Lessons From a Beauty Queen
Ok, something a little different this month. Beauty pageants!
I am not someone who regularly follows the results of beauty pageants. Ask my friends and they will tell you that I am a minimalist when it comes to make up, and I prefer my sneakers to stilettos. Still, I found myself tuning into the news about this year’s winner of the Miss South Carolina pageant, Bree Boyce, who fought obesity for much of her youth and then successfully lost 110 pounds the old fashioned way–through commitment and hard work. Her journey from overweight teenager to confident beauty queen is filled with lessons we all can use to get us moving on our lifestyle change to – do list.
Bree’s story began with a wake up call from her doctor. He warned that her weight and unhealthy lifestyle would eventually get in the way of her doing the things she wanted to do; for her that meant competing successfully in beauty pageants. But for many of us, our dreams are more practical. We want to have the energy and mobility to spend time with family and friends, play with our children, or enjoy leading active lives long into the future. Give yourself a personal wake up call this month! Tune into the goals and lifestyle values that are important to you–maybe even imagine having to live without them. There is a good chance you will find just the motivation you need to steer yourself in a positive direction.
Her “aha” moment got her moving–literally. She made a commitment to a begin a regular exercise program. Make this your next step too! Without a doubt, exercise is the single best thing you can do for yourself. Increasing your activity level even a small amount can be a powerful prescription for anything that ails you from lack of energy and feeling blue to joint pain and even heart disease! Use this handy calorie counter to begin tracking calories out vs. calories in. Did you know that swimming leisurely in the pools at Glen Ivy for the day actually counts as exercise?
Finally, Bree realized that the fad diets which had helped her lose weight in the past, failed when it came to keeping the weight off for good. So, she made an appointment with a nutritionist and learned how make better choices at the grocery store and prepare healthy meals for herself at home. Follow her lead and resist the temptation to get your nutritional advice from a popular magazine on the newsstand! Instead, team up with a qualified nutritionist who will be able to provide you with a safe and personalized eating plan along with the support you’ll need to stick with it.
The bottom line for all of us, is this: Yes we want to look our best, but health, lifestyle and happiness are the foundations of what make us truly beautiful. We must be careful to find the balance of food and exercise for beauty inside and out.
Though Bree’s journey took three long years, (I know, who wants to wait that long? We all have weddings, graduations and bathing suits to fit into next month!), it once again proves to me that “the slow way is the fast way,” and the only sure way to go. I don’t know about you, but this is one pageant queen I plan to follow all the way to Miss USA !
Have any of you made big lifestyle changes that have stood the test of time? What got you motivated and kept you on track? We’d love to hear from you!
Meg Root
