Why I Am Trying to be Healthy

Why am I trying to be healthy? That is a loaded question. There are so many reasons - vanity, longevity, I don't feel like buying new clothes, I feel better when I am healthy.

But the most important reason is easy. I try to be healthy to set a better example for my children.

I am not the biggest fan of exercise - or I wasn't until I realized that on the days I spent even 20 minutes on the elliptical I slept better, I cried less and my back didn't hurt.

I also seemed a lot less hypocritical when I made my kids exercise.

The same is true for eating. If I eat an apple or banana every day with lunch not only do my children see that I practice what I preach, they also see that it is normal. And maybe we don't all need dessert for every single meal.

I went to a panel this year at BlogHer 11 about owning your own beauty. The panelists talked a lot about how we can make our daughters see that they are beautiful by leading by example. It isn't about being thin, it is about being healthy.

I recently hired a personal trainer and I was so careful not to tell my daughter (who at age 7 has no body fat whatsoever and is 75% legs) that I was working out not to lose weight, but to get into better shape, to be stronger, to be healthier.

And I am. After three months I am stronger. I feel better. I am setting a better example of how grown ups can fit exercise into their lives ever day.

Well, maybe not every day, but at least four times a week.

Marie Callender's is trying to help it make easier for us to be healthy in a hurry.

Today I tried the Cheesy Chicken and Rice meal. It was only 380 calories and very, very filling.

The Cheesy Chicken & Rice is one of the nine one-dish entrees that Marie Cellender's offers for under 500 calories. Not bad, huh?

I try to be healthy for my kids and for my sanity. And you?

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Marie Callender's and The Motherhood sponsored this post, but these are my words and my opinions.