying I'm not aging well, or that I need to be concerned, but yes, I have questions. I know major changes in the female anatomy come in this decade, but I'm not sure all this entails and what to expect. I'm sure that a lot of women my age also don't know what to expect. I'm sure a lot of women hate the changes because they think they should be looking like a 20 year old super model, as is the typical image presented by the media. Hopefully we know by now it's not an honest image, but it's what we've been given, and I'm willing to bet that a lot of women don't accept their natural progression as well as they could if they knew the truth, and that's the book I'm looking for.

[redrhodie]

As another example of what I'm talking about, are questions about how the body functions as we produce less of certain hormones. How does that change our dietary needs? It's all connected, and if one thing changes, everything else changes. How about weight? Are the weight tables that are used for a 16 year old, still the ones you should follow as a 40 year old? Yeah, I know there's a lot of debate about those tables to being with, but they're in every health book (including "Body Drama"), so they're the ones I'm questioning.

[PamNY]

As another example of what I'm talking about, are questions about how the body functions as we produce less of certain hormones. How does that change our dietary needs? It's all connected, and if one thing changes, everything else changes. How about weight? Are the weight tables that are used for a 16 year old, still the ones you should follow as a 40 year old?

The dietary changes are something I want to find out about -- in fact, I started a thread elsewhere about consulting a nutritionist.

[shootingstar]

Wow, can't imagine having good friends who asked me about my weight, etc. each time they saw me or even occasionally ask.

They would not be my friends ...by nature. My face-to-face, close friends care about their weight but we don't talk much about it because we so seldom see each other that we must talk about other priority stuff. I am aware each of these long-time friends..over 25 yr. long friendships, taken up certain regular forms of exercise, they try to eat healthy, not perfect.

Hey folks, these face-to-face friends know I lost a sister to suicide. Do you think by now they would be dumb-critical (of me), enough to do that to me? Such women just remain distant acquaintances to me.

Would these friends still do this physical once-over to you as a friend if you lost a sister the way I did?? Think about it, how ...wrong and in a way, abit self-centred of them if they were still physique comparing under those circumstances...it's more a reflection of their own insecurities vs. about anyone else's body image. I know I've chosen an extreme example, but just to highlight..how inappropriate of supposedly a "good" friend -- at any time. A true friendship is not some sort of keeping-up-with-the-Joneses game.

[shootingstar]

My dietary needs have changed. They have to.

Hardly any white rice, less high glycemic foods, etc. My bread consumption has reduced by 50% in past 12 months. Otherwise my natural insulin production goes whacky and I don't feel the best. This is partially due to my aging but not necessarily indicative of all other people's aging patterns. This change is at the advice of ....2 doctors. So this dietary change has occurred gradually in past 4 yrs.

Am eating more fresh fruit, just a wide range of fruits. I probably should eat more orange/red veggies... carotene, etc.

I seem to have a need to drink alot more fluid over the years. In my 20's to early '30s I could bike same distance with 30% less fluid than I ingest now. Maybe a book could tell me that though admittedly I'm not concerned. I just have adjust.

[Crankin]

My dietary needs have changed, as yours, Shooting Star. I don't think I am getting insulin spikes, just plain weight gain if I eat white rice, bread, etc. I mostly ate whole wheat stuff anyway, but now anything white is seen as a treat.
None of my friends, cycling or otherwise, would ever comment on my appearance. Maybe a "you look nice today," but nothing else. But, sometimes, when I go places, I see other women giving me the once over, as you described, Limewave.
I wouldn't mind if someone commented on my muscles, though.

[shootingstar]

I wouldn't mind if someone commented on my muscles, though.

That would be a great compliment for any of us. (Right now, I wouldn't believe them because the long hard winters here, I've lost enough cycling conditioning...It's embarrassing. )