Don't Call Me Skinny.

I am really beginning to detest the word 'skinny,' particularly when it's said in reference to me or to a goal that someone has--as in to 'get skinny.'  Why do I have such a problem with the word??  Because to me, skinny implies weakness.  It implies deprivation.  (When you look at images of malnourished humans in third-world countries or images of people whose bodies are ravaged by disease, do you see skinny as a good thing??  A powerful thing?? A desirable state of being??)  Skinny implies denial and punishment of one's self, not empowerment.  It implies changing one's body to meet someone else's standards, expectations, approval.  Skinny implies taking something away from one's self, minimizing one's self.

Example at Left:  Skinny.  Achieved through not eating, smoking cigarettes, and doing cocaine.  So she can look pretty to other people.

The amazing and STRONG ladies of USAG Ansbach's 2012 Push Up Contest.  Strong in spirit, in their ability to persist, to rise up to meet a challenge and then overcome it.

I am not skinny I am STRONG.  

Too many girls and women have been sold a bill of goods that skinniness is desirable.  Skinniness gives you peace of mind.  Social acceptance.  Better clothes. A better life.  Such TOTAL BS.  Ladies, it's time to shed that mindset that 'skinny' is good.  Skinny is unhealthy.  Skinny is weak.  Skinny is changing yourself for the perceived approval of others, giving away who you really are for a 'pat on the head' from someone else.  And 'skinny' won't last.

Strong needs to become the new skinny.  Strong is purposeful.  Strong comes from within.  Strong empowers you, enables you to do things you thought were out of your reach.  Strong gives you the power to thrive.  The power to walk into a room full of people and know that the only person whose approval you really need is your own--and that you've already got it.  Strong is knowing that you have a body and spirit capable of taking on challenges and meeting them head on.  Strong is enduring hardships, injuries, and rising up from a fall again and again.  Skinny can't do that.  Skinny crumbles under the pressure of difficulty.  And whether you're strong or skinny is all in your mind, in the message you tell or sell yourself.

So the next time you head out for a run, into the weight room, or walk into a class remember why you're there.  Are you there to get skinny--become less of yourself in fact--or are you there to get Strong? Are you there to become bigger and better than you've ever been before--maybe bigger and better than you ever dared to dream you thought you could be???

I know what I'm after each time I go for a run, or step into the weight room, or hook up the TRX on my back porch.  And it sure as hell ain't to get skinny.  Skinny can't do the things that I do.

STRONG IS THE NEW SKINNY.

Throwing my hat into the Blogger arena.

Well, I'm throwing my hat into the Blogger arena.  I've hesitated to do so for quite while, just as I was very hesitant to start my fitness page on Facebook, because everybody and their gramma (quite literally at this point!) has one.  So what would I have to say that would be any different, or more special, worth reading?  I'm relatively new to my profession, haven't won any major races or competitions, and yet...I have alot to say.  And I've been reminded by family, friends, and mentors that I have a unique story to tell, and a unique perspective on life, fitness and how the two intermingle.  So I'm throwing caution to the wind, telling my inner critic (who is completely afraid of failure) to shut it, and listening to the support and advice of those who are close to and love me and starting this blog.

So, where to start?  With the facts, I guess! My name is Kate, I'm 38 years old, and I hail from Seattle, Washington.  I'm married to an amazing man (my biggest fan and advocate) who is a Chinook pilot in the US Army, and we're currently stationed in Germany.  I have two kids, ages 7 1/2 and 4 1/2, who definitely keep me from getting bored. I love running and strength training of every variety.  I'm an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, working at our installation's physical fitness center as both a trainer and group fitness instructor (Boot Camp and the KUT). And I am currently in the best shape of my life.

Summer 2012 (Photo credits to the amazing Paige Kimball at Paige Kimball Photography)

I thrive on growing stronger, adding to my professional knowledge and repertoire, and taking on new challenges.

But I haven't always been in this kind of shape.  I haven't always eaten so well, exercised as much, felt as good, or been this positive.

It's been a journey, and it's one I'm committed to seeing through to the very end.  It's also a journey on which I am committed to dragging  as many people as I can with me.  

Which, it turns out, is the real reason I've chosen to be a trainer and not just a fitness aficionado, why I've chosen to create and maintain a fitness page on Facebook, and why I'm now blogging.  Fitness has enabled me to achieve a higher quality of life.  It's that experience of enjoying a better quality of living through fitness that I desire to share with as many people as possible.

I hope by talking about fitness, trends, nutrition, realistic meal and training plans, and really delving into the trickiest part of it--what goes on in our heads--that I can have a slightly wider reach and bring as many of you along on a healthier, more fulfilling journey with me.