I spent time last week with my former bible study group— Bruce, our retired pastor, came back for a visit from Washington and taught us for two evenings. In discussing seven axioms for our spiritual walk he brought up the concept of quality versus quantity. Not a new idea to be sure, but it hit me in a new way.

Food is a universal topic in my business and a common challenge is having too much food. When faced with one’s favorite foods, especially for someone who labels these foods as “bad” or “unhealthy,” standard operating procedure kicks into gear which is often the over-indulgence of said food. The exclamation of “it tastes so good!” is quickly followed by the feelings of being stuffed and of regret for having over-eaten.

Whether attending a party, eating out at a restaurant, or simply sharing a home-cooked meal with family, it bodes well to remember that delicious food is around the next corner. Doesn’t it feel good to eat the foods you want and enjoy (quality) until physically satiated? No matter how tasty the food, quality suffers in the over-powering light of quantity: physically feeling overfed and bloated or mindlessly eating while talking with friends does not allow for a savoring of quality.

This principle also applies to our schedules and something to keep in mind with the holiday season approaching. A jam-packed schedule can turn what could be enjoyable into an arduous chore. It’s easy to become run down and tired and to miss out on the beauty of solitude or time with family. It pays to be protective of our time so that whether we’re out about town or in for the night, our time yields quality results.

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I’m loath to admit this: I fell last month. I’ve rollerbladed for years, but combine not paying attention with cracks in the pavement and down I went. Not to mention I began blading 15 years ago when no one wore safety gear. Gratefully, I did not break a thing.

At first, I was most irritated with a large bruise surrounding the road rash on my thigh and the significant scrapes on my knee. But those largely faded in a few weeks. What I later came to grasp is the unseen impact. I’m just now able to put pressure on my palm without soreness, but my thigh still has a remnant of pain. I have new appreciation for the time it takes the body to heal.

When my clients are sick or injured I’m a stickler for revising workouts and advising rest. They are generally frustrated with the need to cut back and their subsequent loss of fitness level. I can relate now more than ever as I’m disappointed to be back at square one with the military pushups I’d worked so hard to build up to. But in some ways I’ve relished this time taking care of myself with modified workouts and rest. In the big picture, a two-month modification and a bit of time to gear back up is just a blip—and in my case, a valuable lesson.

In health,
Heather Moreno

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Is it possible to share my body-image trials with younger women so that they avoid the very issues I bemoan today? Would they listen to what I have to say?...

Read my tweet - click here - and make a comment. Tell your story.

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