She is beautiful!

First of all let me tell you how beautiful this woman is. Not only does she have a real body, but is comfortable enough to show it off in front of the whole world.

Did you know that we all have skin? Well, here is the fact. YOU DO! 

As a person that works with people that want to live a healthy lifestyle, it sickens me to see these derogatory remarks about this woman's body. I bet if you could see her chest, no one would have complained. It is obvious that Lady Gaga works hard on her body and carrier. If these people cannot see it then it is all on them. How about these people that body shamed her put that outfit on and show us what we are missing. 

I am so fed up with people thinking that a perfect body is one that looks like it has been Photoshopped. Guess what there is no such thing. That is why it is called Photoshopped for a reason. We all have the fold in our stomach when we sit. We all have the stretch mark we want to hide. Wrinkles are a part of aging. Those scars are our map of our lives. 

My thighs jiggle when I workout. My stomach hangs a little weird when I bend over. And you bet your butt I am proud of my body. Not because I want to be a bikini model (ha), but because I am a real person that has overcome obstacles and am living the healthiest life I can live. 

You are entitled to your opinion. But if you can, keep it to yourself and think about the impact you are making on someone else's life by your opinions. Not only are you hurting that person, but so many people that would love to look like her. 

I eat when I'm emotional.

So many of us look to food for comfort when things get emotional.

We all think of emotional eating as something we do when we are sad and stressed. Yes, those are a huge example of when we eat for comfort. But lets talk about eating when we are happy! I am definitely a happy eater. I eat when I celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and minor successes. Is this a good thing? Probably not the best.

If I could count the times I have eaten way more than I should have on a happy occasion, I wouldn't be able to tell you the number, it's just that high. Now in the last year, the sad/stressed emotional eating I have had a lot less times. How do I fight this urge to eat when I'm having these emotions?

• Find something better to do - read a book, take a walk, color a picture ( I LOVE adult coloring books), snuggle with your kids, talk it out.
• If you need a oral fixation - make yourself a cup of hot tea, chew some gum, or chew on a toothpick.
• Make a journal of your food intake - I have found that if I have to write down what I eat, I tend to eat less or make it a healthier choice. 
• Remember that eating is okay. Just also remember to eat only when you are actually hungry and not because you are wanting to control your emotions with food. 

I am running a fitness support group starting on the 20th of Feb. We will be giving a lot more ways to deal with emotional eating. I hope that you can join us. Leave me a comment below if you would like to learn more about the group!

Check out the event on Facebook: Take Charge!