Sponsored Post: The 'Never Say Dieting' Oath - Setting An Example for Your Kids

At the beginning of January, my husband and I made a pledge to ourselves, to each other and to our kids to start living a healthier lifestyle.  While we both have always known the importance of physical activity, and making healthy choices, we had found ourselves in a rut.  Friday night would roll around and we'd be calling up our favorite pizza place, then spend the weekend huddled up in our basement on our fancy new couch, watching TV and having snacks.  Why?  Because at the end of the day, we were just tired, sick of the cold weather and we were wanting to spend time together as a family.  There's nothing wrong with the occasional movie and pizza night -- but there IS something wrong with making a very regular habit of it.

Come late December, we realized that we were setting a less than stellar example for our kids.  Yes, we've enrolled our little girl in soccer in the past, and we love to play outdoors (weather permitting) -- but we had been at a standstill, and these lazy weekends were speaking volumes to impressionable young minds.  That, in our minds, needed to change.

So, we bought a treadmill, put together 6 weeks worth of healthy meal plans (yes, it's a LOT of work, but it's worth it!) and began our new, healthier lifestyle.  While it's not about weight loss, my husband and I have already lost a combined total of 25lbs.  And we feel so much better for it.  We are on a roll. 

Throughout all of this, my children have been watching.  The Little Miss has been asking questions about the kinds of foods I'm preparing at dinner, what makes something "healthy" vs. "un-healthy" and why we're doing this.  During these amazing conversations, I am so very careful not to tell her we're on a diet, that we need to lose weight or get skinny or any detrimental phrase of that nature.  Why?  Because that, as much as the laziness itself, would be setting a terrible example and teaching my daughter a negative message about the human body that I'd rather not expose her to.  Ever.  And ultimately, while I know she will eventually be exposed to the way society views health and bodies in general, I'd rather she not hear those words from me.  Because I am her Mother.  

So, what do we do instead?  We talk about healthy choices, about the importance of fruits and vegetables and what they can do for us.  We talk about getting in lots of physical activity, and how it makes our bodies feel more energized, puts us in a good mood and makes us less likely to get sick.  These are the messages I want her to remember.  These are the messages that I want her to carry with her throughout life.

Much like the conversations my little girl I have, in this video Canadian Olympic Champion Silken Laumann addresses her daughter Kate, speaking to the importance of a healthy lifestyle and of eliminating the word "Dieting" along with all of its negative connotations from the vocabulary of people across the country.

Check out this beautiful, heartfelt video -- and Mommas out there, I challenge you not to shed a tear or two!  





Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Multi Grain Cheerios, but concerns our own opinion