Earlier this year, News Limited journalist, Ros Reines, made a comment that Masterchef winner, Julie Goodwin, owed it to her children to lose weight. It caused a bit of controversy and it got me thinking.
As parents are we obliged to stay healthy for the sake of our families? The answer is obviously yes but does slim=healthy? Is it more about individual wellbeing?
My personal situation is an interesting case in point. Following the birth of my second child this time last year I lost a lot of weight. After receiving endless compliments about getting back into shape quickly (from strangers as well as friends and family!) my ego was boosted but it wasn’t good at all – not one bit!
My weight loss, rather than a sign of good health, was because my child was an awful sleeper - so I barely had time to eat let alone exercise! Add in the stress of living through a home renovation and the kilograms literally fell off as did muscle mass and strength! So I may have looked svelte but I had zero energy and was miserable – not much of a yummy mummy after all.
I guess it’s a matter of not judging a book by its cover. For me, it’s back to three healthy meals a day, regular exercise and looking after myself a little more. Funnily enough this healthier lifestyle will mean that I will put on weight but, as a parent it is a good thing and perhaps (although coming from different perspectives) was exactly the point Ms Goodwin was trying to make in her blog response on the matter.
What do you think? And, how much does wellbeing affect your parenting? How much, or does, weight come into it?